Lamb Ouzi with Crispy Phyllo Wrap
Tender seasoned lamb, caramelized onions, and toasted pine nuts wrapped in golden phyllo dough and baked until crispy. A showstopping Middle Eastern street food that looks fancy but is surprisingly straightforward.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 620
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- ¾ lb ground lamb
- 2 medium onions, yellow
- 4 sheets phyllo dough sheets
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Place each onion on the cutting board and slice lengthwise from root to tip into half-moons about 1/4 inch thick, so they hold their shape when cooked.
- 3
Measure out 0.33 cup of pine nuts directly into a small bowl to avoid using too much.
- 4
Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a 10-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 5
Add the ground lamb to the hot oil and break it apart with a wooden spoon into bite-sized pieces, stirring constantly, until the meat turns brown with no pink remaining, about 5 minutes.
- 6
Sprinkle 0.75 teaspoon cumin over the cooked lamb and stir for 30 seconds until the spice smells strongly fragrant.
- 7
Pour the cooked lamb onto a clean plate to cool for 2 minutes while you leave the skillet on the stove.
- 8
Add 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat, then add the sliced onions and stir every 30 seconds until they turn the color of caramel and smell sweet, about 8 minutes.
- 9
Return the cooled lamb to the skillet with the onions, sprinkle 0.5 teaspoon salt and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper over everything, stir once, then remove from heat.
- 10
Pour 0.33 cup pine nuts into a small dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat and stir constantly until they turn golden and smell toasty, about 3 minutes.
- 11
Transfer the toasted pine nuts to a clean plate to cool for 1 minute.
- 12
Lay one phyllo sheet flat on a cutting board and brush the top surface lightly with 0.5 tablespoon of olive oil using a pastry brush, spreading it evenly to cover the whole sheet.
- 13
Lay a second phyllo sheet directly on top of the oiled sheet and brush its top surface with another 0.5 tablespoon of olive oil.
- 14
Spoon half the lamb-and-onion filling along the left-hand edge of the phyllo stack in a line about 3 inches from the bottom, leaving 2 inches of space on both sides.
- 15
Sprinkle half the toasted pine nuts over the filling, then fold the left and right edges of the phyllo inward over the filling and roll the bundle away from you, like rolling a burrito, until it reaches the far edge.
- 16
Repeat steps 12–15 with the remaining 2 phyllo sheets, 1 tablespoon olive oil total, remaining lamb filling, and remaining pine nuts to create a second ouzi.
- 17
Place both ouzis seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart to allow air to circulate.
- 18
Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 12–15 minutes until the phyllo is the color of golden honey and you can hear a light crackle when you gently squeeze the edge.
- 19
Remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts and let the ouzis rest on the sheet for 2 minutes before plating so the filling sets slightly.
Tools you’ll need
- oven
- 10-inch skillet
- small dry skillet
- wooden spoon
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- small bowl
- clean plate
- pastry brush
- parchment-lined baking sheet
- oven mitts
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