Lahmacun 2

**Admin** Mon Nov 10, 2014 12:13 am

LAHMACUN

Lahmacun is a Turkish flat bread layered with a sauce of fresh tomatoes, peppers and lamb mince and a gorgeous, fragrant array of Mediterranean herbs and spices. Light, fresh, filling and tasty meal. If possible, make sauce the previous night for the best flavour.

Serves: 10

Lamb sauce

1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
8 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
75g green pepper, diced
75g red pepper, diced
4 plum tomatoes, halved
450g lean lamb mince
6 tablespoons double concentrate tomato purée
1/2 lemon, juiced
4 teaspoons olive oil
cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste

Pizza base

3 1/4 teaspoons dried active baking yeast
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
240ml warm water (45 degrees C)
625g plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
120ml water

Garlic sauce

250g natural yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Garnish

Prep:2hr › Cook:20min › Ready in:2hr20min

Prepare sauce

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Combine the garlic, onion, basil, parsley, mint, paprika, cumin, coriander, diced peppers, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped. Add the halved tomatoes and process until the mixture is a thick purée.
Place the lamb in the preheated frying pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the vegetable purée mixture and the tomato purée and mix well. Cook and stir until the lamb is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking tin to cool to room temperature. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Prepare dough

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 240ml warm water. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and stir well. Add the vegetable oil and 120ml water to the yeast mixture and pour it over the flour. Use your hands to mix the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with a wet towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Remove the lamb sauce from the refrigerator and allow it to come up to room temperature.

Prepare the garlic sauce:

Combine the yoghurt, parsley, crushed garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and set aside.
Punch the dough down, transfer it to a floured work surface, and cut the dough into 10 portions. Shape each portion into a round. Flatten each round with your hand; use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a 25cm circle. The dough should be thin, like a crepe. Place the rounds on baking parchment.

Preheat an oven to 240 C / Gas 9.

Stir the lamb sauce and then spoon it onto a dough round. Spread it thinly to the edges and press down lightly so it sticks to the dough. Bake pizzas on baking parchment on the lowest oven rack until the edges are a light tan colour, 8 to 10 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to cool.

The pizzas can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days or in the freezer for three months. To reheat, place the pizzas in the oven at 180 C / Gas 4 for 8 minutes.

To assemble the Lahmacun arrange lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, or onion down one side of the pizza. Drizzle with garlic sauce and hot sauce, and roll up. Eat and enjoy--but watch out for the drip. You won't want to miss a bite!

Additional condiments:

Chilli sauce, harissa or Tabasco® hot pepper sauce.