Kibbeh bil Sanieh

Method

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1. Soak the bulgur in cold water 15 minutes, drain, and squeeze it dry in handfuls until no more water comes out.

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2. Toast the pine nuts in the oil until gold and lift out. Fry the onions 8 minutes, add the mince and cook 12 minutes until the pan is dry, then stir in the allspice, salt and molasses. Return the nuts and set aside to cool.

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3. Work the bulgur, twice-minced lamb, grated onion, spices, salt and pepper with the ice water into a smooth, cohesive paste.

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4. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F and oil a 30 cm round tray. Press half the shell mixture into the base in an even layer, using wet hands.

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5. Spread the cooled filling over it, right to the edges.

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6. Flatten the remaining shell mixture between wet palms into patties and lay them over the filling, smoothing the joins with a wet hand until it is one continuous sheet.

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7. Score deep diamonds through to the filling with a wet knife. Pour the melted butter evenly over the top.

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8. Bake 45 minutes until deep brown and pulling from the sides of the tray. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

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Chef’s Tips

• Squeeze the bulgur properly dry or it bakes to paste.
• Score right through to the filling, and wet the knife between cuts.
• Wet hands for every stage of the shell.

Pairing Suggestions

• Plain yogurt
• A tomato and cucumber salad
• Pickled chillies

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 4 days. Reheat at 190°C for 15 minutes. It freezes baked or unbaked for 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.