The Hirshon Berlin Style Döner Kebab Sandwich Recipes

THE HIRSHON BERLIN-STYLE DöNER KEBAB SANDWICH

Steps:

• To make the red scharf sauce:
• Clean the peppers by cutting off stems and de-seed them. Cut into pieces and cook them in one cup of water until soft. Blend the mixture (straining optional) with an immersion blender or food processor and add vinegar, plus salt & sugar to taste.
• To make the pide bread:
• Combine yeast, sugar and 2 T of the water in a small bowl, and stir until yeast dissolves. Set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
• In a large bowl, sift flour and salt together. If you don't have a flour sifter, you can just whisk them together.
• Make a well in the center of the flour and salt, and add the rest of the water, the oil, the yogurt, and the yeast mixture that you set aside.
• Stir together with a wooden spoon until combined, then use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
• Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Lightly grease the inside of a large bowl with oil, then place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat it with oil.
• Cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place for 2 hours (or until dough has doubled in size).
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Punch down the center of the dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes or until dough has returned to its original size. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, and shape each portion into 7 inch by 12 inch rectangle.
• Place on 2 non-stick baking trays (or 2 cookie sheets that have been sprayed with cooking spray) and press with fingers to indent surface. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rest for 20 minutes or until dough has risen half an inch or an inch.
• Shape the dough into rectangles (or as close as you can get), then cover with plastic wrap and let rise a bit longer.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. I baked it for 7 minutes, then swapped the cookie sheets on the racks, then cooked it for another 7 minutes. I then lowered the oven temperature down to 350° to prep for the meat, and put the bread back in for 3-5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
• After baking, sprinkle with some water, then cover with a clean kitchen towel until cooled down (it will help the loaf stay soft).
• To make the Döner meat:
• Cut the meat into 2cm squares, and pass the meat through a meat grinder using the coarse plate. Combine with remaining ingredients using a rubber spatula, spread on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until cold but not frozen.
• Pass the cold mix through the mincer again, this time on the finest plate, then form into patties. Line any clean 1lb can with two layers of clingfilm, then layer in the patties, squeezing them down to remove air gaps.
• Fold over the top edges of the cling film to seal, place the tin in a bain marie of boiling water and cook in the oven at a gentle 150C, until the temperature at the centre is 75C. Then allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before removing from the tin.
• Scorch the surface with a kitchen blowtorch before slicing vertically. A fork thrust into the top will stabilise the whole operation.
• For one sandwich, cut open ¼ of the pide bread to the outer edge, but not all the way through (warm for a couple of minutes on a panini grill if you have one), then open the 'pocket'.
• Start by adding some white sauce on the bottom half, then the meat, then cucumber/cabbage, lettuce, tomato, onion, mint, and feta cheese. Put a bit of the red spicy sauce over it and enjoy.

BERLIN DONER KABABS (BERLINER DöNER AUS KREUZBERG)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 430 degrees (grill setting). Cut the veal into thin slices and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place the seasoned meat on the four skewers
• Peel the onions and grate finely. Stir half of the resulting onion paste with the olive oil and brush onto the skewered meat, coating all sides.
• Place the skewers on a grid on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Grill for about 20 minutes, turning several times.
• In the meantime, peel and press the garlic into the yogurt, using a garlic press. Stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside.
• Slice the flatbreads in half, but not all the way through, to form pockets. Drizzle a little olive oil into the pockets. Wash and dice the tomatoes.
• Wash the red cabbage and cut into thin strips. Wash the cucumber and grate finely. Peel and halve the onion, and cut into very thin strips.
• Arrange the prepared ingredients on a serving platter.
• During the meat's last 5 to 8 minutes under the grill, warm the flatbread on the oven floor.
• Remove the skewers and the flatbread from the oven. Remove the meat from each skewer and place in a bread pocket. Add all of the remaining ingredients or just some, according to taste, and dribble the garlic sauce over the top. Doner-kebabs can also be served on plates, with rice and a salad.