TOMMI MIER’S LAMB WRAP RECIPE

This came about after a long day at work, daydreaming of an old recipe I used to cook, a pizza
topped with a kick-ass seasoned, minced lamb. I stopped at a butcher’s to buy the meat, but of
course by the time I arrived home it was late and I was bushed. This was the result: a really fun
weekend dinner, full of fresh ingredients, bright herbs and rich Middle Eastern flavours. I love the
lamb wrapped in pitta, but you can just as easily serve it with rice.

Thomasina Miers, image by Tara Fisher

Serves 4

Ingredients

600g minced lamb
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamom
3 garlic cloves
½ tsp Turkish chilli flakes or cayenne pepper
(optional)
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
6 large wholemeal pittas
For the garlicky yoghurt
125g yoghurt
1 tbsp tahini
1 garlic clove, crushed
Juice of ½ lemon
For the salad
300g cherry tomatoes
A large bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly
chopped
½ red onion, very finely sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
1–2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A few good pinches of sugar, to taste
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped (de-seed if you
want it less spicy)
Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Put a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over a high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and half the lamb. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned, then set aside and repeat with the rest of the mince. De-glaze the pan with a few tablespoons of water and pour into the cooked mince. Add another few tablespoons of oil to the pan, turn the heat down to medium and add the onion and spices, frying for 5–10 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the garlic cloves and the chilli (if using), season generously with salt and pepper and cook for another minute before adding 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses and 200ml water. Simmer for 5 minutes to bring the flavours together, then check for seasoning.
Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt with the tahini, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste.
Toss the salad ingredients together. Warm the pitta through and put on the table with bowls filled with the lamb mince, salad and garlicky yoghurt. It makes a great party, everyone stuffing their own pittas exactly the way they like them.

By Thomasina Miers