I'm not going to lie, this recipe is a little time consuming to prepare but when all things delicious are piled onto a flatbread I make the time.
Here's how you make it:
Serves: 6 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 1h 30 minutes Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
For the lamb 8 garlic cloves 10g fresh thyme sprigs 1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp sesame oil 3 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp ground cumin 5g sea salt flakes Freshly ground pepper 800g lamb cut of your choice, on the bone (we used ) 1L light lamb or beef stock 3 tbsp treacle sugar Juice of 2 limes
For the flatbread 375g cake flour, plus extra for dusting 5g sea salt flakes 1 tsp baking powder 350g double cream yogurt
For the marinated aubergine 2 aubergines, sliced into 1cm pieces 100ml white wine vinegar Juice of one lemon 150ml olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 clove garlic, bruised 3 sprigs thyme 1 red chilli, sliced in half
For the tzatziki 350ml double thick yogurt 1 garlic clove, minced Pinch of ground cumin 250g mini cucumbers, cut into irregular shapes Sea salt and pepper to taste
For the chilli oil 125ml cooking olive oil 5 fresh red chillies 1 tsp chilli flakes 6 soft boiled eggs Fresh mint to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Spread the garlic, thyme and spices on the bottom of a roasting tray. Mix the oils, oyster sauce, cumin and seasoning together in a small bowl and rub into the lamb. Place the meat on top of the arrangement in the roasting tin, cover with tin foil, add the stock and place in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Crank up the temperature up to 180ºC and continue cooking for another 1 hour.
- Use a fork to see if the meat comes apart easily and if not, cook for a further 20 – 30 minutes, making sure that there is still liquid in the base of the tin. After cooking, pour the excess liquid into a small pot, discarding the herbs and spices, add the sugar and reduce by half.
- Once the meat has cooled, shred and place in the same roasting tin and pour over the reduced liquid. Place in the oven for 10 minutes to slightly caramelise. Season with the lime juice.
- Make the flatbreads by sifting the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add the yogurt and mix to slightly sticky dough. Tip out onto a work surface, dusted with flour and knead until smooth and elastic.
- Divide the dough into golf ball-size portions and roll out to about 5mm thick. Brush the dough with a little olive oil and cook on a hot griddle pan until golden on both sides.
- For the marinated aubergine, heat a griddle pan over high heat and grill the vegetable until charred on both sides. Combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper to together in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and the cooked aubergine and set aside to marinade for as long as possible.
- Mix all the ingredients together, to make the tzatziki.
- Lastly, simmer the ingredients together for the chilli oil, for 5 minutes over medium heat, making sure that the oil does not start to smoke.
- Assemble the dish, by piling all the goodies onto the flatbread. Top with half a soft boiled egg and garnish with mint.
Stylist: Lisa Clark | Assistant: Marcelle van Rooyen | Photographer: Nigel Deary