Lahmacun, Middle Eastern Lamb-style “Pizza”

Lahmacun, Middle Eastern Lamb-style “Pizza”

I recently discovered Lahmacun at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in Walla Walla, WA. It was my 58th birthday, enjoying the night with my dear friends and neighbors, Zori and Eric. Walla Walla is a wonderful sister town to Boise, fun to sample great wines and food, and enjoy the beautiful environs. This is a signature dish at Saffron. I have tweaked a nytimes recipe to my taste, largely changing the ingredient proportions and simplifying the directions.

Ingredients

2 small onions or 1 large, diced

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp sumac

1/4 tsp hot red-pepper flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

4 cloves garlic

12 ounce good quality ground lamb

3/4 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 English cucumber, cubed

4 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

4 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, plus 4 Tbsp extra for topping

2 cups Greek yogurt, prefer Fage

4 Lavash breads (prefer Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran and Whole Wheat, at WinCo) or pita

8 Campari tomatoes, sliced into bite size pieces

Directions:

Heat high sided sauté pan on medium to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and then onions. Sauté until minimally browned. Add spices (sumac, cumin, red pepper flakes) and cook until fragrant, around a minute. Add garlic and cook for around 1-2 minutes, avoiding browning. Add lamb, salt and pepper, and sauté until slightly browned. Remove from the heat. You will reheat just before serving.

Add the cucumbers, mint, and cilantro to the yogurt.

Heat the Lavash breads or pita, wrapped in foil, in a 350 degrees oven for 5-7 minutes.

To serve, spread 1/4 of the yogurt mixture on each of the breads. Top with 1/4 of the meat, 1/4 of the tomatoes, and 1 Tbsp of cilantro. If using a thin bread, you can roll it up, burrito style.

Repeat with the remaining breads, yogurt, meat, tomatoes and cilantro.