Ever since leaving Germany for the States I’ve been craving the typical German street fare of Döner Kebaps. And ever since moving from Norway I’ve been craving the typical Norwegian street fare of kebabs. The two countries’ versions are quite different from one another, but they are, at least, more similar than the British version.
Norwegian version
Cubes of marinated meat (possibly beef) is precooked and tossed in a hot pan to crispen up the edges. It’s served inside a pita bread with cabbage, corn, onions, and a mayonnaise, kefir, and ketchup based sauce with the optional spicy sauce.
German version
Huge spears of meat (venison, lamb, or a combination of the two, and some places you might find chicken) are cooked rotisserie style, and the cooked edges are shaved off as tiny pieces. The pita breads they’re served in are usually freshly baked. The meat is served with cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and a yogurt based sauce, as well as optional spicy sauce and a big slice of feta cheese.
British version
It has been a LOT of years (I think about 1996) since I had one in England, so please excuse me if I remember correctly (and please comment with your corrections), but the meat and veggies are served on top of a pita bread (instead of inside), and the meat is LONG slices of thinly cut lamb, so you have to fold the pita in half in order to eat it.
I used my regular fail proof pita recipe and scoured the internet and Pinterest in search of a good recipe for Döner Kebaps and the Norwegian style.
Here’s what I came up with, which is a bit of a combination between the two styles and based on, perhaps, five different online recipes.
Ingredients for pitas (makes 6-10, depending on the size of each)
1 1/4 C warm water
1 tbsp dry yeast
1/4 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 C flour
Method for pitas
Sprinkle the yeast over the water; let sit five minutes. Add salt and flour and knead eight minutes. Make 6-10 balls (depending on desired size) and flatten with a rolling pin. Let rest, covered, 30-40 minutes. Make sure you sprinkle flour under the dough to ensure it won’t stick. Preheat a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven at 425 degrees F. Using a spatula, flip each pita over onto the hot stone. Try not to handle the dough much or it might not puff. Bake 10-15 minutes until puffed and slightly golden. Cool on rack.
Ingredients for meat
1 pork loin or desired type of meat, partially frozen
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
Method for meat
Slice the partially frozen meat as thinly as possible. Mix marinade ingredients, then toss in the meat. Marinade at least 1 hour. Place meat in SINGLE layer on a rack over a baking sheet with edges to catch drippings. Place under broiler. Broil 3 minutes, flip the meat, then broil 3 more minutes or until the meat is crispy at the edges.
Ingredients for dedairyfied Norwegian style sauce
1/2 C mayonnaise
Almond milk
Ketchup
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Method for dedairyfied Norwegian style sauce
Whisk mayo with almond milk until it’s on the funny side. Add ketchup until the sauce is pink. Add parsley and garlic powder.
Ingredients for German style sauce (with dairy)
1/2 C Greek yogurt
1 tsp oregano
1/4 C olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Method for German style sauce
Whisk all ingredients together.
Serve the meat in a pita bread with lettuce or cabbage, cucumber, tomato, and corn (if desired). Spread sauce over the filling.
Enjoy!