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Barbecued Leg of Lamb with Imam Bayildi & Flatbread

From John Torode, 'Relax it's only food' (http://www.somersetfarmdirect.co.uk)

1 leg of lamb
2 lemons
salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary
250 ml yoghurt
2 red chillies, deseeded & chopped
handful of coriander
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Dry roast 1 tablespoon cinnamon and ½ tablespoon of cardamom, cloves and turmeric

You first need to tenderize the lamb by rubbing it with a mixture of lemon juice, salt, pepper and thyme; then leave it for a few hours. Make a paste by blitzing the dry roasted spices in a food processor with the red chillies, coriander, garlic salt and pepper,

Alternatively you could flavour the yoghurt with some ground cumin or garam masala, first toasted briefly in a dry pan to release their aroma.

Rub the marinade into the lamb all over. Leave overnight with some big sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Barbecue the lamb for about 30 minutes for quite pink meat, and finish with lemon juice and leave to rest for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Serve it with chunks of Greek-style flat bread and Tzatziki :

• yoghurt mixed with
• sliced cucumber,
• some chopped mint,
• a pinch of salt and
• a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Or see here for another Tzatziki recipe

Stuffed Aubergines (Imam Bayildi)

A popular Turkish meze, Imam Bayildi are cold and spicy stuffed aubergines. Good with a herb salad and Greek yogurt. This dish benefits from being made 24 hours in advance and chilled, covered, to allow the flavours to develop. From The Cooking Book, 2008 (http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/). Serves 4

4 Aubergines
6 tbsp Olive Oil
2 large Onions, finely sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 tbsp Ground Coriander
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
½ tsp Ground Cardamom
800g Chopped Tomatoes, cans
85g Sultanas
2 tbsp Coriander, chopped
1 tbsp Mint, chopped
1 tbsp Parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Cut the aubergines in half lengthways, and score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern using a sharp knife. Brush the aubergine flesh with 4 tbsp oil, and place the halves, cut-sides up, in a roasting tin. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.

Leave the aubergine halves to cool, then scoop out and chop the flesh. Take care not to split the skins, and leave a thin layer of flesh in place to support them.

Heat the rest of the oil in a large, heavy pan, and cook the onion and garlic over a medium-low heat until softened. Add the spices and fry until they smell fragrant, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomatoes, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced, stirring occasionally. Add the sultanas and aubergine flesh and cook, stirring, for a further 10 minutes, or until heated though. Leave to cool, then stir in the coriander, mint, and parsley.

Spoon the mixture into the aubergine shells and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible.

Turkish flatbreads

Rachel Allen's lightly spiced flatbreads are the perfect accompaniment to curry and are much tastier than shop-bought bread

125g strong bread flour
150g plain flour, (you could use 1/2 white and 1/2 wholemeal flour here)
1-2 tsp fennel seeds, or cumin seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp salt
175 ml warm water

1. Mix the flours, spices and salt in a bowl.
2. Add the warm water, and mix to a dough, kneading for 2 minutes.
3. Divide into 12 pieces, cover and leave to rest - if possible for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out each piece of dough to 1/2 cm thickness.
5. Heat a griddle or frying pan over a medium heat.
6. Cook each piece of dough on the frying pan or griddle for about 2 minutes on each side, until speckled with brown.
7. Keep warm, wrapped in a tea towel. They should be soft not crisp.