Lahmacun comes from Arabic (لحم بعجين "lahma bi'ajeen") meaning meat and dough. I don't care whether it was the Arabs or the Armenians or the Turks that invented this (my vote goes to the Armenians since they are the culinary wizards of the Near East) this is one of the best things that has ever been put in front of humankind to eat.
It is one of the things that I break my cardinal rule of not eating meat that comes from factory bred creatures since I eat this outside since, the recipe below notwithstanding, this is not something that one can make at home unless one has a clay oven.
But then, here's the thing: At what point do we forsake one of the biggest accomplishments of mankind, namely culinary culture with all of its many ingredients, on the altar of empathy? This is something that confuses me. No, I absolutely do not want animals to suffer. I want them to live happy natural lives, not go through the terrible ordeals that they get put through with factory farming. Would I have had this conundrum 50 years ago? No. At least, not in this country, I wouldn't have. What happened to us? How have we become so civilized that we can no longer have animals grazing naturally on the fields? Aaah... Overpopulation you say, David? You know what, I don't buy that at all! The factory farming happens mostly in countries where there are also butter mountains...
Anyway, back to Lahmacun: You eat it rolled up, and before you make your little roll you squeeze lemon juice over it and throw a good handful of parsley on top. And yes, this is so much part of Near Eastern Culture. How you eat it. Where you eat it. How you make a pig out of yourself while you eat it... So so wonderful. So so ancient. Sorry vegans...
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
- 2 cups (240g) bread flour, or a combination of all-purpose and semolina flour
- 1 ½ tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
TOPPING
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 10 small or 5 medium tomatoes
| - 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley, or cilantro
- 1/2 tbsp chopped mint
- 1/2 tbsp ground sumac
- 1 tsp Aleppo chili flakes, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 5.3 oz (150g) fatty ground lamb, or beef
|
Step 1/5
To make the dough, first, you warm the milk, ideally in a microwave on high heat for no more than 30 seconds. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, instant dry yeast, light brown sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add to it one large egg, warmed milk, and extra virgin olive oil. Knead for five to six minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to prove for two hours until doubled in size.
Step 2/5Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into four equal portions and then shape each piece into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3/5While the dough is resting, place a baking tray inside the oven and set it to preheat at 250°C/480°F. To make the topping first slice the tomatoes in half, then remove the seeds and squeeze out the juice. Place all the ingredients that make the topping, except meat, in a food processor until well combined. Now, incorporate the meat and pulse until the mixture turns into a paste.
Step 4/5To assemble, lightly flour a ball of dough, then roll it into a thin round. Place the round on a piece of baking paper and brush the edges with olive oil. Arrange the topping evenly all over the dough, then gently press it in taking care that you do not tear it.
Step 5/5Place the lahmacun with the baking paper into the baking tray and bake for five to six minutes. Repeat this last step with the remaining dough and topping.
Shamelessly filched from:
Thank you TasteAtlas! :-)
