XI’AN-STYLE CUMIN LAMB PITA BREADS

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 15 MINUTES / COOKING 5 MINUTES

If you are planning on making the pita breads, make them a little thicker when rolling out and toast them well before using for this dish, otherwise they have a tendency to get soggy from the sauce.

500g lamb steaks, cut into thin slices 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds 1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns,

ground in a mortar

2 cloves garlic, minced

3cm piece ginger, finely grated ½-1 teaspoon finely chopped dried chilli

(depending on how spicy you like it) 1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons shaoxing wine 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons cornflour, mixed with

1 tablespoon water

2 spring onions, finely chopped

Combine the lamb steaks, whole and ground cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of shaoxing wine, ideally overnight if you have time. Heat a frying pan, add the oil and quickly pan fry the lamb for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining shaoxing wine and a splash of water and the cornflour, cook for a minute to thicken, add the spring onions then stuff into the warm pita bread. Serve with a salted, garlicky cucumber salad.

Fattoush Make a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, mashed garlic, lemon juice, cider vinegar and sumac. Use to dress a salad of chopped cucumber, tomatoes, quartered radishes, spring onions, and herbs such as parsley and mint. Crisp up pieces of stale pita (in the oven or in a toaster) and toss through at the last minute so it provides texture to the salad. Scatter with extra sumac to serve.