Host a trend-setting dinner party with this delicious and easy Lamb recipe courtesy of Sara Oteri.

Cooking is best when shared amongst friends. One can slice the tomatoes, while one fries the halloumi and another makes the lamb. These pita pockets are the perfect crowd pleaser any night of the week and will make sure to get everyone involved.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Serves: 6 (1 pita per person)

 

Ingredients

Patties:
500g lamb mince (makes 6 patties)
2 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. ground cumin
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
1/4 cup raisins, soaked and roughly chopped
1 egg
3/4 cup panko crumbs or bread crumbs

Accompaniments:
2 large eggplants
6 tomatoes, sliced into rounds
3 Lebanese cucumbers, ribboned
1/2 red cabbage, finely sliced
1/2 cup tzatziki

225g haloumi, fried
1/4 cup honey
Bunch of dill
Bunch of mint
Lemon cheeks to dress (optional)
6 pack pita bread

 

Method
Combine the mince with garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, and raisins. Once well combined, add egg and incorporate well before adding the panko crumbs until well combined. Split the mix into 6 even portions and roll into 2cm thick patties.
Slice the eggplants into 2cm rounds and fry on a griddle pan to colour and cook through. Set aside.
Fry the patties in a non-stick pan on medium heat until golden and cooked through. Allow to rest for 3 minutes.
To serve, fill your pita with lamb, eggplant and as many of the accompaniments as you feel like.

Tips:
Mince patties need time to rest after cooking to make sure you set aside for at least 3 minutes.
Patties tend to shrink when cooked, which can make them thicker in the middle. If you feel the meat is still undercooked in the centre, finish it in the oven, not the pan. This will stop the outside from burning while you cook it.
The recipe lends itself to getting creative in the kitchen! The accompaniments are suggestions only, so feel free to mix it up and choose your favourite mix and match ingredients.

Come Lamb With Me

Australians love coming together over Lamb, whether it is barbecued lamb chops with friends or a spiced lamb salad shared over lunch, Lamb is the one dish that can bring everyone to the table, no matter how diverse their background or culture.

Across the country, we're also hosting modern dinner parties, infusing new flavours and themes with the traditions of the past. Gone are the days of formal sit down dinners, with hosts spending hours in the kitchen, traded instead for informal gatherings, culinary challenges and collaborative cooking.

Former MasterChef contestant and Instagram foodie, Sara Oteri, has created three delicious Australian Lamb recipes inspired by the latest dinner party trends.

Trend: Weeknight entertaining
Weeknight entertaining is the new weekend dinner party, with Wednesday being the night of choice to catch up with friends at home. With young Australians more time poor than ever, hosts are opting for authentic and traditional food that is easy to prepare instead of a three-course meal. Sara's recipe of pull apart sweet potato with diced lamb leg and green olive tapenade is simple to create and can accommodate any dinner party size.

Trend: Collaborative cooking
Collaborative cooking is an emerging trend being embraced by millennials, eager to connect with one another over food and escape the routine and stress of every day life. By sharing in the preparation and cooking of meals together, dinner transforms into a collaborative journey to feast rather than one person stressing over the cooking. Sara's spiced lamb pita pockets with charred eggplant and fresh herbs is the perfect opportunity to create memories with friends (and like-worthy social media posts!) while enjoying a delicious meal together.

Trend: Bring-A-Dish
The practicalities of hosting a dinner party have changed over time, with city dwellers rarely having the space for a dining table, least one large enough for a sizeable dinner party. As kitchens also get smaller, themed -bring a dish' get-togethers have evolved – bending the rules as to how and where dinner is prepared and served. The rise in street food-inspired dishes, ethnic flavours, simplicity and -fast causal' concepts all lend themselves to dinner parties where attendees bring their own dish, adhering to a pre-assigned theme.

Often served on mismatched plates around the kitchen table, a theme makes it easier for guests to mix and match dishes, from Mexican to Indian or African inspired. Sara's recipe of Vietnamese caramel lamb rump with fluffy quinoa rice and slaw pulls from Asian flavours, and can be easily recreated by a group of friends coming together.