Lahmacun

Kebab Pizza, basically.

This stunning Levantine creation is a lahmacun. I would pronounce this la-ma-schun, but who knows. Since I discovered it about ten years ago, it has become a Saturday night staple - with a nice glass of Rose and BGT - and perfect light but tasty supper fodder during a heat wave. You can also make mini ones which are fabulous for pre-dinner nibbles.

Its Arabic name is lahm bi ajin which translates as “meat with dough”. And it is exactly that - part pizza, part kebab - a dough base, slathered with spicy mince, topped with colourful and tasty accoutrements. And it is unspeakably glorious.

The Dough

Sift 350g of plain flour into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of easy-blend yeast. Make a well in the middle and add 250ml of warm water and 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and mix together to form a soft dough. Pop onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Transfer back into the bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for about an hour until doubled in size.

Punch back the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed once again until smooth. Divide into pieces and roll each into a ball. Cover and leave to rise for 10 minutes.

Meat Topping

Roughly chop a white onion, half a red pepper, half a green pepper and pop into a food processor until finely chopped (but not to a pulp). Tip out into a muslin cloth, or a sieve over a bowl and squeeze out all the liquid. All of it! Skip this step at your peril as you will end up with a very very soggy mess. Pop into a large mixing bowl along with 600g of minced lamb (at room temperature), two crushed cloves of garlic, two teaspoons of Aleppo pepper, salt to taste and a good handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley. Combine everything together into a soft paste using your hands.

Final Prep and Cook

Preheat your oven to 240 degrees (yes, hot!), and pop your pizza stone in if you have one.

Roll each piece of dough out into a thin oval and place on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled and then dusted with semolina (both prevent sticking).

Using your fingertips, spread some of the lamb mixture thinly and evenly onto your base. Be sure to take it right up to the edges, as the meat shrinks as it cooks. Bake for about 8 minutes until the dough is lightly browned. Decorate with your accoutrements and serve immediately.

Accoutrements

Make up a cooling tzatziki, and toast some pine nuts. Lightly pickle some finely sliced red onions in red wine vinegar and sumac. Finely chop some flat leaf parsley, crumble some feta. Get your Nigella on and ostentatiously and extravagantly bejewel with fresh pomegranate seeds.

Pop it joyously atop your cooked lahmacun. Generously squeeze with lemon and season with sumac. Roll up and eat with your hands.

As a red-heatwave warning precaution, be sure to eat in the shade, remove your cardi and pop some ice cubes in your wine.

Job done.