Lebanese Flatbread with Lamb, Pomegrante Molasses & Winter Salad

I find myself turning to the cookbook Artichoke to Za’atar again and again for inspiration. Greg and Cindy Malouf have written a guide to “modern Middle Eastern food” organized alphabetically, by ingredient (no wonder I love it). William Meppem’s photographs draw me in towards natural light-kissed white tablecloths and plates of Arab inspired food that are quietly haunting. I’m seduced by the freshness of the green salads, the detail of each bulgur grain in a mound of tabbouleh, the beauty of a whole roast fish. The Maloufs zero in on flavors that can elevate an ordinary dish to something special. When I came across their recipe for Lebanese Pizza with Pine Nuts and Pomegranate I was excited by one subtle tip in the headnote:

“A splash of pomegranate molasses added to all kinds of ground meats will lift them to another dimension.”

In this recipe pomegranate is not the star. There are no flashy pomegranate seeds to decorate the dish. Pomegranate molasses is dark and thick, with a complex fruity and sour taste providing layers of flavor. Without pomegranate molasses the dish would be ho-hum, nothing special. Stir a tablespoon of this Middle Eastern syrup into seared lamb and you’ve added depth in the form of a sweet-tart glaze that wraps around the meat. It’s really something special.

I adapted the recipe a bit,  incorporating a crisp and refreshing winter salad of bitter Italian greens. In my version, plenty of crushed red pepper flakes and garlic add heat to the lamb. Pomegranate molasses plays off the heat with a touch of sweet.  The Malouf’s Lebanese flatbreads are delicious even on their own- soft and pillowy with a subtle tang from the Greek yogurt incorporated into the dough. I sprinkled the rolled out flatbread dough with seared lamb and baked it until piping hot, then topped it off with a crisp, cold winter salad of radicchio and fennel dressed simply in lemon juice and olive oil. Serve the flavorful flatbreads with Greek yogurt at the table. This meal is a balance of hot and cold, bitter and sweet, rich meat and refreshing winter veg. Please don’t be daunted by the instructions, it’s really as simple as throwing together the bread dough, browning some meat, and tossing a quick salad.

Ingredients for Lebanese Flatbread with Lamb, Pomegrante Molasses & Winter Salad

Lebanese Flatbread with Lamb, Pomegranate Molasses & Winter Salad

Adapted from the cookbook Artichoke to Za’atar by Greg and Lucy Malouf

serves 4 as a main meal

For the Lebanese flatbread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm water
1 1/4 cups yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the lamb topping

1 pound ground lamb
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

For the winter salad

1/2 head of radicchio
1 bulb fennel
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Greek yogurt for serving as a garnish

Make the flatbread: Measure the flour into a mixing bowl, add the salt, and stir with a whisk to combine. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into the warm water and stir to dissolve. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt and olive oil. Pour the foaming yeast mixture into the flour with the yogurt and olive oil. Stir to combine, then knead until the dough is smooth and silky, about 10 minutes. You may need to cautiously add water a tablespoon at a time to get the dough moist enough to come together. Knead by hand or in a mixer using the dough hook attachment. Form the dough into a ball, rub it lightly with olive oil, and put it into a bowl covered with a towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Do not stress over the dough. It will be awesome.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a heavy baking sheet inside to heat. Prepare the lamb topping: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Once the pan is good and hot, toss in the ground lamb broken up into pieces. Turn down the heat to medium. Toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a little freshly ground pepper. Cook the meat, stirring occasionally, until brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. While the lamb cooks, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Allow the pine nuts to cool on a plate. Once the lamb is cooked, transfer it to a bowl and stir in the pomegranate molasses. Toss the pine nuts in with the lamb and stir to combine.

Roll out the flatbread dough. Take the dough out of the bowl and knock the air out of it (gently). Divide it into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece out into whatever flatbread shape your like. I’m into long narrow pieces but you may like round pizzas- go with it! Have a little all-purpose flour on hand if you need it to flour your rolling pin or prevent the dough sticking to the counter. The dough will puff up in the oven, so try and roll it out thin- to about 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer the rolled out flatbreads to your hot baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Divide the lamb topping among the four flatbreads and transfer them into the preheated oven to bake about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Make the salad. While the lamb flatbreads cool, toss together the winter salad. Slice the radichio into bite-sized shreds and toss them into a bowl. Prepare the fennel by cutting off the stems, then cut the bulb in half and remove the hard core. Slice the fennel as thin as you can with a sharp knife or mandolin. Throw the sliced fennel into the bowl with the radicchio. Add the chopped parsley, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and toss the salad to combine well. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Serve the lamb flatbreads with winter salad sprinkled over top and Greek yogurt at the table.

Pomegranate Molasses