Faux-Lahmacun

This week we cooked from the life-changing Tin Can Magic: Simple, delicious recipes using pantry staples by Jessica Elliott Dennison. These lamb flatbreads are scandalously easy to make, and scandalously moreish.

(Originally published 23/08/2020)

Prep time: Including flat bread making, 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes: Enough for two (or one famished individual)

Ingredients

For the flatbread (makes 6 small or 4 large):
250g (9oz/ 2cups) plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
250g (9oz/ 1 cup) natural yoghurt
vegetable oil (or other neutral oil) for frying

For the topping:
2 tsp cumin seeds (or ground if you only have that to hand)
1 tsp fennel seeds (optional, but recommended)
1 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
250g (9oz) minced lamb (beef, chicken, pork or vegan mince also work!)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

For topping your topping:
Lemon zest
Sumac
Mint leaves

For the mint & cucumber yoghurt:
1/2 cucumber finely diced
1 tsp mint leaves (fresh or dried)
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic minced
5 tbsp natural yoghurt

1. The Dough

Pour 250g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt into a bowl and stir. Add the 250g of yoghurt and stir with a spatula. When mostly combined turn the dough out onto a floured work top and knead into a smooth ball (roughly 2 minutes). Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a plate or tea towel and bench it on the side until later.

2. The flava

Turkish food is always bursting with flavour. This dish’s greatness is dependant on seasoning and spices. To get the base of the lamb’s flavour, toast your cumin and fennel seeds (if you’re missing these seeds, and using ground spices instead, skip this step). Add them to an already hot, dry pan. Toast for 1-2 minutes until browned.

Transfer the seeds to a pestle and mortar or chopping board and crush, listening for the symphony of crackle as you go. Put these to the side to wait in the wings with the bread dough.

3. Meet the meat (or not…)

Put the pan back on a high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add your lamb (or other meat, or non-meat, of choice). Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly crispy and browned (3-4 minutes).

Then stir in the crushed spices, 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (or more if you like things a lil hotter). Once all is combined and smelling predictably glorious, pour in the tinned tomatoes.

You’ll want to cook this on a relatively high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced to an inviting, thicc consistency.

4. Back to the bread

While the lamb is cooking pop your flatbread dough back onto a floured surface cut into four or six equal sections (depending on how large your want your flatbread).

Flatten out one of the lumps of dough. Roll or stretch out to a rough circle (a true circle is practically impossible. Lumpiness is encouraged and should be referred to only as a “rustic aesthetic”).

Once the first flatbread is flattened, heat a frying pan to a very high heat. Pour a dash of vegetable oil (or other oil) and spread across the bottom of the pan with some kitchen roll. Add the rolled out flatbread. Keep an eye on it, and once it’s brown and slightly charred on the bottom (about 2 minutes) flip it.

When cooked similarly on the other side, remove from the pan and add another flatbread.

But this is a legit kitchen now, so there are tasks to do whilst you’re flipping flatbreads and checking in on your meat.

5. The cucumber yoghurt dip

Let’s get to multitasking! Chop the cucumber relatively finely (or chunkily, it is up to you!). You’re probably relatively hot and bothered from cooking up this treat, so cut yourself a refreshing cucumber stick and cool off. In a smallish bowl mix this cucumber with 1 tsp salt, 1 clove of minced garlic, mint, torn into small amounts (bonus of tearing = hands smell like mojito) and 5 tbsp yoghurt. Stir and pop to the side.

6. Plating up

Keep going with the flatbreads until you’ve cooked them all. If the meat is cooked while you’re still flattening those breads, turn it to a very low heat, just to keep it warm. Once all the flatbreads a cooked you’re ready to plate on up! Take two (or three) flatbreads each, arrange quaintly on your plate, top with the spicy, tomato, meat dish and some of the cucumber yoghurt. Add as much lemon zest, sumac and mint leaves as you see fit!

Dink and sink!

Food for Thought