New Pizza/James McNair's 2000

Turkish Lamb "Pizza" (Pride Lahmajun)
Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Calories % from Fat Fat Sodium Carbohydrates Protein Cholesterol
8 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A


INGREDIENTS:
Neapolitan-Style Pizza Dough 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped red sweet pepper 1 pound finely minced or ground lean lamb 2 cups peeled, seeded, well-drianed, and finely chopped ripe or canned tomato
2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional) 3/4 teaspoon crushed dried chile, or to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt freshly ground black pepper about 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (if not using pomegranate molasses)
vegetable oil or cooking spray for greasing pizza screen or ventilated pizza pan (if using) cornmeal for sprinkle pizza peel (if using) olive oil for brushing crust
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion plain yogurt, lightly whisked, for serving



1 Make the Neapolitan-Style Pizza Dough and set aside to rise as directed.
2 In a heavy saute pan or skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the white or yellow onion and sweet pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the lamb and cook, stirring constantly and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is just past the pink stage, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomato, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses (if using), chile, allspice, cumin, and 1/4 cup of the minced parsley. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is almost dry, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice (if not using pomegranate molasses) and set aside to cool completely.
3 About 30 minutes before baking the pizza, prepare an oven as directed and preheat it to 500 degrees F. If using a pizza screen or ventilated pan, brush it with vegetable oil or coat with spray and set aside. If baking directly on a stone or tiles, sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal and set aside.
4 Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and form each into a ball. Cover loosely with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out.
5 Working with 1 dough ball at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll out or stretch the dough into a round about 1/8 inch thick and 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Place the dough on the prepared screen, pan, or peel. Brush the dough all over with olive oil, then top with about 1/2 cup of the lamb mixture, spreading it all the way to the edges of the dough. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough to form as many pizzas as will fit into the oven at one time without crowding. If using a pizza peel, give it a quick, short jerk to be sure that the bottom of each crust has not stuck to it.
6 Transfer the pizzas to the preheated oven and bake until the crusts are done but only tinged with brown and are still soft and pliable, about 5 minutes.
7 Remove the pizzas to a work surface, spirnkle with some of the red onion and remaining parsley, and drizzle with a little yogurt. Roll each pizza into a cylinder and serve immediately.

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