Of late our Sunday nights have been a chance to kick back and have what I\u2019ve termed Sund\u2019y Night\u2019s Simple Suppers \u2013 and my, oh my, what a world-wide culinary tour this has launched us into!<\/p>\n
Last Sunday we chowed down on (several!) tacos each – haven\u2019t had them in literally years, decades even! Homemade,
\nand yummy with spiced red kidney beans, a salsa of really ripe tomatoes, red onion and parsley topped with grated tasty cheese, shredded lettuce and a goodly dollop of yoghurt. I\u2019m not sure how traditional these were \u2013 but they were great to eat whilst enjoying the final episode of Don\u2019t Stop the Music on television. What a super story that was.<\/p>\n
Hope you saw it too \u2013 the delight on those children\u2019s faces was truly inspiring. I\u2019m pretty partial to watching lots of food-related TV programs as you can imagine \u2013 and am sure I\u2019m not alone.<\/p>\n
But I do avoid certain presenters \u2013 there are some I just can\u2019t bear to watch, whilst others whose natural infectious enthusiasm for food, its history and origin of recipes, the stories behind the people who grow, harvest, cook the food in often very simple, even primitive kitchen set ups are more to my taste.<\/p>\n
A recent episode of Yotam Ottolenghi\u2019s food program introduced me to yet another new culinary term \u2013 lahmacun.<\/p>\n
Sounds positively sexy to me? It is in fact a Turkish or Armenian \u2018pizza\u2019 with a difference. Pronounced LA-ha-MAchewn it is made with a spicy lamb or beef topping on a really thin, crispy dough base. Unlike the pizzas we\u2019re more familiar with, it has no cheese and traditionally is eaten rolled up. Yotam had access to a super-hot wood fired oven which would impart that unique, smokey flavour, but I simply crank my oven to 220C fan forced to produce a good crispy base.<\/p>\n
I have adapted Yotam\u2019s recipe, tweaking it to my taste for extra spice, and I made the pizza dough using mostly wholemeal flour. Any recipe that involves sumac, pomegranate molasses and cinnamon is a recipe that will fly straight into my repertoire as these are all flavours that I love. Traditionally a combination of fresh parsley, tomato slices and a squeeze of
\nlemon juice are used on top of the hot \u2018pizza\u2019 and then its rolled up \u2013 perfect for party food \u2013 or indeed another TV dinner on the couch.<\/p>\n
So perhaps over the social months of the festive season you might find an opportunity to cook lahmacun for a crowd of family and friends and start a new ritual for Sundy night suppers? It\u2019s a fun dish because you could encourage people to assemble their own, and add their preferred salad toppings. If appropriate you could also divide the meat topping in two \u2013 with a less spicy version offered to the children?<\/p>\n
Once cooked, slide the pizza onto a serving plate and drizzle the EVVOSambal Oelek mixture over the lot. The salad topping is then added as per your preference \u2013 and eat immediately whilst deliciously hot. Roll the lahmacun if you wish \u2013 I served ours in large wedges pizzastyle on the plate \u2013 but it\u2019s a must to eat lahmacun without cutlery!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Of late our Sunday nights have been a chance to kick back and have what I\u2019ve termed Sund\u2019y Night\u2019s Simple Suppers \u2013 and my, oh my, what a world-wide culinary tour this has launched us into! Last Sunday we chowed down on (several!) tacos each – haven\u2019t had them in literally years, decades even! Homemade, […]<\/p>\n