Manti – A recipe from Chef Justin Aprhamian

My local grocer carries a brand of ground lamb I hadn’t seen before …Strauss American Lamb. As soon as I got home, I checked online to find out more about the company.

Along with their product information, the Strauss company offered recipes using various cuts of lamb, including ground lamb.
I was delightfully surprised to find a recipe for Manti, the tiny, boat-shaped, meat-filled dumpling. This particular version came from Chef Justin Aprahamian, who was recently awarded the James Beard “best chef Midwest”. Naturally, I had to find out more about him, too.
Once I checked him out, I called Chef Justin’s restaurant, Sanford, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
to ask for permission to post his recipe on The Armenian Kitchen. They were happy to oblige.

Chef Justin’s Manti, photo credit: Ralph Selensky

Manti by Chef Justin Aprahamian, Sanford Restaurant, Milwaukee.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Lamb Filling:

1 lb. Strauss ground Lamb

6 oz. onion – diced fine

1 clove garlic (about ¼ oz.) – chopped fine

2 heaping T Chopped Parsley

2 Tsp kosher salt

1 Tsp ground black pepper

1 Tsp ground fennel seed

Dough Ingredients:

3¼ c flour (and a little extra for bench flour)

1 whole egg

1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) melted butter

½ c. warm water

½ c. milk

½ Tsp kosher salt
***

2 oz. (4 Tbsp.) melted butter set aside for baking
***

Chicken Broth (recipe follows)
Yogurt for serving
Fresh Parsley – chopped for serving

Chicken Broth Ingredients:

2qt. (8 cups) chicken stock

2 oz. shallot – sliced

3 cloves garlic – sliced

4 fresh bay leaves

6 sprigs thyme

¾ oz. parsley stem – chopped coarse

1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Lamb Filling:

Mix all together and refrigerate until needed.

Dough:

Combine in mixing bowl (except for the 2 oz. melted butter).
Knead until smooth. Divide into two balls and cover with a towel to rest, 30-45
minutes. With a rolling pin, roll dough out to an even thickness of about 1/8”.
Cut the rolled dough into squares of about 1-1/2”. Place a marble size portion of meat in the center of each square and pinch the ends together (around the meat leaving the top exposed) to resemble a boat shape. Continue until dough/meat mixture is gone.

Chicken Broth:

Gently warm oil in sauce pot, add all aromatics and sweat lightly about 1 minute. Add wine to deglaze and reduce until about dry. Add chicken stock and reduce by about a quarter (down to 6 c.). Strain and adjust seasoning to taste

To bake:
Put the 2 oz. melted butter on baking pan and fill with Manti. Bake at 375°F for 20 – 30 minutes, until Manti are lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Serve in chicken broth with yogurt and chopped parsley.

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Anonymous June 26, 2014 at 7:39 am

how is this lamb? fatty/ lean/ non smelly? do tell..mariam

Reply ↓
1. Robyn Kalajian June 26, 2014 at 1:59 pm
  
  Hi Mariam,
  This ground lamb, in my opinion, has very fresh scent- at least the pkg I bought did.
  The nutrition facts are based on a 4-oz. serving, and % daily values reflect a 2000 calorie diet:
  
  Calories 220 Sodium 85 mg
  Total Fat 16 g Potassium 0 mg
  Saturated 7 g Total Carbs 0 g
  Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
  Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 0 g
  Trans 0 g Protein 20 g
  Cholesterol 90 mg
  Vitamin A 0% Calcium 2%
  Vitamin C 0% Iron 10%
  
  I hope this helps!
  
  Reply ↓
2. Kimber Amaro-Aperyan November 16, 2020 at 11:56 pm
  
  Hello!! I hope you remember me 😉
  I'm just making my version today
  
  Reply ↓
3. Robyn Kalajian November 23, 2020 at 10:23 pm
  
  WOW! I do remember you; it's been quite a long time since you requested a recipe. I hope you and your family are well. Enjoy your Manti!
  
  Reply ↓

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Manti – A recipe from Chef Justin Aprhamian

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