İskender kebab

Step 1: Slice the chilled 1 ⅓ lb boneless lamb leg or beef sirloin across the grain as thinly as you can, 2–3 mm. Use a separate board and knife for the raw meat and wash them in hot soapy water afterwards.

Step 2: Mix the juice from 1 onion with 2 tbsp plain yogurt, 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Toss the meat in it, cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.

Step 3: For the sauce, melt 1 oz butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salçası) and fry for 1 minute until it darkens slightly, then whisk in ¾ cup hot water and 1 pinch sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes until it coats a spoon, then keep warm.

Step 4: Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan until very hot. Blister 4 long green peppers and 4 small tomatoes for 4–5 minutes, turning, until charred in spots, then set aside.

Step 5: Toast the 2 pide or soft flatbread squares in the dry pan or under the grill for 2–3 minutes until warm and just crisp at the edges. Divide between four warm plates.

Step 6: Add 1 ½ tbsp olive oil to the hot pan and sear the meat in three or four small batches for 1–2 minutes each, tossing once, until browned with no pink juices left. A common mistake is crowding the pan: the slices then stew grey instead of crisping. Keep each batch warm while you cook the rest.

Step 7: Spoon half the hot tomato sauce over the bread so it soaks in, pile the meat on top and spoon the rest of the sauce over the meat. Add a big spoonful of 14 oz thick plain yogurt to the side of each plate with the peppers and tomatoes.

Step 8: Melt 2 ⅛ oz butter in a small pan until it foams and smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Pour it, sizzling, over the meat at the table and eat straight away while the bread is still half crisp.