Lamb and Beef Dürüm Döner with Homemade Lavash

Method

1. Grate the onion, squeeze it hard and discard the juice. In a bowl combine the lamb, beef, squeezed onion, grated garlic, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, pepper, coriander and half the chilli flakes, then knead hard for 7 min, adding the ice water a little at a time, until the mix is pale, sticky and stretchy like a paste (or pulse for 1 minute in a food processor). Roll it tightly in cling film into a firm cylinder, twist the ends shut and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight: the flavour deepens and the meat firms up for paper-thin slicing.

   Add in this stepMinced lamb (not too lean) 200 gMinced beef 100 gOnion, grated and squeezed 80 gGarlic cloves 2Salt ¾ tspGround cumin 1 tspSmoked paprika 1 tspBlack pepper ½ tspGround coriander ½ tspTurkish chilli flakes (pul biber) ½ tspIce-cold water 30 ml

2. Set a wire rack over a baking tray. Unwrap the meat, place it on the rack and roll it neatly to 18 cm long (×2 means two logs). Bake in the oven preheated to 170 °C for 40 min, until the centre reaches 71 °C. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then chill for 30 minutes for the thinnest slices.

   oven

3. Lavash dough: mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add the water, yogurt and olive oil, bring it together and knead for 5 min until smooth and soft; it should feel slightly tacky. Cover and rest it for 20 minutes so it rolls out thin without springing back.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 160 gLukewarm water 90 mlPlain yogurt 30 gSalt for the dough ¼ tspExtra virgin olive oil 2 tsp

4. Sauce and salad: stir the grated garlic, a squeeze of the lemon, the dried mint and salt into the Greek yogurt. Slice the red onion paper-thin and rub it with the sumac, chopped parsley and the remaining chilli flakes.

   Add in this stepGreek yogurt 120 gGarlic cloves for the sauce 1Lemon ¼Dried mint ½ tspSalt for the sauce 1 pinchRed onion ½Sumac 1 tspFlat-leaf parsley 10 gTurkish chilli flakes (pul biber) ½ tsp

5. Divide the dough into one ball per serving. Dust lightly with flour and roll each into a 25 cm round so thin you can almost see through it. Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat and cook the breads one at a time, about 1 minute per side, 4 min in total, until they puff in places with brown spots. Stack them between damp tea towels so they stay soft enough to roll.

   medium-high heat

6. Add half the oil to the same pan and cook the whole tomatoes and green peppers over high heat for 5 min, rolling them around, until blistered and blackened in places and soft. Sprinkle with a little salt.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil ¾ tbspSmall tomatoes 2Long green peppers (Turkish sivri or mild green chillies) 2

   high heat

7. With a very sharp knife, shave the chilled meat lengthways into 2 mm slices. Heat the rest of the oil in a 26 cm pan over high heat until very hot (×2 means two batches), lay the meat in one layer and fry for 3 min until the edges crisp, then add the butter and spoon it over the meat as it foams.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil ¾ tbspButter 15 g

   high heat

8. Lay out a lavash, spread yogurt sauce down the middle and line up the meat, onion salad and sliced charred tomato and pepper. Fold up the bottom, fold in the sides and roll tightly. Press it seam-side down in a hot pan for 30 seconds to seal, then cut in half and serve.