lamb, dukkah, kale and fetta scrolls....alfresco treats for Lets Lunch July 2014

Alfresco or 'picnic' food needs to be portable, delicious warm, or at room temperature, and suitable to eat with your hands or on paper plates.Something that fits the bill is a pastry....but there are so many combinations....where to start???

Looking around the kitchen for inspiration I found my 'muses'.... that jar of my pistachio and hazelnut dukkah, a box of filo pastry and the lamb shoulder mum brought back from our farm. With a little more hunting and some Middle Eastern insights I created this flavourful filo scroll.

Now all I need is the perfect outdoor spot to sit and enjoy the delights!

lamb, dukkah, kale and fetta scrolls with heirloom tomato salad

 Prep Time:  25 minutes
Cooking time:  35 minutes
Serves 4

500g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2cm pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil 
3 cloves garlic, crushed
50g kale leaves, finely chopped  
4 green onions, finely chopped

5 tablespoons pistachio and hazelnut dukkah (see recipe below)

80g feta, crumbled

¼ cup chopped fresh mint, plus ½ cup fresh mint leaves extra
¼ cup (45g) pine nuts, toasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
80g butter, melted
12 sheets filo pastry
400g punnet mixed small heirloom tomatoes, halved
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthwise, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon harissa
1 cup yoghurt

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC  or 200ºC fan-forced.  Grease and line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. 
2. Place lamb into a food processor and secure lid. Pulse until lamb is minced. 
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add lamb and 2 cloves garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. 
4. Add  kale and green onions. and 3 tablespoons dukkah. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in feta, chopped mint and pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
5. Place 1 sheet filo on a flat surface. Brush with a little butter. Repeat with another2 filo sheets and butter to make a stack. Spoon ¾ cup lamb mixture along 1 long side of the filo stack, leaving a 2cm border. Fold in edges and then roll into a log to enclose the filling then coil into a snail shape. Place onto prepared tray. Repeat with remaining filo, butter and lamb mixture to make a total of 4 pastries. 
6. Brush pastries with remaining butter. Sprinkle with remaining dukkah and sesame seeds. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
7. Meanwhile combine lemon juice, remaining oil and remaining garlic in a jar, Season with salt and pepper. Secure lid.  Place tomatoes and cucumber in a container. Wrap mint leaves in damp paper towel and place into a resealable snap log bag and add to the tomatoes. Place the yoghurt and harissa in a transportable storage container, stir to combine and secure lid. Store salad, dressing and harissa yoghurt the fridge until ready to go.
8. Once at your alfresco location, lay out the picnic rug, place the pinot gris in an ice bucket.  Add lemon juice mixture and mint to tomato mixture and toss to combine. Serve with lamb scrolls and harissa yoghurt.

pistachio and hazelnut dukkah

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time:  15 minutes
Makes 1 cup

½ cup (75g) pistachio kernels 
½ cup (75g) hazelnuts

¼ cup (40g) sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C  fan-forced.  Place hazelnuts and pistachios on a large baking tray. Roast for 5 minutes or until lightly roasted. Tip nuts onto a clean tea towel and, using the tea towel, rub off as much skin as possible. Transfer to a large heatproof plate Set aside to cool
2. Place pistchio and hazelnuts into a food processor and secure lid. Pulse  until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add to the pistachio mixture.
4. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns to the frying pan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 4 minutes or until fragrant and seeds begin to pop. Set aside to cool.
5. Place spices and salt into spice mill or and process until finely ground.  Add to the sesame seed mixture; toss to combine. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, or in the fridge, for up to 2 months.

Tips:

• Serve dukkah as an appetiser - place some dukkah and extra virgin olive oil into separate shallow bowls. 
  

• Serve with some chopped fresh turkish bread; dip bread into oil and then into dukkah. 
  

• Sprinkle dukkah on chicken breast or lamb and pan-fry until cooked through.
  

• Make dukkah pita crisps. Preheat oven to 200ºC or 180ºC fan-forced. Cut pita bread into triangles and place onto a large baking tray. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with dukkah.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned and crisp.
  
  
   For more Alfresco recipes from the Lets Lunch blogger crew click on the links below:
  
   
  Cheryl's  Summer Pesto 
  Annabelle‘s Butterscotch Brownies at Glass of Fancy
  Anne Marie‘s Fresh Peach & Honey Lavender Goat Cheese Sliders at Sandwich Surprise!
  Betty Ann‘s Adobong Mani (Peanuts in Garlic) at Asian In America
  Karen‘s Watermelon-Mint Cocktails at GeoFooding
  Linda‘s Spicy Nectarine-Tomato Salad at Spicebox Travels
  Lisa‘s Spinach & Three Cheese Coils at Monday Morning Cooking Club
  Margaret‘s Pudding & Cookie Jars at Tea and Scones