Turkish

Testi Kebabı

A Cappadocian clay-jug kebab of lamb, shallots, peppers, tomatoes, and butter, sealed with dough and cooked slowly until the meat is tender. The testi is traditionally cracked open at the table so the fragrant juices spill onto the serving dish.

Ingredients

• Lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 3 cm cubes400g
• Lamb tail fat, finely diced40g
• Butter20g
• Small shallots, peeled150g
• Garlic cloves, peeled4
• Green Turkish peppers, roughly chopped2
• Ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced2 medium
• Tomato paste1 tbsp
• Sweet red pepper paste1 tbsp
• Ground cumin1/2 tsp
• Dried thyme1/2 tsp
• Pul biber1 tsp
• Black pepper1/2 tsp
• Salt1 tsp
• Hot water80ml
• Flour, for sealing dough1 cup
• Water, for sealing dough1/3 cup
• Salt, for sealing dough1 pinch
• Flatbread or pilav, to serve2 portions

Method

1. Soak an unglazed food-safe clay testi or small clay jug in water for 20 minutes, then drain it well.
2. In a bowl, mix the lamb, tail fat, shallots, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper paste, cumin, thyme, pul biber, black pepper, and salt.
3. Spoon the mixture into the testi, add the butter and hot water, and leave at least 4 cm of space at the top.
4. Mix the flour, water, and pinch of salt into a firm dough, then roll it into a rope thick enough to seal the mouth of the testi.
5. Press the dough around the mouth of the testi to seal it tightly, leaving only a tiny pinhole for steam to escape.
6. Place the testi upright in a deep tray and bake in a 200°C oven for 20 minutes.
7. Reduce the oven to 160°C and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes, until the lamb is very tender and the juices are rich.
8. Remove the testi from the oven and rest it for 10 minutes before serving.
9. Wrap the neck of the testi with a towel, tap it carefully with the back of a heavy knife or small hammer, and crack it open over a wide serving dish.
10. Spoon the kebab and its juices over flatbread or serve beside buttery Turkish pilav.

Common questions