Lamb döner
I borrowed this technique from Turkish food writer Refika Birgül.
Serves 6
Preparation time 5 minutes, plus freezing time overnight
Cooking time 3 minutes per portion
You need
• 1 onion
• 500 g lamb mince
• 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander or flat-leaf parsley
• ½ teaspoon each crushed dried coriander and cumin
• salt and black pepper, to taste • butter and olive oil, for frying
For the side dishes
• 1 big onion, halved and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon braai salt or sumac • 4 gherkins, chopped
• 1 small cucumber, chopped
• 2 big tomatoes, chopped • flatbread or bread rolls, to serve
1 Use a stick blender to pulp the onion. Pour the onion pulp through a sieve and mix the liquid with the yoghurt, milk, herbs and spices. Add the mixture to the mince and knead together. Shape the mince into a salami-sized log and wrap it tightly with baking paper or cling wrap. Freeze the roll overnight or until hard.
2 Prepare the sides: Mix the onion with the olive oil and braai salt. Arrange the salad ingredients on a plate and prepare the bread for the filling. (Create your own combinations by adding things like hummus, tzatziki or mayonnaise, as well as crisp lettuce and shredded cabbage.)
3 Remove the mince from the freezer. Use a clean kitchen cloth to hold the log in place on a chopping board (it’s cold and slippery!) and use a sharp knife (one with a scalloped blade works well) to carve thin slices. 4 Heat a teaspoon each of butter and olive oil in a pan. Fry the slices in batches over a high heat, but make sure the one side is brown before turning them over. Work quickly to prevent the sliced meat from thawing and losing shape. Get someone else to carve while you fry. 5 To serve, fill the flatbread with a portion of meat, salad and your favourite sauces.