lamb_gyros
Apocalypse notes
We made this for a different take on Easter Sunday dinner and it was really tasty, plus provides an abundance of food for a holiday feast. If you’re going to make the lamb, sauce and pitta from scratch then it should probably be a team effort and this makes an enjoyable recipe to cook as a couple :)
The toppings really add to an authentic kebab shop taste, so I’ve added the recipe for homemade tzatziki below. It’s simple and cheaper to whip up a batch of this at home, and you could even double the yoghurt to make it go further.
When making the pitta, start the dough first and then leave it to prove while you get started cooking the lamb. I think it makes things really special when you make the bread yourself, and you can’t really go wrong with making flatbreads.
Makes at least 10 gyros, so you better be hungry!
Apocalypse recipe rating 5/7
Ingredients
Lamb gyros
900g ground lamb mince
2 red onions (one for the pan and one for topping)
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp herbes de provence
1 tsp cumin
Large pinch salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil
For serving:
250g cherry tomatoes
350g Tzatziki
8-10 Pitta breads or bread rolls
Homemade tzatziki
1 small cucumber
250g plain yoghurt
1 garlic clove
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp oil
Homemade pitta bread
250g flour
150 ml water
2 tsp oil
7g yeast
1 tsp salt
Method
The lamby bit
Heat the oil in the pan on a medium high heat.
Chop and fry one of the onions in the oil for 2 minutes to soften. Add the lamb mince, break it up and fry for 15 minutes until the water has boiled off and the meat has started to brown. Once the water has reduced away, the mix will start sticking the bottom. Scrape the meat with a wooden spoon and continue mixing and scraping.
Next, thicken the mixture up by adding the flour and stir it well into the mix.
Then throw in a small cup of white wine, or 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup vinegar.
Add the herbs and a teaspoon of cumin.
Chop up the tomatoes and the other onion for the topping. Warm up some pitta bread and scoop on the meat.
Top with the a big spoon of tzasiki, onion and chopped tomatoes.
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For homemade tzaskiki
Grate the cucumber and then ball it up in your hands and drain out as much of the water as possible.
Place the grated cucumber in a bowl and pour in the yoghurt.
Finely chop the garlic and stir it into the mix.
Add a tablespoon of oil, squeeze in the lemon and mix well together.
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For homemade pitta bread
Mix the flour, yeast and salt together.
Add 2/3 of the water, and half the oil. Mix the ingredients together with your hands. Gradually add the rest of the water and oil until all the flour is combined into a soft dough.
Oil a clean work surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Once the dough is smooth, put it into a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a tea cloth and leave it to prove.
If the kitchen is cold turn the oven on and set the bowl on top or near it to get a good prove. Leave the dough for 30-60 mins and it should double in size.
Then tip the dough onto a work surface dusted with flour, and fold it in on itself to knock the air out.
Split the dough into 6-8 equally sized balls and stretch them into flat ovals by turning them with your hand (kind of like a pizza chef would do). About 1/2cm thickness is good.
Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a medium-high heat pan. Lay the dough in the pan until it starts to puff up and the bottom has brown spots, for about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes. It will begin to puff and fill with air.
Take the bread in your hand and fill it up with the lamb and top with the sauce, tomatoes and onions.
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