Turkmen Dograma Lamb Bread Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb bone-in lamb shoulder
• 4 flatbreads or 1 small loaf, torn into small pieces
• 8 cups water
• 2 large onions, one quartered and one very finely diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chopped dill or cilantro
• Salt

Steps

1. Put the lamb in a large pot with the cold water, the quartered onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and bring slowly to a boil.
2. Skim the grey foam off the surface repeatedly for the first 10 minutes, then reduce to a bare simmer.
3. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, never letting it boil hard, until the lamb falls from the bone and the broth is clear and deeply flavoured.
4. Lift the lamb out, shred the meat finely, and discard the bones. Strain the broth and skim off the fat.
5. Tear the bread into small, even pieces, roughly the size of the shredded meat. Dograma means torn, and everything in the bowl should be the same size.
6. Toast the torn bread in a dry oven at 300F (150C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until dry but not coloured. Dry bread absorbs broth without dissolving.
7. Combine the torn bread, shredded lamb, the finely diced raw onion, the tomatoes, cumin, coriander, and dill in the serving bowls and season well.
8. Bring the broth back to a hard boil and pour it over just before serving. Assembling in advance turns the bread to paste, so this happens at the table.

Allergen note: Contains gluten.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.