Turkish Lamb Pide

Turkish Lamb Pides are a great way to introduce someone to lamb while also keeping the lamb aficionados coming back for more. Although it might look intimidating, I promise it is an easy recipe to pull together.

Turkish Lamb Pide

(Makes 6 single-serve Pides)

Dough

3 cups all purpose flour

1.5 cups warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

NOTE: While I do think this dough is perfect for this recipe, you could also use a premade pizza dough if you want to speed up the process.

Pide Filling

2 tablespoons oil

2 pounds ground lamb

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno minced

4 tablespoons Baharat

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon chili flakes

2 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 cup feta

1/2 cup mozzarella or other mild white cheese

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Fresh chilies for garnish (optional)

Cilantro/Parsley/Mint for garnish (optional)

Lemon Wedges for garnish (optional)

NOTE: Baharat is a fantastic spice mixture used regularly in Middle Eastern Cuisine. It works beautifully with lamb, poultry, and beef and the spices in the mixture can be easily sourced from most grocery stores. I would recommend blending up your own spice mix although you could substitute Baharat for equal parts cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom for a quick stand-in if needed.

Method

1. Mix all ingredients for the dough together. Let sit in a shaggy ball for 15 minutes

2. After dough has rested briefly, knead by hand or with dough hook until the dough is smooth and elastic, roughly 5-10 minutes

3. Place dough in a clean and well oiled bowl, let rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. While the dough is rising you can prepare the pide filling

4. While the dough is rising you can prepare the pide filling

5. Place your pan on medium high heat, and cook the onion, garlic, and chilies in oil until the onion has become translucent and slightly browned, roughly 5 - 8 minutes.

6. Add in ground lamb, all spices, and lemon juice. Break apart the meat as it cooks and continue to stir until lamb is evenly browned.

7. Add in tomato paste and tomatoes, continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes.

8. Pull the lamb mixture off the heat, taste for seasoning adjustments and let cool.

9. Once the dough has double in size, turn out onto a well floured surface

10. Cut dough into six even portions

11. Keeping each side of the pide surface well floured, roll each of the 6 portions into rectangular shapes. They do not have to be perfect and it shouldn't be rolled paper thin, just a few quick passes of a rolling pin should be enough to get the desired shape and thickness.

12. Move rectangles onto a well floured baking tray. It's easier to move them now than after shaping and filling.

13. Fill the center of each pide evenly with your lamb mixture. Make sure you leave a half inch border free of filling.

14. Once all the pides are evenly filled, take the two long edges of your pide and fold towards the center to act a a border to keep the filling in. The top should still be open where you can see the filling.

15. Next, pinch the short ends of your pide together and twist. This creates a pointed, football like shape.

16. Brush Pide lightly with olive oil and place in 400 degree oven for 15 - 20 min until golden brown.

17. Pull out of oven, while it's still hot brush with melted butter, top with jalapenos and cilantro/parlsey.

18. Cut and serve!