Turkish Style Lamb Pide Recipes

Steps:

• First make the dough. In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, olive oil, a pinch of salt and 300ml warm water. Bring together with your hands or in a tabletop mixer, then knead for 10 mins by hand or 5 mins in a mixer, until soft and elastic. Put the dough in a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a sheet of oiled cling film and leave to rise for 2 hrs or until doubled in size. You can also pop the dough in the fridge and leave to rise overnight. (Take out of the fridge and leave for 1-2 hrs to bring back to room temperature to use.)
• For the topping. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add onion and cook for a few mins until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 min more. Add the lamb, increase the heat and fry until starting to brown, about 8 mins. Sprinkle in spices and stir for 1 min, then add purée, tomatoes, pomegranate molasses and seasoning, along with 50ml water. Simmer for 10 mins, stirring now and then - the mince should be sticky rather than saucy. Leave to cool.
• Dust 2 large baking sheets and the work surface with semolina. Knock any air bubbles out of the dough, then tip onto work surface and divide into 4. Working with 1 piece at a time - keeping remaining dough covered with the oiled cling film - roll into a thin oval shape, roughly 30cm long. Place the rolled dough on baking sheets. Divide mince mixture between the 4 pides, leaving a 1cm border around the edges. Roll the edges over the filling and pinch the ends together to form a pointy boat shape. Cover with the oiled cling film and leave to prove for 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Uncover pides and brush the edges with a little oil. Sprinkle the feta, sesame seeds and a good pinch of sumac over each pide and bake for 15 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve with salad and pickled Turkish chillies, if you like.

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon) combine the water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and olive oil and mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium, and mix until the dough comes together as a smooth ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• While the dough is rising, make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Add the onion and eggplant and several pinches of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, red-pepper flakes and allspice and cook for 1 minute. Add the lamb, increase the heat to high and cook, breaking up the chunks of meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is barely pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly (or removing from the heat as necessary) to keep the garlic from scorching. Let cool slightly, then stir in the mint. Season to taste with more salt.
• Arrange the racks in the top and bottom third of the oven, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 2 rimmed baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and egg, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 12 pieces, each about 1 1/2 ounces/45 grams. With a floured rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into an even oval measuring about 6-by-4 inches/15-by-10 centimeters. Working with one piece of dough at a time, spoon a scant tablespoon of the yogurt mixture into the center of the oval, then use the back of the spoon to spread it in a thin layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spoon some of the lamb mixture on top of the yogurt and spread in an even layer. Fold the edges of the dough up and pinch the ends so the pide resembles a canoe. With a large spatula (or the bottom of a removable bottom tart pan) transfer the pide to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, yogurt and lamb.
• Brush each pide with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the dough is deep brown, 18 to 23 minutes, rotating the pans and switching oven racks halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Season the lamb, then grill for 2 mins on each side until browned, but still very rare. Meanwhile, mix the seasoning, oregano and half of the mint into one of the tubs of yogurt, smother this over the lamb, then return to the grill for another 2-3 mins or until the yogurt is blistered and the meat is cooked to your liking.
• Leave the meat to rest on a board for a few mins while you toast the pittas, shred the lettuce and thinly slice the red onion. Stir the rest of the mint into the second tub of yogurt. Thickly slice the meat and stuff into the pitta bread with the salad and minted yogurt. Squeeze over lemon juice before tucking in, if you like.

Steps:

• To make the dough:.
• Soak yeast in 200ml water until dissolved.
• Place flour in large bowl, make well in centre.
• Add dissolved yeast, remaining water, salt and stir to sticky mass.
• Place on highly floured bench and knead using additional flour to form a smoooth pliable dough.
• Rub over with olive oil and place in bowl covered with plastic wrap for 40 minutes.
• To make filling:.
• Heat olive oil in heavt based saucepan, add onions and fry until just brown.
• Add mince and wine breaking any lumps.
• Add diced lamb and sufficient water to cover meat.
• Simmer for 1 1/4 hours until almost soft.
• Add garlic, cumin and paprika and simmer a further 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat, season and cool.
• If too much liquid remains just pour it off.
• To assemble:.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.
• Punch down dough.
• Roll out dough into either single serving sizes or one large dough on a baking tray.
• Spread dough with lamb mixture and fold up edge of dough, pinching them to ensure sauce does not run out.
• Bake in oven 15 minutes until browned.
• To serve:.
• Top with dollops of yoghurt and all the fresh herbs sprinkled on top.
• Fantastic!