No-knead harcha rounds stuffed with meat or cheese

Makes 8 Starters and mains

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Method

Follow the instructions to make the harcha dough, making 16 small rounds. Place 1tsp of either the crushed meat or cheese on eight of the harcha rounds. Place another round on top of each of these and press around the edges to seal. Gently flatten each round to 3cm thick. If cracks appear, moisten the dough, add a tiny amount of semolina flour and pinch to seal.

Place the rounds in a hot frying pan sprinkled with semolina flour. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes each side, or until both sides are golden. Press down if the rounds start to puff up. Serve hot or warm.

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Express meat confit - MAKES ABOUT 675G

For the La Kama spice mixture
* 1tsp ground ginger
* 1tsp ground turmeric
* ½tsp ground cinnamon
* ½tsp ground cubeb (optional)
* large pinch of grated nutmeg
* 675g beef flank steak
* 450g beef short ribs on the bone, or 1.13kg lamb shoulder on the bone
*1 bulb of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
* 1tsp coarse sea salt
* 1tbsp coriander seeds
* 1½tsp cumin seeds
* pinch of cayenne pepper
* 2tbsp white vinegar
* 180ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
* 200g fresh beef suet

For the finishing spices
* 1½tsp ground coriander
* ½tsp ground cumin
* 1tsp La Kama spice mixture
* ¼tsp cayenne pepper

To make the La Kama spice mixture, mix together the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cubeb, if using, and nutmeg. Sift through a fine sieve and store in a sealed jar in a cool, dark place until needed.

Rinse and drain the meat. Place it in a medium-sized casserole.

Combine the garlic cloves, sea salt, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cayenne pepper in a blender and blend to a paste. Add the vinegar and 5tbsp of the olive oil and blend until smooth. Pour over the meat in the casserole and set aside for 2 hours at room temperature.

Meanwhile, add the suet and 240ml hot water to the unwashed blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan, add another 240ml water and 4tbsp of the olive oil and set aside.

Warm the contents of the casserole over a low heat. Meanwhile, bring the suet mixture to the boil. Pour it over the meat. If the meat is not entirely covered, add more hot water. Cover the meat mixture with a piece of baking parchment, reduce the heat to low and cook it for about 3 hours or until the meat is so soft it can be cut with the side of a wooden spoon.

Lift out the meat, setting the casserole aside, and remove and discard the bones and gristle. Cut the meat into neat slices. Toss with the finishing spices, then pack into a dry 750ml jar or bowl.

Boil down the cooking liquid and fat until almost all the water has evaporated. Strain into a deep bowl and let the fat rise to the top. Spoon the fat over the meat and use a thin skewer to allow the fat to run to the bottom of the jar. Top up with fresh olive oil. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate.

Tongs or wooden utensils are best for removing the slices of meat you need to use for a recipe. Cover the remaining meat in the jar with more olive oil if necessary

and return to the fridge. Before using any meat removed from the jar, bring it to room temperature.

No-knead harcha - MAKES 12-16 SMAL ROUND BREADS, TWO 15CM ROUNDS, OR ONE 30CM ROUND

* 210g medium semolina flour,plus another 105g for shaping and cooking the bread
* 85g unsalted butter, softened
* 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1½tsp baking powder
* ½tsp fine sea salt
* 1½tbsp honey or 2tbsp caster sugar
* 150ml warm milk, buttermilk or strained mint tea
* unsalted butter, melted, to serve
* clear honey (optional)

Spread out the 210g of semolina flour on a work surface or in a wide wooden bowl. Add the softened butter and olive oil and use your fingertips to rub them into the flour. When the mass is evenly crumbly, almost as fine as sand, add the baking powder and salt and toss lightly.

Combine the honey or sugar with the milk, buttermilk or strained mint tea. Gradually add this liquid to the mass, using your fingertips to work it in and gathering the mixture into a wet ball. Do not knead. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten the mass into a 30cm x 12.5cm rectangle 1cm thick. Leave it to rest, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes so the dough can soak up the liquid.

To make two 15cm rounds, use a pastry scraper to divide the dough in half. Lift each half and sprinkle a little semolina flour underneath, then use your palm to flatten it into a 15cm round. Sprinkle the top of each round with a little semolina flour. Lift, flip over and press again. Make sure there are no airholes.
To make small rounds, divide the dough into quarters. Lift up each quarter and sprinkle a little semolina flour underneath, then flatten with the palm of your hand into a 12.5cm x 15cm rectangle. Use a 2.5-3cm pastry cutter to cut out small rounds of dough. Lift, flip over and gently press each round again.

To cook, set two non-stick frying pans over a low heat (or cook the breads one at a time if you have only one pan). Generously dust the surface of each pan with semolina flour, then slide a round into each pan.

Cook over a medium-low heat, shaking the bread in a forwardand- backward motion to prevent it from sticking, for 7-10 minutes or until the underside is golden. To turn over larger rounds, slide the round onto a flat plate. Invert the pan over the round and, holding the pan and plate together tightly, flip the round back into the pan. Repeat with the next round as necessary. Cook the round for another 7-10 minutes or until the second sides are golden brown. Immediately brush the tops with melted butter and honey, if using, and serve hot.

Small rounds can be turned with a wide fish slice. If you want to make small rounds in advance, cook them but don’t butter them. Instead, allow the rounds to cool, then store them in a paper bag at room temperature for a few hours.
To reheat, dust a dry frying pan with semolina flour, set it over a medium heat, add the harcha rounds and quickly reheat on both sides. Brush the tops with butter and honey, if using, and serve hot.