Lamb Karnıyarık with Pepper-Paste Sauce and Sumac Onions

Method

1. Peel the eggplants in stripes, rub them all over with part of the salt and set them on a rack for 30 min. The brown beads that appear carry the bitterness; press them off firmly with kitchen paper. The flesh firms up and drinks less oil.

   Add in this stepEggplants (medium, about 250 g each) 2Salt ½ tsp

2. Pour oil 1.5 cm deep into a 24 cm pan, heat on medium-high heat to 170–175 °C and fry the eggplants for 9 min, turning, until deep brown outside and creamy right through. Drain them on a wire rack rather than paper so they stay crisp, not soggy. Heat the oven to 190 °C.

   Add in this stepOil for frying 250 ml

   medium-high heat

3. Get a 24 cm pan very hot on high heat, spread the lamb and beef in a flat layer and leave it alone for 4 min to build a brown crust underneath. Break it up, add the chopped onion, garlic and half the chopped peppers, turn to medium heat and cook for 6 min until the onion is soft. The lamb gives off enough fat, so no extra oil is needed.

   Add in this stepMinced lamb 120 gMinced beef 120 gOnion 1Garlic cloves 2Long mild green peppers 1

   high heat→medium heat

4. Lower the heat to medium-low heat, add half the pepper paste and fry it for 1 minute until fragrant. Add half the tomatoes, grated, with the cumin, pul biber, black pepper and part of the salt, and simmer for 5 min until thick and jammy. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.

   Add in this stepTurkish red pepper paste (biber salçası; or tomato paste plus paprika) 1 tspRipe tomatoes 1Ground cumin ½ tspPul biber / Aleppo pepper ½ tspBlack pepper ¼ tspSalt 0.6 tspFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp

   medium-low heat

5. Lay the eggplants side by side in a 25×18 cm baking dish, slit each belly lengthwise, open it with a spoon and pile in the filling generously. Top with the remaining tomato slices and halved peppers, and dot with small pieces of butter.

   Add in this stepRipe tomatoes 1Long mild green peppers 1Butter 15 g

6. Whisk the remaining pepper paste into the stock and pour it around the eggplants. Bake in the oven, heated to 190 °C (oven), for 25 min, spooning the sauce over once halfway for a glossy finish. It is ready when the tomato edges are charred and the sauce has thickened.

   Add in this stepTurkish red pepper paste (biber salçası; or tomato paste plus paprika) 1 tspChicken stock 150 ml

   oven

7. Thinly slice the red onion, rub it with the sumac and the last of the salt and leave for 5 minutes to soften and turn tangy. Top the karnıyarık with the sumac onions and serve with yogurt.

   Add in this stepRed onion ½Sumac 1 tspSalt ⅛ tspGreek yogurt 100 g