Lamb Pastille
khuruf pastilla
This is a delicious lunch with a side salad of leaves, pomegranate seeds and herbs. Punchy, fresh and simple.
You will need a roasting tray, two oven-proof plates, a small sieve and a pastry brush for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 bunch coriander root, chopped
- 1 small piece of ginger, chopped or grated
- 500g lamb mince
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 200g almonds, roasted and roughly chopped
- 2TBS Billingtons golden icing sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 16 sheets of Careme filo pastry or Brick pastry if you can get it (which you can at The Hunter’s Pantry)
- Melted butter
- 1 tbs snow sugar*
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (extra)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Fry the onion, ginger, garlic, and coriander in a little oil until clear, then set aside to cool.
- When cool mix the vegetables with the lamb mince, turmeric and coriander. Work with your clean hands until the meat is sticky.
- Mix the chopped almonds with icing sugar and cinnamon.
- Place a filo or brick pastry sheet on your bench and brush with melted butter. Place a second sheet on top. Repeat until you have four layers.
- Place your filo onto a plate and top with half the almond mix, filling it out so it is a circle, leaving the sides of the filo to overhang. Make another four layers of filo and place on top. Top this with the mince mix, another four layers of filo, the rest of the almond mix, and a final four layers of filo. Fold the overhang to the top to make a parcel, seal it with butter and place another plate on top to weigh it down. Place this onto a baking sheet.
- Transfer the pastilla to the oven for 10 mins, then carefully remove the top plate and bake for another 10.
- Now flip the pastel over so the smooth base is on top. Bake for a further 20 minutes.
- When ready dust with a little of the snow sugar and cinnamon through a fine sieve and serve.
*Snow sugar is magical stuff. It is non-melting confectioner sugar, perfect for hot preparations and pre-dusting cakes and dessert creations.
