I've been hearing Ham talk about shish barak for years. These lamb-filled dumplings cooked in a tangy, garlicky yogurt broth are eaten throughout the Levant. His mom would pick them up from a local Lebanese restaurant whenever she didn't have time to make lunch. He won't shut up about how satisfying the chewy dumplings are against the smooth yogurt. Or how the toasted pine nuts give pops of texture. Seriously. All the time. Unprovoked. At 7:00 AM, as I drowsily put together my morning coffee there he is, talking my ear off about how we really need to make some shish barak this weekend. In the middle of a theater, he'll tap my shoulder to let me know he was craving some. When Vito's barks wake me up in the middle of the night, he will already be lying awake, letting me know he had a dream about shish barak. I've had enough. It was time to finally make it.
Armed with Ham's detailed stories and some research, I found a wide range in how shish barak was prepared. Some use a yeasted dough for a lighter, fluffier dumpling, while others use a dough closer to a dumpling wrapper. I also found out that wonton wrappers cut with a ring mold make a suitable substitution for making the dough yourself. There are even variations in how the dumplings are cooked. Some like to fry or bake them for a bit of crunch before adding to the sauce, while others just simmer them in the yogurt. I was going to make the ones Ham kept reminiscing about. Unleavened dumplings, filled with seasoned lamb, and simmered in the sauce untoasted, highlighting their chew rather than a crisp texture.
Once the dumplings are formed, they can be frozen and stored for up to three months for on-the-fly shish barak. Cooking yogurt is a delicate feat as high heat can cause it to break into a grainy mess. The addition of starch and egg causes this to not happen. For best results, use sheep yogurt. The rich, creamy sauce that it makes will be well worth the effort of finding it.
for the wrapper:
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup warm water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
for the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound ground lamb (or beef)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Lebanese 7-spice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons parsley leaves & tender stems, finely chopped
¼ cup slivered almonds
for the yogurt sauce:
16 ounces whole milk yogurt (preferably sheep's milk)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 large egg
3 cups water
to garnish:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
1 tablespoon dried mint
2 tablespoons parsley leaves & tender stems, finely chopped
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
In a large bowl, add the flour and make a well in the middle. Add the olive oil, water, salt, and sugar into the well. Using a stiff spatula, slowly incorporate the flour into the liquid. Once the dough resembles a shaggy mass, start kneading with your hands until a smooth ball is formed, and it springs back when pressed. About 5-7 minutes. If it seems too dry, add one tablespoon of water at a time as needed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least one hour.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the ground meat. Season with a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is deeply brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Add the onions to the skillet and scrape any brown bits stuck in the pan. Cook until the onions have softened and are translucent. Return the meat to the pan, add the 7-spice, aleppo pepper, salt, parsley, and almonds and stir to combine. Cook until the spices smell fragrant, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust with more salt as needed. Turn off the heat, transfer to a bowl, and set in the fridge to cool.
Roll out the dumpling dough until 1/8th of an inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut circles in the dough. The scrap can be rerolled and punched out again. Repeat until all the dough has been cut.
Place a teaspoon of the cooled meat mixture in the middle of a dumpling circle and press both sides together firmly to seal. It should be in the shape of a half-moon. Bring the ends together, overlap them, and press firmly. It should resemble the form of a tortelloni. Repeat until all the dumplings are filled.
In a medium pot over medium heat, add the yogurt.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and mix until cornstarch is thoroughly dispersed. Add to the yogurt and whisk well to combine. Keep whisking until the yogurt slowly comes to a gentle simmer. Once the yogurt is simmering, in a small bowl, slowly drizzle in ½ a cup of the hot yogurt into the egg while whisking. Then add the egg mixture back to the yogurt and whisk vigorously to incorporate. Add the water and bring it back to a simmer. Add a large pinch of salt, taste, and season with salt.
Once the yogurt sauce is simmering again, add the dumplings and simmer until cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
While the dumplings cook, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the dried mint, parsley, and almonds, and pour on top of the finished shish barak. Serve immediately.
Shish barak can be eaten on its own or spooned on top of rice. With the delicately spiced meat, and thin, chewy dumpling wrapper, I rarely opt for the rice. All I need is plenty of the tangy, garlicky, herbaceous yogurt broth. If you're not in the mood for dumplings, the yogurt broth is versatile enough on its own. There are times when I just have the broth with various veggies floating in it for a quick, nutritious meal.
Let me know if you've made shish barak and also can't stop talking about it!
