A Libyan barley-flour dough served with lamb, tomato sauce, potatoes and eggs.
Bazin is a distinctive Libyan communal dish. A firm barley-flour dough is shaped into a central mound and surrounded with a tomato-based lamb sauce, potatoes and often eggs.
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- Prep
- 30 minutes
- Cook
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Serves
- 6
The recipe
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Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Method
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Brown lamb lightly in oil. Add onion, tomato paste, tomatoes, turmeric and chili and cook until fragrant.
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Add water and simmer 45 minutes, then add potatoes and continue until meat and potatoes are tender.
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For the bazin, bring salted water to a boil and gradually work in barley flour with a strong spoon until a very firm dough forms.
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Continue working the dough over low heat until smooth and cooked through, then shape it into a mound on a large platter.
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Arrange lamb, potatoes and eggs around the bazin and spoon the tomato sauce around the base.
Chef’s notes
Bazin requires vigorous stirring and a sturdy spoon. Add water gradually; the finished dough should be firm enough to hold a mound.
Substitutions
Beef can replace lamb. Barley flour is characteristic and should not be replaced if you want the traditional texture.
Serve with
The lamb sauce spooned generously around the bazin
Storage
Store bazin and sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat the sauce fully and steam or microwave the bazin with a little water.
Allergens
Barley contains gluten. Egg is also present.
Always Cook with Heart. Always!
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