I was in high school the first time I tasted manti. A friend’s Turkish grandmother whipped them up for us for dinner, and I remember being totally smitten by the little meat-filled pockets swimming in a tangy yogurt sauce. The memory of standing in the kitchen holding a bowl of manti has stuck with me for more than 15 years, and it’s a funny thing to think about why we carry around rather mundane memories of some things and manage to forget really important stuff from the past. I’m not sure what it was about the manti. Maybe because it’s sort of a familiar idea (like a cross between tortellini and dumplings?) presented in a totally new way? Or maybe because it was just that delicious.
I have a few manti recipes in my collection, but the description and idea of brown-butter tomato sauce immediately sold me. It doesn’t require any particularly hard-to-find ingredients, just two hands and a leisurely half-day. I was already an hour into manti-making one Saturday when my mom decided to come for a visit, and though I warned her that I was doing a kitchen project, I don’t think she was quite prepared for how many hours of my day it actually took up. But I do think she would agree that the result was delicious. Plus, I tend to find the act of stuffing dough (and honestly, doing repetitive, mindless tasks in general) weirdly meditative.
I hope you’re not dismayed by my lack of festivity this year around Thanksgiving, but it’s just not my favorite holiday. I primarily use it as a marker for the point at which it’s societally appropriate to get excited about Christmas. And, boy, am I excited. So excited that I just bought a last-minute ticket to London to tag along on a friend’s work trip so I can see those angels sparkling down Oxford St. And eat some very indulgent meals, including at St. John, which I think is my favorite restaurant in the world. Do I sound excited? I’m excited.
So don’t hold it against me that there’s no pumpkin pie on the blog today. Do look out for a delicious recipe for a pear-ginger pie though- one that I think will be the perfect addition to your December holiday table. Coming soon!
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1 small white onion, grated (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Baharat Spice Mix (see recipe below)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried spearmint
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon pickling spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups plain, whole milk Greek yogurt (16 oz.)
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained (14 oz.)
- 1/4 lb. unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons maraş pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried spearmint, rubbed through a sieve
- 1 tablespoon sumac
Instructions
- First make the Baharat spice mix by combining all the ingredients in a jar. It will last 2 months.
- Next make the sauces. To make the yogurt sauce, combine the garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and season to taste with kosher salt. Set aside.
- To make the tomato sauce, melt the butter over medium heat. Allow the foam to subside and the milk solids to brown slightly, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato. Simmer in the brown butter until the tomato is soft and jammy, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with kosher salt and set aside.
- Now make the dough. Combine the eggs, flour, water, olive oil, and 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of salt in a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Mix on the lowest speed for 6 minutes, until all the flour is hydrated and a dough begins to come together. Increase to second speed and continue mixing until dough is smooth and quite elastic, about 5 minutes more. Wrap the dough loosely in plastic and rest 1 hour before rolling it out.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the lamb with the grated onion, salt, Baharat, and black pepper. Mix well with your hands or a wooden spoon and refrigerate until you are ready to shape the dumplings.
- Now make the dumplings. Line two sheet pans or cookie sheets with lightly oiled parchment paper and preheat oven to 425°. Divide the pasta dough into three equal pieces; keep the remaining dough covered as you work. On a very lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll 1 piece into a thin, even rectangle measuring 11 1/2-by-16 1/2 inches. Trim the edges and cut the rectangle into 15 3-by-3-inch squares. Place about 2 teaspoons of lamb filling in the center of one square, then fold the four corners up to meet in a point, pressing the edges tightly together to make a neat parcel. Continue shaping the remaining squares, then repeat with the remaining dough. Space the dumplings evenly on the prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 12–14 minutes, until they are lightly toasted.
- Bring a large pot of salted water up to a rolling boil. Cook the dumplings in batches of 15; boil for 6–8 minutes, till the pasta is tender. Scoop the cooked dumplings out of the pot using a slotted spoon and set back on the lined sheet trays as you continue cooking the remaining dumplings. When they have all been boiled, stir 1/3 cup of the cooking water into the seasoned yogurt to thin and warm it a bit. If the tomato sauce has cooled, gently rewarm it over a low flame.
- To serve, divide the yogurt sauce evenly between 6 bowls. Add 7–8 manti to each dish, followed by 1/4 cup of tomato sauce. Sprinkle the pasta generously with mara pepper, dried spearmint, and sumac, and serve immediately.
Notes
From Saveur July 2016
