Lunch in the Levant
LEBANESE TORTELLINI
[Shish barak]
SERVES 4
This is one of those incredible ancient dishes that you find in different guises all over the Levant. Shish barak are little meat-filled dumplings swimming in a yoghurt sauce. They resemble little hats or ears, hence the name, which is thought to come from the Persian words gosh e-barreh, or ‘lamb’s ear’. My shish barak are adapted from a recipe from the Mount Lebanon region. It’s not uncommon to bake the dumplings until golden, then toss them straight into the yoghurt sauce. I like the softer texture that comes from boiling, and an intense labna sauce.
FOR THE TORTELLINI
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 4tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 250g minced lamb with 10 percent fat
• ½teaspoon allspice
• 1teaspoon dried mint
• sea salt
FOR THE SAUCE
• 400g labna [see recipe, opposite]
• 1garlic clove, crushed
• juice of ½ lemon
• 40g butter
• 1teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
TO GARNISH
• 20g toasted pine nuts
• 1teaspoon sumac
• asmall handful of finely chopped mint leaves
Put the flour into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Mix well and pour in
