İskender Kebap

Ingredients

• 700g lamb leg, sliced very thin against the grain
• 150g full-fat yogurt for the marinade
• 1 onion, grated with its juice
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salcasi), optional
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 pide or Turkish flatbreads, cut into 3cm squares
• 100g unsalted butter
• 300g thick strained yogurt, well chilled
• 2 tomatoes, halved, and 4 long green peppers to grill

Before you cook

• Slice the lamb as thinly as you can manage, freezing it for 20 minutes first if that helps.
• Grate the onion on the coarse side of a box grater and keep all the juice.
• Combine the lamb with the marinade yogurt, grated onion, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
• Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best result.
• Cut the flatbreads into rough 3cm squares.

Steps

1. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and the red pepper paste and fry for one minute until the colour deepens.
3. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, add the sugar and a good pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer.
4. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.
5. Heat a large heavy frying pan over high heat with the last tablespoon of olive oil.
6. Lift the lamb from its marinade, shaking off the excess, and lay a single layer into the hot pan.
7. Sear the lamb for 2 minutes without stirring so it browns, then toss and cook for 2 minutes more.
8. Tip the cooked lamb onto a warm plate and repeat with the remaining slices in batches.
9. Toast the bread squares in the same pan for 3 minutes, tossing, until they pick up colour and crisp at the edges.
10. Grill or pan-blister the tomato halves and green peppers until soft and charred.
11. Divide the toasted bread between four warm plates and spoon a little tomato sauce over it so it softens.
12. Pile the hot lamb on top of the bread and ladle the rest of the tomato sauce over the meat.
13. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat and let it foam and turn pale gold.
14. Pour the sizzling butter over each plate at the table.
15. Add a large spoonful of chilled yogurt to the side of each plate and finish with the grilled tomato and pepper.