Lahmacun (Turkish Meat Pizza)

This famous Turkish flatbread is often called pide. It makes a nice change from the Italian pizza and is designed as a meal however, you could serve it as an appetizer. Make your own pizza dough or use flatbread (pita) if you are short for time.

Topping:
2 red capsicums
1 medium eggplant
2 tblespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
400g minced lamb (you can use minced beef)
1-2 teaspoons puree de piment or minced chili
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leafed parsley, plus extra for garnish

Place the red capsicums and eggplant directly over the flame of a gas burner or barbecue, or under a grill, turning often until completely blackened and soft. Place in a large bowl, cover with pastic wrap and let them sweat for 10 minutes.
Remove peel off all the blackened skin and discard. Remove the stalk and seeds from the capsicum and chop the flesh finely. Cut the stalk off the eggplant and chop the flesh finely.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft. Transfer to a large bowl with the red capsicum, eggplant, minced lamb, piment or chili, salt, sugar, lemon juice and parsley. Mix until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 230c. After the dough has risen, divide into 4 and roll and stretch out to 30cm x 18cm canoe-shaped flatbreads. Spread the filling over each dough base.

Bake on an oven tray covered with baking paper for 10 minutes or until golden but still soft. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little parsley and lemon juice.

The Culinary Chase’s note: The chargrilled eggplant comes off tasting as if it was smoked which adds a nice balance to the sweet taste of the capsicums & the hot spice of the chili. Other choice toppings to use: feta, chopped tomatoes and sprinkle smoked paprika over the toppings when taking it out of the oven. Pide can also be rolled up and eaten like a donair.