LAMB BRIOUATS. 31. Copyright 2011 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.

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Hugo Dorsey
5 years ago
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1 LAMB BRIOUATS Makes about a dozen By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a World Kitchen recipe. Nothing should taste this good. The lamb is so heavily spiced, and then harissa (see below) is also added, you would think this food would be too spicy to enjoy. The flavor, however, is surprisingly delicious. The difficulty is in finding, or grinding, the herbs and spices to make your own harissa. Ingredients: 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying 1 small onion; finely chopped 1 pound (450g) lean lamb; finely chopped or ground 2 garlic cloves; minced or crushed with a garlic press 2 teaspoons ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger) ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pinch of saffron threads (10 to 12); soaked in 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon harissa (see recipe on web site) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) (dried leaves are okay) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (dried leaves are okay) Salt and pepper to taste 1 egg 1 package (1 lb/454g) phyllo pastry sheets; thawed (you won t use the entire package) ½ cup (226g) butter or clarified butter; melted Sesame seeds for garnish Directions: Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onion until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the lamb and garlic. Sauté only until the lamb is lightly cooked, about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula as it cooks. Add the spices, herbs, and harissa. Cook an additional minute. Adjust for salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside. (If there is a lot of fat in the lamb, tilt the pan a little and push the meat mixture to the higher side, letting the fat drain. Spoon up the fat and discard.) Beat the egg well and add to the meat mixture while still warm. Stir thoroughly and set aside. The phyllo sheets will likely be rectangles. Brush the surface of one sheet with a little melted butter and then fold over part of the rectangle to form a square. Brush the folded over section with butter. Place a second sheet on top, turning 90 to cross the grain, and line up one edge. Again brush with butter and fold in the extra to form a square. Spoon a few tablespoons of the lamb mixture onto the sheet with the mixture near a corner and start rolling the dough over the lamb, rolling it a little tightly. When about a third is rolled, fold in the two sides to enclose the ends and keep rolling to the final corner. Place on a greased baking sheet with the final corner down. Continue with the remaining sheets and lamb until all are assembled. Heat your oven to 425 F (220 C) with a rack in the upper part of the oven. Brush the surface of the briouats with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds. Bake 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. The Step by Step Guide begins on the following page

1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 My mise en place for this recipe.

There is a lot of spice in this dish, but the flavor is not overpowering.

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onion about 5 minutes, until they are

2 1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 My mise en place for this recipe. The jar with the black lid is my harissa. There is a lot of spice in this dish, but the flavor is not overpowering. It is a delicious way to serve lamb. 2 Start with the onions. Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onion about 5 minutes, until they are tender and translucent. 3 Add the chopped lamb and minced onion to the pan and cook until the meat is almost cooked, about 5 minutes. The meat should still be slightly pink.

4 3 Add the herbs and spices, cook an additional minute, and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool a few minutes. Beat the egg well and add to the meat, combining thoroughly.

This dough is very thin and tears easily, so handle it carefully. The dough sheets typically come in two plastic envelopes in the box.

3 4 3 Add the herbs and spices, cook an additional minute, and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool a few minutes. Beat the egg well and add to the meat, combining thoroughly. Set aside. 4 Phyllo dough sheets are usually shaped as rectangles. We need squares. So they need to be buttered and folded to get the shape we need. This dough is very thin and tears easily, so handle it carefully. The dough sheets typically come in two plastic envelopes in the box. You won t use the all the sheets for this recipe. Open only one of the packets, and only open it when you are ready to unroll the sheets and start assembling the briouats. The dough, because it is so thin, will dry out quickly and be impossible to roll.

4 5 4 Using a pasty brush, lightly butter part of the sheet, about the area of a square. 5 Fold over the extra pastry and brush it lightly with butter. This square is the shape we need.

By crossing the grain of the two sheet you ll had strength and stability that will reduce the possibility of tearing.

5 7 5 Arrange a second sheet of phyllo on the square, but turn the second sheet 90 degrees so that the grain of the second sheet crosses the first sheet. By crossing the grain of the two sheet you ll had strength and stability that will reduce the possibility of tearing. 8 As you did for the first sheet, butter part of it and then fold over the remaining of the pastry to form a square. Brush the folded section with a little butter and this sheet is ready for filling.

6 9 6 Orient the sheet like a diamond with one corner nearest you. 10 Spoon some of the filling onto the sheet, placing it near the corner. Don t use a lot of filling. This is a well spiced mixture and a little will go a long way. I use 2 to 3 tablespoons in each briouat.

This takes a little practice to get the feel of wrapping it correctly. 12 As you roll the briouat, fold in the side corners.

7 11 7 Start wrapping the mixture in the pastry by folding the corner over the mixture and start rolling toward the opposite corner. Press the pastry into the meat a little to form a tightly wrapped mixture, but don t pull so hard that you would tear the pastry. This takes a little practice to get the feel of wrapping it correctly. 12 As you roll the briouat, fold in the side corners. I usually do this when I get to about a third of the way to the opposite corner. Fold in the side, folding it near the meat, and tuck it again the roll so that side fold is angled a little toward the center line.

8 13 8 Fold in the other side the same way. They should overlap in the center. 14 When the sides are folded in, continue rolling toward the final corner, again pressing a little on the roll to get a fairly tight briouat.

You use a different pastry and you don t layer it, but it is rolled the same way.

9 15 9 Roll all the way to the end and this briouat is finished. Place on a baking sheet with the final corner downward. By the way, now you also know the technique for rolling egg rolls or spring rolls. You use a different pastry and you don t layer it, but it is rolled the same way. 16 The final step is to brush the briouats with a little melted butter and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Heat you oven with a rack in the upper third. Bake only about 10 minutes, or until browned lightly. They are ready to serve.

17 10 Arrange on a plate and serve hot. These could be served as a main dish with rice on the side, or as finger food at a picnic or potluck if kept warm for serving.

10 17 10 Arrange on a plate and serve hot. These could be served as a main dish with rice on the side, or as finger food at a picnic or potluck if kept warm for serving. Conclusion The flavor of these surprised me the first time I made them. I expected them to be too spicy to enjoy. They are delicious. When I served them to a friend who is familiar with Moroccan food, he said they tasted exactly as he expected they would. They take time to make, and the harissa might be challenging, but the final dish is exotic and full of savory flavors. As an added bonus, the aroma of the cooking spices will stir the appetite of your guests.

LAMB AND SAUSAGE PIE. 53. Copyright 2011 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.

LAMB AND SAUSAGE PIE. 53. Copyright 2011 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved. LAMB AND SAUSAGE PIE Makes 1 pie, serves 10 to 12 By Dennis W. Viau; inspired by a recipe in a food magazine. Lamb and Sausage Pie is probably the most delicious savory pie I make. I like meat pies, especially