Baked Kibbeh

Method

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1. Cover the bulgur with cold water and soak 20 minutes, then drain and squeeze it very dry in a cloth.

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2. For the filling, fry the pine nuts in the olive oil until golden and lift out. Fry the onions 10 minutes, add the lamb and brown 8 minutes, then the spices, salt and pomegranate molasses. Cook 3 minutes, fold in the pine nuts and cool.

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3. For the shell, blitz the onion to a paste in a food processor, then add the lean lamb, spices, salt and pepper and blitz to a smooth paste.

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4. Add the squeezed bulgur and blitz again, trickling in the iced water, until the mixture is completely smooth and holds together like clay.

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5. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F and oil a 30 x 22 cm tin.

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6. Wet your hands and press half the shell mixture into the tin in an even layer about 1 cm thick.

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

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8. Press the remaining shell mixture out between wet palms into flat pieces and lay them over the filling, smoothing the joins with wet fingers until seamless.

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9. Score the top into diamonds with a wet knife, cutting only halfway through, press a thumb into the centre, and pour the melted butter over.

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10. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until deep golden and firm. Rest 10 minutes before cutting along the score lines.

    Mark done Start 40 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Keep your hands wet throughout. The shell mixture sticks to everything dry.
• Very lean lamb for the shell, fattier for the filling. Fat in the shell makes it split as it bakes.
• Fine bulgur, not coarse. Coarse bulgur will not bind into a paste.

Pairing Suggestions

• Thick yoghurt or labneh
• Fattoush or tabbouleh
• Pickled turnips and olives

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days and freeze 3 months, baked or unbaked. Reheat at 180°C / 350°F for 15 minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

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