Lachmajou Middle Eastern Lamb Dish Recipes

TURKISH LAHMACUN

Steps:

• Place the water, olive oil, and salt in a bowl and mix them until combined. Use a stand mixer if you prefer.
• Add the flour gradually and knead the dough. Use the dough hook if you are using your stand mixer. Add enough flour to have the dough come together and form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
• Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until it is elastic, smooth, and not sticky anymore.
• Once the dough is smooth, divide it into 6 balls (approximately 90 grams each) and place them on a lightly floured tray or worktop.
• Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel or cling film and let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This step is necessary for the dough to relax and makes it easier to roll out.
• Prepare lahmacun filling while the dough is resting.
• Place onion, peppers (both green and red), tomatoes, garlic, and chili (if using fresh) in a food processor and finely chop them using the pulse function. Be careful at this stage not to turn them into pure. Alternatively, finely chop them using a knife.
• Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and add the mince, tomato paste, pepper paste (you can replace it with tomato paste if you don't have it in your fridge), finely chopped parsley, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and salt.
• Mix well until all combined into a smooth mixture that is easy to spread.
• If cooking in an oven, preheat the oven to 230° C (450° F) and line a large sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Roll out the dough balls into thin circles size 25 cm (9 ½") Ø. You can fit 2 on a large sheet tray or 1 on a small one.
• Place 2 dough circles on a large sheet tray.
• Divide your mixture into 6 and spread ⅙ of the mixture on a dough circle evenly and thinly, including the edges. Gently press on the filling to make sure it sticks to the dough. Repeat the same with the remaining dough circles and filling.
• Transfer the sheet tray to the hot oven. If you have 2 baking sheet trays, you can bake them together. Rotate them halfway through the baking time as the top usually bakes faster than the bottom.
• Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are crispy on the outside and the filling is thoroughly cooked.
• Transfer them to a large plate and cover them with tin foil or a clean kitchen towel while the rest of the lahmacuns are baking. This will help to keep the lahmacuns warm as well as help them to soften enough for you to be able to roll them into wraps.
• If cooking on the stove, heat a large non-stick pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Ideally, the pan should be 26 cm (10")Ø or bigger.
• Roll out a dough ball into a thin circle size of 25 cm (9 ½") Ø. If your pan is smaller than that, roll the dough ball small enough to fit in it.
• Gently place the dough circle in the hot pan. Divide your mixture into 6 and spread ⅙ of the mixture on a dough circle evenly and thinly, including the edges. Gently press on the filling to make sure it sticks to the dough.
• Cover the pan with the lid and cook it for 12 to 14 minutes or until you see some brown spots at the bottom.
• Transfer it to a large plate and repeat the same for the remaining dough balls.
• Cover it with tin foil or a clean kitchen towel while the rest of the lahmacuns are baking. This will help to keep the lahmacuns warm as well as help them to soften enough for you to be able to roll them into wraps.

LAHMAJUN

Steps:

• For the dough: Mix the flour, yeast, oil, salt and sugar in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. With the mixer on low, slowly add 1/2 cup warm water and mix to combine. Only add more water if not coming together. Mix until the dough comes together and is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times and then divide into 5 balls, each weighing about 100g (3.5 ounces) each. Set on a baking sheet, spray the tops lightly with oil spray and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside while you make the topping. (Can also be refrigerated up to 24 hours.)
• For the topping: Add the bell pepper, onion, parsley, garlic, tomato paste, paprika, salt, allspice, cumin, Aleppo pepper and mint to a food processor and buzz until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the lamb and pulse until it comes together. Transfer to a bowl.
• For the salad: Toss the arugula together with the lemon juice, salt and pepper and a hefty sprinkle of sumac in a large bowl. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.
• When you're ready to make the lahmajun, place a pizza stone in the oven on a rack about 5 inches away from the broiler element. Heat to 500 degrees F.
• Place 1 dough ball on a generously floured surface and press into a 5-inch circle with your fingers. Then, using a rolling pin, roll into an even thin circle, rotating the circle often. (Circle will be 9-to-10-inches wide.)
• Lightly flour a pizza peel or an upside-down baking sheet. Transfer the rolled crust onto it.
• Place 1/3 cup of the topping in the center of the dough round. Cover with a large piece of plastic wrap and, using your fingers, spread the meat mixture over the surface of the round in a thin, even layer, leaving a very thin border. Peel away the plastic and set aside to reuse for the remaining dough and topping.
• Carefully shimmy the lahmajun onto the hot pizza stone. Bake until the bottom of the crust and its edges are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Place a handful of the dressed arugula on the cooked lahmajun. Top with sliced radish, roll the cooked lahmajun into a log and slice into pieces. Serve immediately and go make some more!

LACHMAJOU (MIDDLE-EASTERN LAMB DISH)

Steps:

• For the bread:.
• Crumble the yeast into a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar and add 310ml (1 1/4 cups) tepid water.
• Leave for 10-15 minutes until the yeast begins to activate.
• Mix in the flour, salt and butter and mix well.
• Turn out onto a well floured work surface and knead well until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Leave in a warm place for approximately 1.5 hrs to rise.
• For the lamb topping:.
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion for approximately 5 minutes until softened.
• Add the lamb, cinnamon and most of the parsley, and season well with salt and pepper (you'll need to season it quite a lot).
• Cook for approx 10 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated, remove from the heat and stir in the tomato.
• Preheat your oven to 220c.
• Back to the bread:.
• Knock down the dough by punching out all of the air to bring it back to its original size.
• Divide into 14 balls (less if you prefer) and keep them well covered to ensure they don't dry out.
• On a well floured surface, roll to dough balls to approximately 1-2mm thick and 12-15cm in diameter.
• Arrange on a lightly floured baking try.
• Cover each disk of dough with just more than 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture, ensuring you leave a thin border around the edge.
• Drizzle approximately 1tsp of olive oil over each one and bake for 10 minutes or until the dough is cooked but has not dried out.
• Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining parsley and chili flakes (to taste).

SLOW-ROAST PERSIAN LAMB WITH POMEGRANATE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a small bowl, mix the molasses with the cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Scatter the onion over a casserole dish or a deep roasting tin. Place the lamb on top of the onions. Pour the glaze over the lamb. Rinse the bowl out with about 200ml water, then pour it around - not over - the lamb.
• Cover the dish with a lid or the tin with a large piece of foil. Roast the lamb, undisturbed, for 3 hrs, then remove the lid or foil and continue to roast for 30 mins to give the lamb colour. When the lamb has had its time, pour off the juices, remove as much fat as possible, then pour the juices back over the lamb.
• Just before serving, gently toss all the salad ingredients together. Serve the lamb with its sauce, the salad and some warmed flatbreads.