“Would you please ask chef Somer Sivrioglu from Sydney’s Efendy Restaurant for the recipe for his wonderful lahmacun?”
Julia Knotts, Leichhardt, NSW
To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, , GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.
Ingredients
Lamb filling
Method
Main
1.Combine flour and salt in a bowl, add 175ml lukewarm water, turn onto a work surface and knead until a smooth dough forms (10-12 minutes). Roll into 30gm balls, cover and set aside to rest (15 minutes).
2.Meanwhile, for lamb filling, process tomato, capsicum and capsicum paste in a food processor to combine. Transfer to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
3.Preheat oven to 250C. Roll dough into 10cm-diameter discs. Divide lamb mixture among discs and press and spread with your fingers. Place on a pizza stone or on oven trays lined with baking paper and bake in batches until crisp on edges but still soft in centre (7-10 minutes). Dust with sumac and serve hot with lemon wedges, parsley and onion rings.
Lahmacun is popular in Turkey. In Australia, it’s often mistaken for the kiymali pide that’s topped with minced meat. Once you try lahmacun, though, you’ll appreciate the difference: its pastry is thin with a delicate amount of topping, while pide is thicker and topped with more meat. Capsicum paste is available from select delicatessens and grocers.
