Doner Kebab

Doner Kebab (Home Kitchen Version)

A traditional doner is cooked on a vertical spit, which no home kitchen has, so this recipe uses the closest faithful method: thinly sliced, well-seasoned lamb layered and roasted on a rack over a tray, then shaved off the crisp outer edges. Serve it the Turkish way - in warm flatbread with tomato, onion, lettuce and yogurt or chili sauce.

Prep

30 min

Cook

75 min

Total

105 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) boneless lamb leg or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and sinew; beef (silverside) or chicken thigh can be substituted
• •2 tsp fine salt
• •1½ tsp sweet paprika
• •1 tsp ground cumin
• •1 tsp ground coriander
• •ground black pepper, ½
• •ground cinnamon, ¼
• •1 tbsp olive oil
• •4 pieces pide or flatbread, lavash or large flour tortillas as substitute
• •2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• •onion, ½, thinly sliced and rinsed in cold water to mellow
• •4 leaves iceberg or romaine lettuce, shredded
• •150 g (5½ oz) plain yogurt, for the sauce
• •1 clove garlic, finely grated, for the yogurt sauce
• •1 tsp lemon juice
• •1 tbsp chili flakes or hot pepper paste, optional, for chili sauce

Steps

1. 1 Partly freeze the lamb for 45–60 minutes until firm but not solid - this makes it possible to slice thinly.
2. 2 Slice the lamb against the grain into pieces about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick and roughly 8–10 cm (3–4 inches) long.
3. 3 Toss the slices with the salt, paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon and olive oil until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavour.
4. 4 Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Set a rack over a rimmed baking tray to catch drips.
5. 5 Layer the lamb slices onto the rack, overlapping them tightly like roof tiles into a compact loaf shape about 15 cm (6 inches) long and 10 cm (4 inches) wide. Press firmly so the layers bond. (A home alternative: press the slices into a loaf tin lined with foil, then turn out onto the rack.)
6. 6 Roast for 30 minutes. The exterior should be browned and slightly crisp; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre must read at least 71°C (160°F) for lamb or beef, or 74°C (165°F) for chicken.
7. 7 Reduce the oven to 190°C (375°F), tent loosely with foil if the top is darkening too fast, and roast a further 30–40 minutes until the centre is tender and the internal temperature holds at 71°C (160°F) minimum (74°C/165°F for chicken).
8. 8 Rest the meat loaf for 10 minutes on the rack. Using a sharp serrated knife or a vegetable peeler, shave off thin slices from the outside - this mimics the shaved-off edges of a vertical spit. Return any pale inner slices to the oven for 5 minutes if you want them browned.
9. 9 Mix the yogurt with the grated garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of salt for the yogurt sauce. For chili sauce, stir chili flakes or a spoonful of pepper paste into a little yogurt or warm water.
10. 10 Warm the flatbreads for 30 seconds each side in a dry pan or under the grill.
11. 11 Fill each bread with shaved doner meat, tomato, drained onion and lettuce. Drizzle with yogurt or chili sauce, fold, and serve immediately.