Chef Tiffany L. Sawyer Aussie Lamb Pizza with Whipped Feta and Cucumber Raita
- Prep time 25Hr
- Cook time 2Hr, 35Min
- Technique Roast, Bake
- Meat Lamb
- Cut Shoulder
- Serves 8
with Whipped Feta and Cucumber Raita
Ingredients
Lamb Shoulder
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped mint
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano
- 2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced or grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground and toasted lightly
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons Maldon smoked sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds cleaned Australian lamb shoulder
Whipped Feta
- 3 ½ ounces feta cheese
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Cucumber Raita Sauce
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 ½ ounces English cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon clover honey
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped mint
Roasted Tomato Sauce
- 4 ounces rough chopped Spanish onion
- 14 ounces vine-ripe tomatoes- cored, cut in ½-inch pieces
- ½ ounce garlic clove
- 2 ½ tablespoons avocado oil or good-quality olive oil
Eggplant Tomato Harissa Sauce
- 14 ounces eggplant, skin left on
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or good-quality olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons harissa powder
- ½ tablespoon tomato puree
- ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon chopped parsley
- ½ arbol chile, rehydrated in hot water
Easy Pizza Dough
- 2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110*F)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Garnish
- Calabrian chile pepper, julienned, as needed
- Small mint leaves, as needed
Method
Lamb Shoulder:
- Mix the herbs, garlic, coriander, oil, salt, and pepper together to produce a paste-like consistency.
- Open the lamb shoulder and season evenly with salt and pepper.
- With a paring knife, make slits in the lamb and rub the herb paste all over the shoulder, guiding the paste into the slits with your fingers. Using butchers’ twine, tie up the shoulder to hold it evenly together. Place it in a glass baking dish. Refrigerate for 24 hours to marinate.
- Pull the lamb out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. Preheat the oven to 280°F (oven roast setting if available; if not, bake setting with no fan).
- Cover the lamb dish with aluminum foil. Bake for about 2 1/2 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily.
- Allow it to cool just 10 minutes, then pull the meat apart using two forks.
- Reserve until ready to dress the pizza.
Whipped Feta:
- Place all the ingredients in a robo coupe or use a hand immersion blender. Puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
Cucumber Raita Sauce:
- Place all the ingredients in a robo coupe or use a hand immersion blender.Pulse the ingredients to almost smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
Roasted Tomato Sauce:
- Preheat the oven on high broil.
- Toss the ingredients together on a lined sheet pan.
- Place in the oven on the lowest oven rack and broil for about 18 minutes, until the onions and garlic are golden and the tomatoes are starting to caramelize and char just a little bit on the skin.
- Allow the ingredients to cool, then puree in a robo coupe, blender. or with an immersion blender.
Eggplant Tomato Harissa Sauce:
- Preheat the oven to 400 *F 20 min (low fan)
- Combine the eggplant, salt, and oil on a lined sheet pan. Place in the oven on the lowest oven rack. Roast until the eggplant is very soft.
- After the eggplant has roasted, allow it to cool, then scoop all the meat out of the skin. Discard the skin.
- In a robo coupe or with an immersion blender, puree the eggplant with the harissa, tomato puree, pepper, salt, parsley, arbol, and the Roasted Tomato Sauce. Season to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
Easy Pizza Dough:
- In the bowl of a mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then stir in the honey.
- In another small mixing bowl, blend the salt and flour.
- Fit the mixer with a paddle attachment and add the flour mixture to the yeast and water.
- Knead the mixture slowly, about 2 minutes, then turn up the speed and knead till the dough is not sticking to the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a flat surface dusted with flour and knead by hand for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should not feel tacky when you push a finger down into the ball.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl brushed with the oil and cover with plastic.
- Allow to sit for 30 to 60 minutes in a warm spot, until the dough has doubled in size and will stretch without breaking.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 5-ounce balls. Shape each ball by working the ball and folding the sides under 3 or 4 times. Place the dough balls on a flat surface without flour and move the dough under your palm on the surface until they are smooth, tight balls.
- Place the balls on a sheet pan and rub the tops with oil. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 30 more minutes.
- Punch the balls down to decrease the gas build up. Hold, covered, and work with one ball at a time.
Pizza:
- Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat it to 550°F. Allow the pizza stone to warm up for 30 minutes before baking.
- Stretch each ball, rolling and turning it to make an even circle about ¼ -inch thick. Transfer it to a pizza peel dusted with flour or to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Spread 2 ounces Eggplant Tomato Harissa Sauce in a circular motion from the center of the dough to the edge.
- Top it with 3 ounces pulled lamb, spread around the pizza.
- Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pizza and top it with 2 tablespoons Whipped Feta, dolloped around the pizza. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon Cucumber Raita Sauce zig-zagged across the pizza.
- Garnish with the julienned Calabrian chile and mint. Cut into 8 slices and serve.
