Lahmucan with Pomegranate, Pine Nut and Parsley
Slightly cheaty lahmucan here. To make this a perfect midweek recipe, I’m using shop-bought flatbreads, you could also use soft wheat tortillas to assemble this delicious Turkish inspired recipe. I have eaten piles of these spiced lamb flatbreads on holiday in Northern Cyprus. It's a great way to eat together as a family, though lahmucan are considered more of a snack to eat on the go, not so much a main meal. I love how you wrap each flatbread with leafy parsley, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds, a big squeeze of lemon and drizzle with more good olive oil. Come summertime, sliced ripe tomato is also a good addition. I also love how this recipe stretches a relatively small amount of mince to feed 4 people. Flavour packed food, lots of jazzy ingredients to add, this is a firm family favourite recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
400g lamb mince
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped or grated
3 tbsp Turkish pepper paste, or use Ajvar pepper sauce
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sweet unsmoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus more to serve
To serve;
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 large bunch parsley, leaves picked
2 tbsp pine nuts (or use walnuts), lightly toasted
1 large pomegranate, seeds removed
8 tortilla or flatbreads
METHOD
Cook the lamb in the olive oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat for about 10 minutes, breaking it down with a wooden spoon, until the lamb is cooked through and beginning to colour.
Stir in the garlic, spices, tomato puree, pepper paste, 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and sizzling. Add 150ml water and simmer for 5-10 minutes until all the liquid is cooked away. Check the seasoning adding salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the grill on your oven, or pre heat oven to hottest setting.
Brush a flatbread or tortilla with a little olive oil and water, then use a spoon to smear a thin layer of the topping all over as evenly as possible.
Grill for 1-3 minutes until the topping is bubbling, keeping an eye that the edges don’t scorch.
Repeat to cook all the breads.
Serve each topped with pine nuts, pomegranate, parsley and with a squeeze of lemon juice and with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and olive oil, and either fold or roll up to eat.