Ingredients
Meat
- 1.2 kglamb on the bone, in large pieces
Vegetables
- 4onions, thickly sliced
- 4potatoes, in large chunks
- 2turnips, in chunks
- 3carrots
- 1small cabbage, in wedges, optional
Broth
- 2 litreswater
- 3 tbspoil or clarified butter
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
- 1 tspground cumin
- salt
Optional
- 1 tbsptomato paste
- 1chilli
- a handful of parsley
To serve
- with bread
- with rice
- and mint tea afterwards
Directions
- Use a great many onions, more than seems reasonable for the quantity of meat. Slice them thickly rather than finely, so they hold together long enough to soften properly rather than dissolving immediately.
- Use lamb on the bone from the shoulder, neck or leg, cut into large pieces. Bone and connective tissue are what give the broth its body, and boneless lean meat produces a thin, characterless result.
- Cut the pieces large, since they cook for two hours and small pieces fall apart entirely. Brown it properly with space around each piece, since crowded meat releases its water and stews grey. That browning is the base of the whole flavour and it is worth the extra ten minutes.
- Lift the meat out and cook the onions in the same fat until soft and golden. Take them well past translucent, to a genuine golden colour, which deepens the finished broth considerably. Return the meat, add the water, bay, peppercorns and cumin, and bring it slowly to a boil.
- Skim it thoroughly in the first fifteen minutes, while it is still a coherent raft on the surface. Never let it boil hard, which emulsifies the fat into the water and turns a clear broth greasy.
- Simmer, partly covered, for about an hour and a half until the lamb is completely tender. Add the salt only in the last half hour. Add the turnips and carrots first and cook them for fifteen minutes. Then add the potatoes, and finally the cabbage for the last ten minutes.
- Cut the vegetables into large chunks, since they are served as pieces alongside the meat rather than dissolved into the broth. Test them with a skewer rather than cooking them until they break apart.
- Season it firmly, since a light broth shows every fault of underseasoning and there is nothing else carrying the flavour. Now let it stand off the heat for ten minutes before serving. Serve the meat and vegetables in a wide dish with plenty of the broth ladled over. Serve bread alongside for the broth, or plain rice.
Technique
- The onions collapse into the broth and provide its body.
- It is eaten communally from a shared dish.
- Three rounds of mint tea follow the meal.
Substitutions
- Goat or mutton in place of lamb.
- Beef shin, which needs longer cooking.
Variations
- With tomato paste for a redder broth.
- With chickpeas added.
- Served over rice rather than with bread.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bonava?
Bonava is a soup & stew from Mauritania: lamb braised with onions, potatoes and turnip in light broth.
How long does Bonava take to make?
Bonava takes 25 min of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Bonava?
Yes, within limits. Goat or mutton in place of lamb. Beef shin, which needs longer cooking.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bonava?
Use a great many onions, more than seems reasonable for the quantity of meat. Slice them thickly rather than finely, so they hold together long enough to soften properly rather than dissolving immediately.
