Name: Summer Lamb and Vegetable Guvec
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Turkey
Ingredients: 2 medium tomatoes, grated, plus 3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced; 1 medium red bell pepper, diced; 12 ounces zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks; 4 ounces small shallots, thinly sliced; 1 pound boneless lean lamb shoulder; 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 pound long, thin eggplants; ½ teaspoon sugar; 8 ounces small, firm okra pods, rubbed with a towel to remove any fuzz; 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed; 8 ounces small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved; 1 medium green bell pepper, diced; ½ teaspoon ground allspice; 12 large garlic cloves, 6 thinly sliced and 6 whole; 2 lemons, thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons Turkish sweet red pepper paste; Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

By Paula Wolfert

Published 2009

About

This is Ayfer Ünsal’s unabridged version of a famous Turkish casserole containing lamb, green beans, okra, eggplant, and tomatoes—the guvec equivalent of a “pizza with the works.” After Ayfer puts her guvec together, she drops the pot off at her local bakery, goes for a two-hour swim, and then picks it up on her way home. She usually serves it at room temperature with bulgur or rice pilaf later in the day.