Good morning…Today’s recipe features the iconic Turkish lahmacun (or in neighboring Armenia — lamadjo), which are baked with a spiced ground meat mixture and enjoyed rolled up with fresh toppings.

• Don’t let their similarity to pizza fool you — these are mostly crispy & meaty instead of saucy & cheesy, but definitely worth making at home.

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Lahmacun

Components

Flatbreads

• Any large flatbread will work, or make your own

Meat spread

• 2 parts ground lamb or beef

• 1 part flavor adjusters: diced onion, minced herbs (try parsley & mint), and a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt for tang

• Seasoning to taste: a sprinkle of salt, pepper, cumin & paprika

Garnishes

• Parsley leaves, thinly sliced onion, fresh quartered tomatoes, and lemon wedges

Instructions

1) Prepare oven & dough: If using freshly made dough, preheat an oven with a pizza steel/stone to the highest temperature possible. If using cooked flatbreads, use the broiler function on high.

2) Spread the meat: Mix all meat spread components until the meat is tacky. Cook a tiny spoonful of it in the microwave to check seasoning, and add ingredients if needed.

• Spread a very thin layer onto a flatbread. If using fresh dough, roll the dough out into a thin circle, and spread the meat mixture onto it.

3) Bake or broil: If using fresh dough, slide the lahmacun onto the pizza steel and cook until the dough and meat topping are cooked through.

• If using a flatbread, broil from above until the meat mixture is browned and fully cooked.

Repeat with remaining portions. Serve warm with garnishes on top, roll up, and enjoy.

Need more guidance?: Here’s an exact recipe to follow. Or, check out our mixed meat framework to understand the spread.

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

The 3-ingredient gnocchi

Homemade gnocchi requires only three ingredients: starchy russet potatoes, flour, and salt.

• You can get fancy with shaping them, or you can make them spherical, which is the fastest method.

• Once they are made — you can freeze them for later or cook and sauce them as desired.

Check out the video or written recipe for all the details.

• If you’re looking to get into handmade pasta, Mark Vetri’s Mastering Pasta is a great resource to start with.

Because even frozen gnocchi cooks so much faster than dried pasta, having a batch of these on hand means you can make dinner in literally less than 10 minutes…

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

Sausage & broccolini gnocchi

If you have gnocchi around, you might as well make one of Ethan’s most popular recipes…the < 10 minute weeknight gnocchi pasta. You can use any meat or vegetable you have around by the way…use the framework as a rough blueprint. Ratios are to your preference.

Dish components

• Serving of gnocchi

• Meat: loose Italian sausage

• Greens: chopped broccolini

• Aromatics & spices: sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt to taste

• Olive oil for cooking

• Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish

To assemble

Parboil the gnocchi until they float, then drain. Meanwhile, crisp up the Italian sausage in a pan, and then add the broccolini until cooked through. Add the aromatics until fragrant. Add the boiled gnocchi to the pan, and toss everything together with extra olive oil and Parmigiano, to taste.

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

Jarred sake

Q: Is sake everywhere now?

A: Sake is a fermented rice-based wine that has gained popularity worldwide over the past few decades.

Just as “white wine” can mean so many different things, sake is a huge umbrella category:

• Flavors can span from complex & umami forward, to dry and acidic, to even sweet & fruity.

• Clarity-wise, sake ranges from transparent to cloudy & thick, depending on filtration & production style.

You can even find sparkling sake. In other words, sake caters to a range of palates and situations.

And now, smaller form factors like jars and quarter to half-size (180-360ml) bottles are widely available. These single or double-serving vessels allow for sampling or sharing without committing to a large bottle.

• Plus, jars of sake are cute and practical — they travel well (think in a picnic cooler) and can be easily stored in small fridge or pantry spaces.

If you have a favorite sake type or brand — send in some recommendations!

READER Q&A 🧠

Defrosting in a pinch

Answer: If (and when) you forget to thaw in advance, you can submerge most frozen goods under running cold water (sealed) to defrost in under an hour (huge cuts of meat might take longer).

• Try to avoid the microwave defrost function, but it’ll work in a pinch for ground meats or anything where overcooking & texture quality aren’t a concern.

If you’re someone who forgets to pull things out of the freezer often, you can just prep meat or vegetables to be cooked straight from frozen.

Check out Ethan’s guides on each:

1. Why I Cook Meat Straight from the Freezer (& why you should too)

2. Why I cook with Frozen Vegetables (& you should too)

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Prized pozole

This week’s dinner winner is Sam V., who made a Pozole Verde using Ethan’s recipe. Nice, Sam!

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

MORE YUMMY CONTENT 🍽️

A read: Every country’s most famous recipes

In a minute or less: Could you eat this 5 days a week?

What we’re watching: Restaurant quality Pho secrets revealed

Food science: Why pan sauces mean fewer dishes to wash

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