Fried Kibbeh

Method

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1. Rinse the bulgur, then cover with cold water and leave 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out every drop — it should be damp, not wet.

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2. For the filling, toast the pine nuts in the olive oil until gold and lift out. Fry the onion 5 minutes, add the mince and cook 12 minutes until dry, then stir in the allspice, salt and molasses. Return the nuts and cool completely.

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3. For the shell, work the bulgur, twice-minced lamb, grated onion, spices, salt and pepper together, adding the ice water a spoon at a time, until it forms a smooth cohesive paste. Keep it cold.

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4. Set a bowl of iced water beside you. Take a golf ball of shell mixture, wet your hands, and hollow it with a wet finger into a thin-walled cup, turning as you go.

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5. Put a teaspoon of cold filling inside, close the opening, and roll it between wet palms into a pointed torpedo. Seal every crack.

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6. Heat the oil to 175°C / 345°F. Fry in batches of five, 6 to 7 minutes, until deep mahogany and firm.

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7. Drain on a rack and serve hot with lemon and yogurt.

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Chef’s Tips

• Wet your hands before every shell. This is the whole technique.
• The filling must be cold, or the shells split.
• Seal every crack. Oil gets in through them.

Pairing Suggestions

• Plain yogurt
• Lemon wedges
• A mint and tomato salad

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days; re-crisp at 200°C for 10 minutes. They freeze raw and fry from frozen at 165°C for 9 minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

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