Lahmacun Turkish Spiced Lamb Pita Recipes

LAHMACUN (TURKISH SPICED LAMB PITA)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and cook until they are soft. Add the spices and ground lamb, cook until the meat is evenly browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
• Stir in the tomato paste, salt and parsley, cook for another minute. Set aside to cool. Can be made ahead.
• When ready to cook, heat a griddle or large cast iron pan very hot. To four pitas, divide lamb mixture and top each pita with mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. One at a time, place on grill and heat for 5 minutes. Remove to plate.
• Put 1/4 of the parsley, onions and tomatoes on the pita. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the top. Roll the pita up like a crepe. Wrap it in parchment to make it easier to eat or spear it with a toothpick to keep it closed.

LAHMACUN: SPICY MINCED LAMB FLATBREADS

Steps:

• First, make the dough. Sift the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 250ml warm water and the olive oil and mix together to make a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Put back into the bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for about an hour until doubled in size. For the topping, bring the minced lamb back to room temperature if necessary. Roughly chop the onion, red pepper and green pepper, put them into a food processor and process, using the pulse button, until finely chopped but not a pulp. Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and press out the excess liquid. Add to the minced lamb with the crushed garlic, chopped parsley, Aleppo pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix together into a soft paste using your hands. Divide the mixture into 12. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas Mark 9. Punch back the flatbread dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead once more until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 evenly sized pieces. Working with 4 pieces at a time, roll each one out very thinly on a lightly floured surface into ovals of 14 x 24 cm. Place side by side on 2 lightly floured baking sheets. Using your fingertips, spread one portion of the lamb mixture evenly over each base, taking it right up to the edges because the mixture shrinks as it cooks. Bake for 8 minutes until the dough is lightly browned. Serve straight away. The traditional way to do this is to pile a few parsley sprigs towards one end of the flatbread, squeeze over a little lemon juice and roll it up, much like you would a taco. While your guests start to eat, repeat with the remaining dough and lamb topping. This is one of those dishes where the cook always eats last.