Variation Variation Variation Sambousek (Lebanese meat pies)

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Recipe's preparation

Dough

Add yeast, sugar and 90 grams of the water to mixing bowl. Mix 2minutes, 37°C, Speed 1.

Add flour, salt, oil, and remaining water. Mix for 10 seconds, Speed 1. Then knead "Dough mode" for 3 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a thermomat or floured board. Knead into a ball and place in an oiled bowl or in thermomat. Leave in a warm spot and allow the dough to prove for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Filling

Finely chop herbs for 3 seconds, Speed 8. Scrape down and repeat until finely chopped. Set aside.

Place onion in bowl. Chop 5 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down bowl.

Add oil, sauté for 3 minutes, 120°C, speed1.

Add mince to bowl. Cook for 8 minutes, 100°C, Speed 1, Simmering basket in place of MC.

Add pre-chopped tomato, herbs, spices and salt/pepper. Cook for 6minutes, 100°C, Speed 1, Simmering basket in place of MC.

Slowly add lemon juice through MC hole, and continue cooking for 2 minutes, 100°C, Speed 1. Simmering basket in place of MC.

Set filling aside to completely cool down prior to assembling. If this filling is still warm, it will spoil the assembling and the pies will break. (See tips for preparing the meat in advance and keeping in fridge or freezer).

Assembly of pies

Punch out gasses in dough. Break off walnut - golf ball size balls of the dough, covering the dough as you go to avoid drying.

On a floured surface, and with a rolling pin, roll out the dough ball to form a circle roughly the size of a teacup saucer. The dough needs to be thinly rolled out as it expands when cooking. I found that the thinner it is rolled out, the better texture the pies are to eat.

Place 1 tablespoon of cold meat mixture in the centre of flatted dough.

Fold the dough over the meat mixture evenly to join the ends and form a semi circle. Then use your fingertips to press the ends and seal any opening of the dough.

Starting from one corner of the dough edge of the semi-circle, turn the ends inwards and lightly press down in half cm sections to overlap and form a pattern and completely seal the edge. Alternatively, use an empanada-style press.

As you assemble pies, cover with a tea towel to avoid drying out.

Frying

Once you have assembled all of the pies, pour Rice Bran oil in a large saucepan to fill roughly 1/5 of the saucepan, or enough to shallow fry the pies. Heat on the stove on a low-medium heat.

To avoid burning yourself, very slowly place 3-4 pies in the hot oil. At this point, they should be sizzling straight away. Be careful of any oil splashing, and do not lean in during this process.

Using long tongs, lightly press on the pies to turn over during the cooking process. You want them to be lightly golden on each side. This may take up to 30 seconds - 1 minute each side, depending on how hot the stove is.

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, carefully remove pies from oil and place on a tray with paper towels lining it to absorb excess oil.

Repeat steps until all pies are cooking. Pour oil in a container to dispose of.