Uzbek Samsa

Ingredients

• 500 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 260 ml cold water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt for the dough
• 150 g softened butter or rendered lamb tail fat
• 500 g lamb shoulder, hand-chopped into 5 mm dice
• 100 g lamb fat, finely diced
• 400 g onions, sliced as thinly as you can manage
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt for the filling
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp sesame or nigella seeds

Before you cook

• Chop the lamb by hand into small dice rather than mincing it, so the filling stays juicy and loose.
• Dice the lamb fat small and slice the onions paper-thin.
• Crush the cumin seeds coarsely so you can still see the pieces.
• Take the butter out of the fridge early so it is soft enough to spread.

Steps

1. Mix the flour, salt and cold water into a shaggy dough, then knead for 8 minutes until smooth and firm.
2. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Combine the lamb, lamb fat, onions, cumin, black pepper and salt in a bowl and mix with your hands for a minute.
4. Leave the filling to stand for 20 minutes, so the salt draws the juice out of the onions.
5. Roll the rested dough into a rectangle roughly 50 cm by 35 cm and as thin as you can get it.
6. Spread the softened butter right to the edges with your fingers.
7. Roll the sheet up tightly from the long side into a rope.
8. Chill the rope in the fridge for 20 minutes so the butter firms up.
9. Heat the oven to 220C fan 200C, and line two trays with baking paper.
10. Cut the rope into 12 equal pieces and stand each one on its cut end.
11. Press each piece flat with your palm and roll it into a disc about 12 cm across, keeping the spiral facing up.
12. Pile 2 heaped tablespoons of filling onto each disc.
13. Fold three sides up over the filling to make a triangle and pinch the seams tightly shut.
14. Set the samsa seam side down on the trays, leaving space between them.
15. Brush the tops with egg yolk wash and scatter over the sesame or nigella seeds.
16. Bake for 15 minutes at 220C, then turn the oven down to 190C and bake for 20 minutes more until deep golden.
17. Rest the samsa for 10 minutes before eating, because the filling inside is molten.