Crisp filo logs of lamb puttanesca with lemon yoghurt

By: Daniel Wilson
From: Huxtabook
Makes: 24 logs
Photographer: Chris Middleton

Essentially a fancy sausage roll, these have been on the menu since day one. The richness of the lamb is perfectly cut with the freshness of the lemon yoghurt. Prepare the lamb and lemon yoghurt a day ahead.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1	boneless lamb or mutton shoulder, about 1.5 kg
1kg	tinned whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
155g	pitted kalamata olives
6	anchovy fillets
12	garlic cloves
3 tablespoons	salted capers, rinsed
2	long red chillies, sliced into rounds
10	basil stems, leaves finely chopped
375g	packet kataifi pastry, left in the packet at room temperature for about 1 hour
	melted ghee, for brushing

Lemon yoghurt

Quantity	Ingredient
1kg	greek-style yoghurt
2	lemons, juiced

Method

For the lemon yoghurt

Line a sieve with muslin (cheesecloth) and set it over a bowl. Put the yoghurt in the sieve and leave to drain overnight in the fridge. The next day, mix the lemon juice through and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use, but bring to room temperature for serving.
For the lamb

Preheat the oven to 110°C. Line a roasting tin with baking paper. Trim any large pieces of fat from the outside of the shoulder, but don’t remove all. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then place it in the roasting tin. Spread the tomatoes, olives, anchovies, garlic, capers and chilli over the lamb, then wrap well with foil. Bake for 10 hours, or overnight.
When the meat is done, transfer the meat and other bits to a colander set over a bowl. Once the meat has cooled a little, but is not cold, pick it apart with your fingers and discard any fatty bits. Mix the meat well with all the olives, garlic and other bits.
Once the juices have settled, transfer them to a saucepan, skim of f the excess fat, then reduce the liquid over high heat for 20 minutes, until thick. Mix the liquid through the meat mixture, then add the basil. Check the seasoning: it may need some pepper, but should be salty enough from the capers and olives.
Line a 25 cm x 30 cm dish with baking paper. Press the lamb mixture into the dish, so it’s about 1.5 cm thick. Place another piece of baking paper on top, then a flat tray roughly the same size. Top with some weight, such as a few tins of food. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.
For the logs

Cut the meat mixture into 24 logs. Tease the kataifi pastry strands apart with your fingers. Lay a portion of the pastry on the bench, in a rectangle shape, and brush liberally with melted ghee. Put a meat log on top, and roll the pastry around it. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and repeat with the remaining pastry and meat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the ghee to set.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Bake the logs for 10 minutes, turning once. Serve warm, with the lemon yoghurt on the side.