Sambousek

Method

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1. Rub the oil into the flour, salt and sugar until it looks like damp sand, then work in the water to a soft dough. Knead 5 minutes until smooth and cover.

   Mark done

2. Toast the pine nuts in the olive oil over medium heat until pale gold, about 2 minutes, and lift them out.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

3. Fry the onion in the same pan 5 minutes, add the lamb and cook 12 minutes, breaking it up, until no liquid is left in the pan at all.

   Mark done

4. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon, molasses, salt and pepper, cook 2 minutes more, then spread the filling on a plate to cool completely. Return the pine nuts to it.

   Mark done

5. Roll the dough 2 mm thin and cut 10 cm rounds. Put a heaped teaspoon of cold filling on each, fold to a half-moon, and press the edge shut with a fork.

   Mark done

6. Heat the frying oil to 180°C / 355°F. Fry in batches of six, seam-side down first, 3 to 4 minutes total, turning once, until blistered and deep gold.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

7. Drain on a rack, not on paper — paper traps steam and softens the underside.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• The filling must be cold. Warm filling bursts the seam in the oil.
• Cook the lamb until the pan is dry.
• Drain on a rack. Paper steams the bottoms soft.

Pairing Suggestions

• Toum
• Lemon wedges
• A tomato and mint salad

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days; re-crisp 8 minutes at 200°C. They freeze raw and fry from frozen, adding 2 minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

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