İskender Kebab

Method

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1. Toss the sliced lamb with the olive oil, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper and onion juice. Marinate at least 2 hours.

   Mark done

2. For the sauce, fry the garlic in the olive oil for 30 seconds, add the tomato purée and cook 2 minutes, then the passata, sugar, salt and Aleppo pepper. Simmer 15 minutes until thickened. Keep it hot.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

3. Toast the bread cubes in a dry pan or a 200C oven for 6 minutes until dry and lightly coloured but not hard.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

4. Grill the tomatoes and green peppers over a high flame until blistered.

   Mark done

5. Get a heavy frying pan very hot and sear the lamb in two batches, 2 minutes a batch, so it browns rather than stews.

   Mark done

6. Spread the bread cubes over warm plates and spoon a third of the hot tomato sauce over them.

   Mark done

7. Pile the lamb on top and spoon the rest of the sauce over that.

   Mark done

8. Brown the butter in a small pan until it foams, subsides and smells nutty, then carry it to the table and pour it sizzling over each plate.

   Mark done

9. Add a spoonful of yoghurt on the side, the grilled vegetables, and a scatter of sumac and parsley. Eat at once.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Sear the lamb hot and fast in batches. Crowded lamb turns grey and tough.
• Brown the butter properly and pour it at the table while it sizzles.
• Assemble and serve within a minute. This dish does not wait.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• Ayran
• Grilled green peppers
• A Turkish red such as Öküzgözü

Storage & Reheating

Components keep 3 days refrigerated. Assemble to order — leftovers do not reheat well as a plate.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.