Ingredients
Flatbread
14g dried yeast
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
300ml warm water
500g strong white/bread flour
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin rapeseed oil
Spice paste
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fennel seeds crushed
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon chopped preserved lemons
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 medium heat chillies
1 tablespoon spicy harissa
500g minced lamb
To serve
Pickles/salad, tahini sauce/yoghurt sauce, honey
Lahmacun (Recipe made at Electric Picnic 2025)
Lahmacun (pronounced lah-ma-joon) is a thin, crispy flatbread topped with a savoury blend of spiced lamb, herbs, and spices — a beloved street food found across Turkey and the Middle East. It’s typically served rolled up with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of tahini or yoghurt sauce and some crunchy veg or pickles. We made this version for a special collaborative dinner Mezze hosted with Mara in Waterford, where chef Luis suggested a touch of honey over the top — a surprising twist that added just the right balance of sweetness to the spiced lamb.
The lamb topping recipe below will probably be too much for the flatbreads. You can use remaining lamb to make sausage rolls or roll into meatballs and cook on the barbecue.
Makes 8
Ingredients
Flatbread
14g dried yeast
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
300ml warm water
500g strong white/bread flour
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin rapeseed oil
Spice paste
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fennel seeds crushed
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon chopped preserved lemons
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 medium heat chillies
1 tablespoon spicy harissa
500g minced lamb
To serve
Pickles/salad, tahini sauce/yoghurt sauce, honey
Method
For the dough, mix the yeast, sugar and warm water in a jug. In a medium mixing bowl mix the flour and salt together. After a few minutes, once the yeast mixture starts to bubble, add with the oil to the bowl. Knead by hand or with a mixer for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Leave the dough ball in the mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 8 and roll into balls. This is easier on an unfloured surface. Place the rolled balls on a floured surface, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
Heat your oven to its highest heat.
In the meantime, prepare the meat topping. Blitz all the paste ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Add the lamb mince to the paste and mix well until fully combined.
Divide the lamb mixture into 8 balls.
lightly oil your counter or work surface and flatten dough ball. put lamb ball on top and flatten the two until you have a thin flatbread with a layer of meat on top.
Bake the topped flatbreads in a hot oven at 220°C for 6–8 minutes.
Serve warm with tahini or yoghurt sauce, pickles, and fresh vegetables.
Cut into pieces or roll up to eat — and don’t forget the drizzle of honey on top!
