LAMB AND SPINACH PIDE
Similar to pizza, these are perfect for lunch or torn and shared with drinks. Lamb and spinach is the classic filling.
MAKES 4
✣ 5g (¼oz) fast-action dried yeast or 10g (½oz) fresh
✣ 400g (14oz) strong white bread flour
✣ 1tbsp olive oil
✣ 1tsp fine sea salt
✣ Semolina, for dusting
For the lamb filling:
✣ 1 red onion
✣ ½tsp sea salt
✣ ½tsp sugar
✣ 1tbsp cider vinegar
✣ 1tsp olive oil
✣ 350g (12oz) lamb mince
✣ ½tsp harissa paste
✣ ½tbsp tomato puree
✣ 1tsp dried mint
✣ Coriander, optional
For the spinach filling:
✣ 200g (7oz) baby spinach, wilted
✣ 45g (1½oz) feta, crumbled
✣ 2 eggs
✣ ½ lemon
You will need:
✣ 2 baking trays lined with baking parchment and dusted with semolina
1
For the dough, put the yeast and 300ml (10fl oz) lukewarm water into a mixing bowl. Mix together and leave for 5 mins. Add the flour and use the mixer dough hook to combine. Add the oil and salt and knead for 10 mins, until the dough is sticky and elastic.
2
Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp tea towel, and leave in a warm place for 1 hr to prove until doubled in size.
3
While the dough is proving, make the lamb filling. Cut half the onion into rounds, place them in a small bowl and sprinkle with the sea salt and sugar. Pour over the vinegar and set aside. 4
Dice the remainder of the onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the diced onion and cook for 5 mins. Increase the heat, add the lamb mince and season. Mix constantly until browned – for about 2 mins. Decant into a bowl, mix through the harissa, tomato puree and dried mint, and set aside.
5
Heat the oven to 230C/ Gas 8. Dust the work surface with semolina, divide the dough in 2 and shape into 2 balls. Either roll the dough with a rolling pin or stretch it over the back of your hands to create a 25 x 45cm (10 x 18in) rectangle, about the size of the baking tray.
6
Place each onto the prepared baking trays. Cut both in half so you have 4 rectangles. Leaving a 4cm (1½in) border around the edges, fill 2 with the lamb mixture and 2 with the spinach and crumbled feta. Fold the edges over and pinch the ends together.
7
On the 2 spinach pides, make a well in the spinach and crack an egg into each. Bake for 15 mins. Just before serving, squeeze the lemon juice over the spinach pides and put the picked onion rounds and coriander, if using, onto the lamb pides.