Instead of being shaped and filled, kibbeh can also be layered in a tray, with the meat on the bottom and the shell on top.
Cut deep slashes diagonally into the shell and bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for frying
• ½ large onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 400g/14oz minced (ground) kid
• 2 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon raisins, chopped
• pinch of Turkish chilli flakes, or use another not-too-hot chilli
• 2 pinches of ground cinnamon, to taste
• pinch of ground allspice, to taste
• juice of ½ lemon
• handful of flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
• olive or vegetable oil, for frying
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• yoghurt sauce, to serve
For the shell:
• 80g/ ½ cup fine bulgur wheat
• ½ large onion, coarsely grated
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin, toasted
Method
1 For the stuffing, heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and fry for 10 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, rinse the bulgur wheat, transfer to a bowl and add 200ml/scant 1 cup boiling water.
2 Leave for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Add the garlic to the onion and cook for 1 minute, then add half the minced meat and cook for 10 minutes until cooked through.
3 For the shell, put the remaining minced meat, grated onion, allspice, cumin and teaspoon salt in a food processor and blend to a paste.
4 Add this paste to the drained bulgur and mix, using your hands, as if you are kneading dough.
5 Add the pine nuts and raisins to the cooked meat mixture, then add the spices, parsley and lemon juice, seasoning to taste.
6 Using wet hands, take a golf ball-sized amount of the bulgur mix, flatten it in your palm and press a dimple into the middle.
7 Place a teaspoon or so of the stuffing mixture in the dimple then enclose the stuffing and form into a small oval shape. Repeat with the rest of the mixtures and chill for 20 minutes.
8 Shallow fry the kibbeh in oil in a frying pan, turning frequently, until they are deep brown all over. Serve with yoghurt sauce.
Recipe courtesy of James Whetlor, extracted from Goat: Cooking and Eating
