Moroccan Lamb and Pine Nut Cigars

Makes 10

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

600 g minced lamb

3 tablespoons chermoula

4 tablespoons pine nuts

10 x 20cm square spring roll wrappers

1 egg, lightly beaten

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Sauté the onions for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden.  Increase the heat to high and add the lamb mince.  Cook, breaking up the lumps with a spoon and stirring, for 5 minutes.  Stir in the chermoula and cook for 1 minute.  (The lamb doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point as it will cook further when you fry the cigars).  Stir in the pine nuts and then set aside to cool to room temperature.

Divide the lamb mixture into 10 portions.  Lay a spring roll wrapper on a board and brush one edge with the beaten egg.  Place a portion of the lamb mixture on the opposite edge.  Fold in the sides and roll into a cigar shape.  Seal the edges with more egg.  Repeat with the remaining wrappers and lamb mixture.

Put the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large, deep saucepan and heat to 170°C.  If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in a cube of bread – the oil is hot enough when the bread turns golden brown in 20 seconds.  Lower the cigars into the hot oil and cook in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towel.  Serve hot.

This is an extract from Hummus & Co by Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley, published by Murdoch Books. Photos by Alan Benson. If you love this Moroccan Lamb and Pine Nut Cigars other recipes from this book include Iron Goddess Iced Tea with plums, mint and lemon leaves and Banana Kataifi Tarte Tatin