MINI PHYLLO GYRO POPPERS

Courtesy of Eric D. Aber, Chef/Owner, Home Grown Café, Newark, DE

Ingredients

8 oz. Red onion, slivered
8 oz. Red wine vinegar
22.5 oz. Lamb, cooked, shredded
2 oz. Olive oil
0.5 oz. Salt
0.25 oz. Pepper
4 oz. Braising juices or stock
45 Athens Mini Fillo Shells
12 oz. Tzatziki sauce

Carefully slice the onions as thinly as possible into 1-inch strips. Bring the red wine vinegar to a boil then add the slivered red onions. Let steep at room temperature for at least one hour, then refrigerate. Crisp the lamb in a little oil, season with salt and pepper and deglaze with a few ounces of the reserved juices (not too much or it may wilt the shells). Fill each phyllo shell with a 1/2-ounce portion of lamb and top with 1/4-ounce tzatziki sauce and a pickled onion sliver.

TIPS
Garnish with a small fresh mint leaf. The key here is really getting a nice bit of caramelization on the shredded lamb during the reheating process. The reserved liquids could also be reduced and thickened with butter before adding to the shredded lamb.

Click here for Shredded Lamb recipe.