XIAN CITY PULLED LAMB BURGER

A burger，I hear you question in disbelief？i was just as surprised as you when I first experienced this dish.Xi’an is most famously known for being home to theancient terracotta army of the Qin dynasty.However，head to the streets of the city and you will find what some would contend to be the origins of the hamburger.The bread bun is more like pitta bread than a typical Cantonese bun recipe，having a crisp surface and a soft interior that soaks up all the braising liquor from the lamb.

Makes 15 burgers

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg lamb breast

1 litre water，plus extra if needed

500ml Shaoxing rice wine

300ml light soy sauce

50ml dark soy sauce

200g sugar

2 spring onions

5 star anise

2 bay leaves

2 dried tangerine peels

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

For the bread

450g high-gluten flour，plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon fast-action dried yeast

150ml lukewarm water

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

To serve

1 small bunch of coriander，roughly chopped

2 Baby Gem lettuces，shredded

80g Sesame Peanut sauce

50g toasted sesame seeds

50g chilliflakes

Xinjiang Pomegranate Pickled Onion Salad

1.Cut the lamb breast into 5cm-wide strips

2.Blanch the lamb in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes to clean it of impurities，then drain. Clean the pan

3.Return the lamb to the cleaned pan with the water and all the remaining ingredients and braise over a low heat for 4 hours or until soft to the touch，topping up the water if the pan runs dry

4.Meanwhile，for the bread，add all the ingredients to an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead for 5-10 minutes until you have a dry but smooth dough.Alternatively knead by hand on a lightly floured work surface

5.Put the dough in a bowl，cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes

6.Divide the risen dough into 50g portions and roll each into a ball.Using a rolling pin，roll each ballinto a 25 x 3cm strip

7.Roll up each strip into a spiral and then turn the dough so that the spiral is facing upwards

8.Push down on the dough and then roll out into a 10cm-diameter circle

9. Place 1 dough circle at a time in a large, dry frying pan with a lid over a medium heat

10. Cover the pan with the lid and toast until crisp on the underside then turn over, re-cover and cook until the bread is crisp on the other side and cooked through but still soft inside

11. To serve, split the breads in half, chop up the lamb breast and divide it between them, then adda little of the braising liquor to make it juicy. Top with the coriander, lettuce, Sesame and Peanut Sauce, sesame seeds, chilli flakes and the xinjiang pomegranate Pickled Onion Salad

hancheng

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