Recipe – Spicy Lamb Cigars
Ingredients
| 2 tbsp pine nuts |
| 1 tbsp olive oil |
| 1 small onion, very finely chopped |
| 2 cloves garlic, crushed |
| 1 tsp salt |
| 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, cumin, coriander, sumac and cayenne pepper |
| 500g lamb mince |
| 375g filo pastry, defrosted |
| 1 egg, beaten |
| Olive oil spray |
| 1 tbsp each fresh mint and coriander leaves, finely chopped |
| 1/2 cup Greek style yoghurt |
| 1 tbsp lemon juice |
| 1/2 tsp sumac extra, to garnish |
Directions
Step 1 – Heat the BBQ to medium heat (180 – 200°C) with two zone heat. Ensure the grills are clean. If you are using a charcoal grill, keep at least half of the charcoal grate clear of briquettes or charcoal as a zone of indirect heat. If you are using a gas BBQ, light a burner on one side of the BBQ only. If you are using a Weber Q, have a trivet and convection tray on hand.
Step 2 – Preheat a large BBQ safe frying pan or skillet for 10 minutes over indirect heat. Once heated, add the pine nuts and toast, stirring regularly, until they start to colour. Remove from the heat.
Step 3 – In the same skillet, add the olive oil and the chopped onion and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion starts to colour. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the salt and ground spices and stir to combine. Cook for another minute.
Step 4 – Add the lamb mince and stir to combine with the onion and spices. Cook, stirring regularly to break up any clumps. Once browned evenly, remove the lamb mixture from the BBQ. Stir through the pine nuts and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 5 – Unwrap the filo pastry sheets and lay on a flat surface. Place a single sheet of filo pastry on a tray and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Place another filo sheet on top and spray with oil. Cut the oiled filo sheets into 6 even rectangles. Keep the remaining filo sheets covered with a damp tea towel to prevent drying.
Step 6 – Working with one of the pastry rectangles, brush 3 edges with the beaten egg, leaving one long edge uncoated and facing towards you. Spoon one tablespoon of the mince mixture onto the pastry, leaving approximately 1 centimetre clear of each short edge. Roll the pastry into a log shape to enclose the filling, folding in the edges as you go, making sure that each cigar is sealed. Spray each cigar lightly with olive oil spray and cover each with the damp tea towel to prevent drying out. Continue with this process until all of the lamb mixture is used.
Step 7 – Place the cigars into the BBQ over indirect heat (using a trivet and convection tray in a Weber Q) and cook for around 15 minutes or until the cigars are golden and crispy. While the cigars are cooking, combine the fresh herbs, Greek yoghurt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Garnish the yoghurt mixture with the extra sumac and serve as a dipping sauce, while the cigars are hot.
