Bookmark All recipesDinnerLambPizza Pulled lamb Turkish lahmacun by Michael Catling 14 June 2025 Inspired by Turkey’s answer to a dairy-free pizza, my three-ingredient flatbread is topped with pulled lamb and lots of colourful veggies. A pizza without cheese? I can hear the shouting from Italy, so hear me out. A lahmacun is traditionally a super-thin, crispy flatbread topped with minced meat, peppers and onions. It’s a bit like an open keema naan… only better! Here, I’ve added my own twist by making three-ingredient flatbreads without any yeast so they’re ready to eat in 15 minutes. Each base is then topped with a thin layer of homemade tomato sauce and leftover pulled lamb from Sunday’s roast dinner before being blasted in the oven. It is unconventional in pretty much every sense, but when it looks and tastes this good How To Make Turkish Lahmacun Chef Catling’s recipe notes Recipe: Turkish Lahmacun Frequently asked questions Tips & Notes To Know Love your leftovers: Slow-cooked pulled lamb is the ultimate upgrade on lamb mince. Fast, fresh and fuss free: The dough isn’t made with yeast, so it’s ready in a matter of minutes. No pizza stone? Use an upside-down baking sheet preheated in the oven. Roll the dough really thin: Lahmacun should be light and crisp, so roll each piece of dough out as thin as possible without tearing it. Pulled lamb Turkish lahmacun Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins 40 mins Pin Print Ingredients For the tomato sauce1/2 tbsp olive oil1 garlic cloves, crushed1/8 tsp dried chilli flakes200ml tomato passata1/4 tsp granulated sugarSmall handful of fresh basil, leaves only, finely shredded For the toppings1 tsp vegetable oil200g leftover lamb, finely diced1 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely diced1 tsp sumac1/2 tsp ground coriander1/4 tsp ground cumin1/4 tsp ground sweet cinnamon1 red onion, finely sliced into rounds1 tbsp pine nuts, toastedLarge handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped For the flatbread225g self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling200g Greek yoghurt (0% fat)1 tsp cumin seeds1/4 tsp smoked sea saltOlive oil, for drizzling Instructions Step 1To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the garlic and chilli flakes. Leave to sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the tomato passata with the sugar. Step 2Bring the sauce to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and leave to blip away gently for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Stir the basil into the sauce and set aside until ready to use. Step 3To prepare the toppings, add the leftover lamb and diced pepper to a bowl and coat with the spices. Heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat and stir-fry the lamb and pepper for 5 minutes to cook the spices. Set aside. Step 4When ready to make the pizza bases, place your pizza tray(s) in the oven at 220C to heat up. Step 5To make the dough, add the self-raising flour, Greek yoghurt, cumin and salt to a mixing bowl and stir with a knife to combine. Bring the dough together with your hands and tip out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 2 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Step 6Divide the dough in half and lightly oil your hands. Stretch each piece of dough into a large, thin rectangle (the bigger the size, the thinner your base will be). Alternatively, use a rolling pin if you find it easier. Step 7Carefully slide each flatbread base onto the preheated tray(s) and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until slightly puffed up and starting to colour. Remove from the oven and leave for 1 minute for the base to level out if risen. Step 8Evenly spread the tomato sauce over each base, leaving a small border at the sides. Scatter over the red onion, followed by the stir-fried lamb and pepper. Step 9Gently slide each base back onto the pizza tray(s) and cook for 8-10 minutes until the bottom is crisp and golden and the lamb is sizzling. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley before serving. Eat immediately with a side salad. Did You Make This Recipe? Tag me on Instagram at @Chef_Catling. Frequently Asked Questions What’s The Difference Between Self-Raising Flour And Plain Flour? Self-raising flour has the raising agent already added and helps the mixture rise as it’s baked. To make your own, combine 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every 100g of plain flour. What Is Sumac? Sumac is a Mediterranean spice, which derives from dried berries that have been ground to a deep red powder. It has a tangy, lemony taste, but without the acidity of a citrus fruit or vinegar. It pairs really well with chicken, lamb or fish and can also be mixed into yoghurt or marinades for a tart, citrusy boost. To use as a garnish, sprinkle over hummus, kebabs or falafels before serving. 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Bookmark All recipesBakingParty FoodVegetarian Feta and spinach borek by Michael Catling 27 March 2026 This baked borek recipe blends feta, spinach and cream cheese for a luxuriously creamy filling wrapped in golden, flaky filo. Every buffet spread or picnic needs a vegetarian dish – and this is one of my favourites. I fell in love with borek while on holiday in Turkey and sought to recreate it using a combination of feta, spinach, garlic and filo pastry. The addition of cream cheese, though unconventional, makes the filling extra creamy and creates a flavour profile not too dissimilar from creamed spinach. Everything You Need To Know To Make Feta And Spinach Borek Chef Catling’s recipe notes Recipe: Feta and spinach borek Frequently asked questions Tips & Notes To Know Keep the filo pastry covered: The sheets dry out fast, so cover unused wrappers with a damp tea towel while assembling. Prep ahead: If you want to make a batch in advance, simply assemble the borek and freeze it before baking. To cook it straight from frozen, just add a few more minutes to the baking time. Make it vegan: You can make a plant-based version of borek by using a cheese substitute, such as vegan feta or a tofu-based filling. Instead of egg wash, use a little olive oil or non-dairy milk to brush the tops. Feta and spinach borek Serves: 4 Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 30 mins 30 mins Pin Print Ingredients 1/2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing2 baby shallots, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed200g baby spinach75g feta cheese, crumbled1 tbsp light cream cheese1/2 preserved lemon, deseeded and finely chopped25g pine nuts, plus extra to serveA few sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped, plus extra to serve4 sheets of filo pastry25g white sesame seeds Instructions Step 1Remove the filo pastry from the fridge. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Step 2Add the spinach in batches and cook over a low heat until wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. Step 3Tip the mixture into a bowl and add the feta cheese, cream cheese, preserved lemon, pine nuts and mint. Stir to combine and season to taste. Step 4Preheat the oven to 180C. Working as quick as you can, lay one sheet of filo pastry out on a clean work surface and slice lengthways into three strips. Brush each piece with olive oil and place a small mound of the spinach and feta mixture at the top right corner of each strip. Step 5Diagonally fold over the pastry to enclose the filling and form a triangle. Continue to fold down the length of the pastry to form a neat parcel. Repeat with the remaining filling and pastry (this recipe makes 12 borek). Step 6Arrange each borek on a baking tray lined with parchment and brush the tops with more olive oil. Scatter with sesame seeds and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve warm or cold, garnished with mint leaves. Did You Make This Recipe? Tag me on Instagram at @Chef_Catling. Frequently Asked Questions How Do You Stop Filo Pastry From Ripping And Cacking? I don’t consider myself much of a baker, which is why I learned the hard way that you need to work smart and fast while working with filo pastry. Before opening the packaging, make sure you bring the filo pastry to room temperature and prep all your ingredients beforehand. As you remove one sheet at a time, cover the remainder with a damp (not wet) tea towel and move quick to stop the sheets from drying out. Very rarely will I go through a whole pack without tearing a few sheets, but the beauty of filo is that you can easily patch a few pieces together without it affecting the final product. Believe me, I’ve done it. 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail