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Hamam Mahshi (Spiced Freekeh-Stuffed Squab)
Whole tender squabs stuffed with smoky green wheat freekeh and giblets, poached in spiced broth then pan-fried in clarified butter until rich and bronzed.
The story
Hamam Mahshi is Egypt's ultimate celebratory banquet centerpiece, revered nationwide and prepared for groom's wedding feasts to signify virility and prosperity. In rural Nile Delta communities, squabs are reared in specialized conical mud-brick dovecotes called borg hamam. Technically, the delicate squab skin must be gently separated from the breast meat with fingers to allow the par-cooked green wheat filling to expand without bursting during boiling.
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