Mutton Stew

2 cups meat 2/3 cup tomato 1 onion

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 cups potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups water, or more

1/4 cup butter, lard or beef fat

1/3 cup flour

Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, cut it into three-quarter-inch cubes, put it into a cooker-pail with all the other ingredients, except the fat and flour. The potatoes should be pared and cut into one and one-half-inch cubes. Bring all to a boil, boil it for five minutes and put it into a cooker for from four to six hours. Make a brown sauce, using the fat, flour, and liquor from the stew. Heat the stew in this till boiling. Or the meat may be dredged with the flour and fried in the fat until meat and flour are brown, before being put into the cooker. If cooked meat is used, one and one-half hours in the cooker will be enough, unless the meat is very tough, in which case it may be cooked as long as raw meat. The addition of one green pepper makes a good variation of this stew.

Serves five or six persons.

Chestnut Stew

2 cups raw mutton 2 onions

2 tablespoons fat

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups blanched nuts 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Water

Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, cut it into three-quarter-inch cubes; peel and slice the onions. Dredge the meat with the flour, brown it and the onions in a frying-pan with any fat suitable for cooking. Put all the ingredients into a cooker-pail, barely cover them with boiling water, and let the stew boil five minutes before putting it into a cooker for four hours or more.

Serves six or eight persons.

Syrian Stew (Yakhni)

2 cups raw mutton

2 tablespoons fat

3 tablespoons flour 2 cups string beans

2 onions 2 cups tomatoes 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/6 teaspoon pepper

Water

Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, cut it into cubes, dredge it with the flour, and brown it in the fat. Put all the ingredients together, scraping from the frying-pan all of the flour and fat. Add enough water to barely cover them, let them boil for five minutes, and put them into the cooker for six hours or more, depending upon the beans. If they are old and tough they may require more than six hours to cook.

In Syria this stew is always served with boiled or steamed rice.

Serves six or eight persons.

Okra Stew

2 cups raw mutton 2 tablespoons fat 1/8 cup flour 2 onions

2 cups tomatoes 2 cups okra 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/6 teaspoon pepper

Water

Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, cut it into cubes. Wash and cut the okra in pieces, dredge it and the meat with the flour and fry them, till brown, in the fat. Put all the ingredients into a cooker-pail, add enough water to barely cover them, boil them for five minutes, and put them into a cooker for four hours, or more.

Serves six or eight persons.