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Author Topic: Doner kebab  (read 51,840 times)

AI Summary
The discussion revolves around various opinions on doner kebab meat, particularly focusing on the LA Diner brand from Farmfoods. While some participants appreciate the customization of the dish with sauces and toppings, others criticize the taste and quality of the meat, suggesting that good doner should ideally be made from lamb or beef rather than chicken. There is a consensus that while the LA Diner meat can be improved with additional sauces, many find it lacking compared to authentic kebabs, leading to a general agreement that homemade or takeaway options are preferable for a satisfying doner experience.

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Online Kashmiri Bob

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Doner kebab
« on: February 14, 2025, 12:31 PM »
Farm foods LA Diner meat pimped with random Blue Dragon stir fry sauces. Home made garlic butter and cayenne pepper sauce. Pickled chillies to serve. Very comforting.

Doner kebab

Rob

 
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2025, 10:28 PM »
I find your photograph fascinating, Rob, because it is the very antithesis of what I want in a doner.  For me, a pitta bread, a good filling of doner meat, and a sprinkling of Greek (flat leaf) parsley if available is all I want or need — anything more detracts from the very "donerness" that I seek.  But each to his own, of course, and as that is clearly how you prefer it, enjoy !
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Online Kashmiri Bob

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2025, 12:26 PM »
Had two bottles of Duvel Blond last night Phil and misread antithesis as aesthetically pleasing :)

Onions, cabbage, chilli sauce and garlic mayo is the absolute minimum for a doner, imo.  Otherwise one may as well have bread & dripping. Garlic naan is a well-established upgrade.

Many moons ago, in Manchester, a friend suggested we get a doner kebab from a place he knew. It was a stingy little thing in pitta. We had been to the gym and would have had to go in to buy another, however I suggested a visit instead to Abdul's in Rusholme, for a proper kebab. Doner was available, but we went with lamb tikka kebabs on garlic naan, with all the trimmings. All my friend could say was that he was coming here from now on.

For this one I used a Leicester Bakery plain naan, trimmed to fit my tawa. Lashed with garlic butter. Still, a miserable excuse for a naan, albeit a ready-made. Got a few reduced price (20 p) from a local shop though. Made me smile that these naans are exactly what we got from most of the Rusholme curry houses back in the day. Pre-tandoor oven times and, on reflection, they were quite awful. When a garlic naan was ordered it was still one of these dire efforts, but with garlic salt sprinkled on top. The mains were often magnificent, so it didn't matter so much. Later learned that Abdul's was one of the first places to get a tandoor.

Rob
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Offline curryhell

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2025, 04:32 PM »
Seeing that pic reminded me it's been far too long since I've indulged in such an artery clogging delight  :umy:   Handful of lettuce, a few slices of tomato and cucumbers all tossed with lashings of garlic mayo.  The absolute must is copious amounts of explosive home made scotch bonnet sauce spread over the donna.  May just have to get reacquainted with this in the week.
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Offline peshwarinaan

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2025, 10:36 PM »
As beautiful as the dish looks, I find Farmfoods' doner meat tastes really terrible. Ditto for all the other supermarket ones I've tried (Iceland/Food Warehouse, Home Bargains, and two others from Farmfoods under the "Jahan" and "Speedy Chef" brands (both produced by Istanbul Doner which also produces catering doner)). I also bought a 5KG catering box of Ali Baba brand pre-cut doner and it was equally disappointing.

They all use mechanically separated chicken as the main ingredient which always tastes rotten to me.

Good doner should be lamb and/or beef. Only the cheap stuff uses chicken because it's dirt cheap.

In my experience if you want good doner at home you either have to make it yourself or buy from a known good takeaway.
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Online Kashmiri Bob

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2025, 12:31 PM »
Agree. Farm foods Jahan doner meat is awful.  LA diner much better, especially when pimped. Iceland probably the most realistic and greasy. Here is a detailed review of the LA Diner meat:

https://shawarmapolice.com/2017/08/04/farmfoods-l-a-diner-doner-meat/

TA doner kebabs seem to involve paying curry prices these days (£7-10) so not for me.  Can't go wrong with LA Diner. The stir fry sauces make it a bit like the Shazanz (Birmingham) Sherpur Doner.  Pretty good to be honest. Salad and a hot sauce etc is a must though. I am very proud of my sauce. Modelled on the hot sauce sachet that comes with a Bombay Bad Boy pot noodle. So, fairly hot and, importantly, super smooth with a hint of cumin.

Rob
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2025, 01:30 PM »
Quote from: Kashmiri Bob on February 17, 2025, 12:31 PM
LA diner much better, especially when pimped. Iceland probably the most realistic and greasy.

Hmmm, just tried LA Diner doner on your recommendation, Rob, but (IMHO) it lacks almost everything I would hope for in a good doner.  Quite apart from anything else, it (a) fail miserably to approach anything like eating temperature after 12 minutes at 200C in an oven as recommended, and (b) needed additional salt.  I'll may finish the pack up, but won't be in any hurry to do so.  Sorry.
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Online Kashmiri Bob

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2025, 01:17 PM »
Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on February 17, 2025, 01:30 PM
Quote from: Kashmiri Bob on February 17, 2025, 12:31 PM
LA diner much better, especially when pimped. Iceland probably the most realistic and greasy.

Hmmm, just tried LA Diner doner on your recommendation, Rob, but (IMHO) it lacks almost everything I would hope for in a good doner.  Quite apart from anything else, it (a) fail miserably to approach anything like eating temperature after 12 minutes at 200C in an oven as recommended, and (b) needed additional salt.  I'll may finish the pack up, but won't be in any hurry to do so.  Sorry.
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The oven is inadvisable for these ready mades Phil, imo. Defrost in the micro and straight into a pre-heated wok, with oil/fat and whatever else you takes your fancy. I quite like Blue Dragon sweet chilli & garlic.  Chopped fresh chillies and freshly ground black/timut pepper. Stir fry. I recall the Iceland Doner meat was your recommendation. Found it on the greasy side for me but tasted OK. The hob for this one too.

No crunchy veg, mayo and hot sauce on a doner is like having a pork sausage without any mustard. Or a bacon sarnie without HP sauce or tomato ketchup. Fish & chips with no salt & vinegar.  Each to their own though :)

Rob
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2025, 01:45 PM »
Quote from: Kashmiri Bob on February 18, 2025, 01:17 PM
No crunchy veg, mayo and hot sauce on a doner is like having a pork sausage without any mustard.
The norm for me.
QuoteOr a bacon sarnie without HP sauce or tomato ketchup.
– ditto – (and without butter, of course).
QuoteFish & chips with no salt & vinegar.
Lemon on the fish, a little vinegar on some of the chips, but the remainder of the latter eaten with Heinz tomato ketchup ...
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Offline peshwarinaan

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Re: Doner kebab
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2025, 01:37 AM »
Quote from: Kashmiri Bob on February 17, 2025, 12:31 PMHere is a detailed review of the LA Diner meat:

https://shawarmapolice.com/2017/08/04/farmfoods-l-a-diner-doner-meat/

Oh no, Bob - did you read that review? It gives it a score of 0/10 and says:

QuoteIt has the texture of a graveyard
Tastes like existential dread
When you open the packet, it smells like someone has farted on it
There are absolutely no redeeming features about this product. None whatsoever.

:dead:
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