Lamb, Mint, Feta and Baby Spinach Gozleme

Whenever I go to a fete (fair) they are there. Whenever I go to the markets, they are there. Yes, those ladies in white, deftly rolling out the dough and topping it with spicy meat and other fillings before slapping it beside fifteen others on a searing hot plate. They are always there for you when you need it most, usually after spending way too much money on handmade jewellery and fisherman pants. It can be a juggling act to eat them; you are usually standing up because there are no tables or chairs to be seen and you have to hold the plate, hold your bag and your market haul and (here's the best bit) squeeze lemon over it. The lemon is a must. 

Those nimble fingered ladies are skilled in the art of gozleme; I want to be skilled in the art of gozleme! 

Let's see how I went with it...

Firstly, how easy is this dough? All you need is yoghurt and self-raising flour. That reason alone is enough to make this on a regular basis. There is a bit of resting but that's alright. In the meantime, there is a spiced lamb mince to be cooked. 

The lamb: there is really no interesting technique or secret to impart to you, just cook it with the tomato juice and spices. Cook it dry and then strain it to get rid of the fat. I took the word "strain" literally and used my sieve. That was no fun to wash up - kitchen paper would have been a better option. 

Now to roll get this dough flat for the filling. Divide it up, it is best to be equal with this - but don't worry if you are not quite so equal, this was my first go. I said I wanted to be skilled at gozleme making, I didn't say I was...yet.

These were harder to roll out than I thought they would be, just persevere, it'll happen.

Start filling: I so love spinach and feta together...

... almost as much as I love lamb and mint together. When the four powers combine, it's just insanity. Not quite - but you should know that this is really, really good.

Fold it over and tuck that filling in. Press the edges down but don't stress if it doesn't stick completely - you wont be cooking it for long and the filling will stay put. Trust me.

Brush it with olive oil and lightly fry it until it is golden on each side. Then you're golden and good to go. 

Just don't forget to squeeze lemon on top - I mentioned lemon before, it's essential.  

To be honest, this was not quite as good as the gozleme that the ladies in white make. I knew it wouldn't be - I'm just not that skilled, but I can make it any time I want now. 

Lamb, Mint, Feta and Baby Spinach Gozleme
via My Table Food and Friends by Pete Evans
200g plain yoghurt

250g or 2 cups self-raising flour

1 tbsp. olive oil – for brushing

150g minced lamb

1 pinch of salt

1 garlic clove – crushed

1 pinch cumin

1 pinch chilli flakes

4 tbsp. tomato juice

50g baby spinach

100g feta cheese – crumbled

Olive oil for frying

Lemon wedges to serve

Whisk the yoghurt with a pinch of salt in a large bowl until smooth.

Gradually add the SR flour until you have a stiff dough.

Tip on to a lightly floured bench and knead until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.

Transfer the dough to a large, well oiled bowl; cover it with a tea towel and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.

In a frying pan, heat the oil and brown the lamb.

Turn the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, cumin, chilli flakes and tomato juice.

Cook for a minute or so or until the mixture is dry. Turn off the heat and cool the lamb slightly before draining off the fat.

On a lightly floured bench, split the dough into 4 equal balls and roll each ball into a 30cm circle.

Place a quarter of the spinach on half of each circle and top with a quarter of the feta for each circle.

Next, sprinkle the fetta with a quarter of the lamb (for each and top with the torn mint leaves. Fold the dough over for each and press the edges down to seal.

Heat a flat griddle, frying pan or BBQ hot plate and brush each gozleme with olive oil.

Cook each gozleme on both sides until golden.

Serve hot with lemon squeezed over the top.