LAHMACUN

Thin-crust pide with spicy lamb topping

When I say thin-crust pizza is Italys answer

to lahmacun (pronounced lah-mahjun), Im not trying to
start a fight. The idea of putting spiced mince on a disc of
dough would have occurred to human beings long before
there were nations called Italy or Turkeyor for that
matter Armenia, Greece or Syriaall of whom have
claimed to be the originators of this addictive pastry. What
we do know is that nowadays lahmacun is a speciality of
the town of anhurfa, in southeastern Turkey where they
pride themselves on the crispness of their bases.
Lahmacun should not be confused with the heavier
kymal pide, well known in and out of Turkey for the
thickness of its dough and the coarseness of its meat
topping. For lahmacun you need a light touch.
In anliurfa, they turn out hundreds
of lahmacuns every lunchtime from big stone ovens. The
best way to get the same effect at home is to use a pizza
stone or an unglazed terracotta tile, and to ensure your
oven is preheated to the max.

SERVES 4

BASE
200 g (7 oz./11/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
70 g (2 oz./ cup) whole meal flour (if using a baking tray)

TOPPING
2 tomatoes
1 red capsicum (pepper)
75 g (22/3 oz.) capsicum (pepper) paste
5 garlic cloves
bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 teaspoons chili flakes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
200 g (7 oz.) minced (ground) lamb (about 25 per cent fat)
RED ONION AND SUMAC SALAD (OPTIONAL)
red onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
juice of lemon, plus extra to serve

Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature (as close to 300C/570F 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 the salt. Make a well in the middle and slowly pour in
125 ml (4 fl oz./ cup) 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 the seeds from the capsicum and roughly chop. Coarsely blend the tomatoes and
capsicum with the capsicum paste, garlic, parsley, chill flakes, pepper and salt. Combine the
mixture with the lamb mince 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 25 cm (10 in) wide and less than 5 mm ( in) 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 whole meal 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 lahmacuns, squeeze on some lemon juice, and serve.