German Doner Kebab with Garlic Sauce
From Ainsley’s World Cup Flavours, ITV
A doner kebab is one of the most popular street/fast foods in Germany. It’s said that they were invented in Berlin by a Turkish immigrant who came up with a way of turning the Turkish “Doner Kebap” into a handheld meal to be eaten directly “aus der hand’ by busy workers on the go. Not sure if that’s true but there are now more doner kebab stores in Berlin than in Istanbul! This is a healthy, quick and easy way to enjoy a kebab at home – although if you prefer the meat crispier you can fry the slices for a minute after slicing. Enjoy with a nice cold beer (and a side of fries if you like)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Lightly brush a 1lb loaf tin with oil and dust with a little paprika and cayenne.
Put the mince into a large bowl and add the garlic, herbs and spices, lemon zest and seasoning. Mix well with your hands for a good few minutes, squeezing the mixture together until well combined and almost smooth (alternatively pulse in a food processor until combined and almost smooth in texture). Tip into the loaf tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon or spatula making sure it’s nice and compact. Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and cooked through.
Meanwhile make the garlic sauce. In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, yoghurt, olive oil, garlic and dill. Add lemon juice and seasoning to taste.
Remove the loaf tin from the oven, drain away any fat and set aside to rest and cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile put the flatbreads in the oven to warm.
Turn the meat out of the tin onto a board and slice into thin strips with a sharp knife. Open up each bread to create a pocket and fill with salad and kebab meat. Drizzle with garlic sauce (and chilli sauce if you like) and finish with pickled chillies and feta (if using).
Ingredients
- For the Doner Kebab
- olive oil, for brushing
- 500g lean lamb or beef mince (5-10% fat)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp onion powder or 2 tsp onion granules
- ½ tsp paprika, plus extra pinch
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp cayenne (add more if you like it extra spicy), plus extra pinch
- zest of ½ lemon
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the Garlic Sauce
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp finely chopped dill
- ½ lemon, for squeezing
- To Serve
- Turkish or Lebanese style flatbreads, cut into wedges
- ½ red cabbage, cored and finely shredded
- ¼ iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
- ½ red onion, peeled, thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, deseeded, sliced
- 2-3 tbsp sliced pickled chillies/jalapenos
- 50g feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
- chilli sauce (optional)