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Thin-crust pide with spicy lamb topping
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 200g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 70g wholemeal flour (if using a baking tray)
For the topping
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 75g pepper paste (see below)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1⁄2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 2tsp chilli flakes
- 1tsp freshly ground
- black pepper
- 1tsp salt
- 200g minced (ground) lamb (about 25 per cent fat)
For the red onion and sumac salad (optional)
- 1⁄2 red onion, finely sliced
- 1tsp salt
- 1tbsp sumac
- 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1⁄2 lemon, plus extra to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature (as close to 300°C/ 570°F as possible). If you have a pizza stone or tile, place it in the oven. or leave your baking tray in the oven so it will preheat.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add 1tsp salt. Make a well in the middle and slowly pour in 125ml of lukewarm water. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and then divide the dough into four balls. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave to rest.
Score a shallow cross in the base of the tomatoes, then transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds, then plunge in cold water and peel the skin away from the cross. Cut the tomato in half and scoop out the stalks and seeds with a teaspoon. Roughly chop. Remove seeds from the pepper and chop roughly. Coarsely blend the tomatoes and pepper with the pepper paste, garlic, parsley, chilli flakes, pepper and salt. Combine the mixture with the lamb and stir thoroughly.
Place a ball of dough on the floured work surface and, with floured hands or a rolling pin, flatten into a round about 25cm wide and less than 5mm thick. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Using a tablespoon, thinly spread the lamb mixture onto the rounds. Then press in with your hands. If you are using a baking tray, take it out of the oven and put a piece of baking paper over it. Dust the baking paper with a little wholemeal flour.
Place the rounds of dough on the baking paper and bake for about 5 minutes, or until the edges are crisp.
Meanwhile, if you are making the salad, finely slice the onion and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and sumac, add the lemon juice and olive oil, then mix together with your hands.
Sprinkle the salad over the breads (known as ‘lahmacuns’), squeeze on some lemon juice, and serve.
Pepper paste
Remove the stalks and seeds from the peppers and boil the chopped pieces in a little water for 1 hour (with the lid on the pot). Strain the peppers and purée in a blender, then simmer the purée for 1 hour with the lid off. For every kilogram of peppers, stir in 2tbsp olive oil and 1tsp salt. Pour the paste into clean glass jars while still warm, top with olive oil and seal.
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