Chickpea pancakes
SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 20 MINUTES PLUS 1 HOUR SOAKING / COOKING 7 MINUTES
You can serve this on bought flatbread such as pita, but the gluten-free chickpea pancakes add a lovely flavour. They are nicest made fresh but you can make them in advance and heat them up for 5 minutes wrapped in foil in the oven.
150g (1¼ cups) bulgur wheat
1 small red onion, very finely sliced
1 small head broccoli
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup mint, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped juice of 1-2 lemons
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
600g lamb tenderloin or backstraps
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sumac
2 tablespoons olive oil yoghurt, chickpea pancakes or flatbreads, to serve
Place the bulgur wheat in a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for about an hour until tender but not too soft. Drain well and press down hard on the wheat with the back of a spoon to squeeze out excess water. Put into a bowl.
Put the red onion in a bowl and cover with water. Leave for 10 minutes then drain well.
Steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes until just tender then run under cold water to stop it cooking. Chop finely and put in the bowl with the bulgur wheat along with the red onion, tomato, mint, parsley, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
If using backstrap, carefully cut through each piece, not quite going all the way through, open out and lay, cut side up on a plate. If using tenderloin, lay it on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic and 2 teaspoons of the sumac, then drizzle with the olive oil. Rub all over, then set aside.
Heat a barbecue or grill pan to very hot. Grill the lamb for 2-3 minutes on each side then cover with foil and leave in a warm place to rest (you may need to do this in two batches if your pan is small). When rested, slice the lamb and pile onto the pancakes or flatbreads along with the tabbouleh, a spoon of yoghurt and sprinkle with the remaining sumac.
CHICKPEA PANCAKES (SOCCA) MAKES 4 / PREPARATION 5 MINUTES PLUS 30 MINUTES RESTING / COOKING 12 MINUTES
100g (1 cup) chickpea flour 1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds 2 tablespoons olive or plain oil
Put the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and whisk in 200ml water. Whisk until smooth then set aside for at least 30 minutes (can be up to 2 hours).
Just before serving, heat an 18cm frying pan to medium hot and cook the coriander and cumin seeds for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a powder. Stir this through the batter.
Heat a little oil in the pan. Pour ¼ cup of the batter into the pan and swirl around to form an even pancake. Cook for about 1½ minutes until bubbles form on top, flip and cook a further 1-1½ minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter to make four pancakes.
Serve the warm socca topped with tabbouleh, lamb, yoghurt and a sprinkle of sumac.