“Inspired by a family trip Salma made to Lebanon, this is a celebratory twist on a delicious Lebanese national dish. These mini meaty croquettes are brimming with gorgeous Middle Eastern flavours, and there’s a beautiful hint of sweetness from the dates that really cuts through the spices, adding an extra flavour dimension. ”
Ingredients
- vegetable oil , for deep-frying
- KIBBEH DOUGH
- 200 g fine bulgur wheat
- 300 g minced lamb , (20% fat)
- 1 large pinch of seven-spice , (see below)
- ½ tablespoon ghee
- SEVEN-SPICE
- ½ tablespoon ground allspice
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- FILLING
- 50 g pickled walnuts
- 50 g Medjool dates
- ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley , (15g)
- olive oil
- 200 g minced lamb , (20% fat)
- 50 g pine nuts
- 2 teaspoons seven-spice , (see above)
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Method
- In a bowl, cover the bulgur wheat with 200ml of cold water, then leave to soak for about 15 minutes.
- Mix the seven-spice ingredients together (it’ll make more than you need, but save the rest in an airtight jar for another day).
- For the filling, finely chop the walnuts, destone and roughly chop the dates, and finely chop the top leafy half of the parsley.
- Place a large frying pan on a high heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil, the minced lamb, pine nuts and walnuts. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until starting to crisp up, stirring occasionally.
- Add 2 teaspoons of the seven-spice and the dried herbs, then cook for a further 5 minutes, or until dark golden and gnarly. Leave to cool, then stir through the chopped parsley.
- Drain the bulgur (if needed), and mix with the remaining kibbeh dough ingredients and a good pinch of sea salt until it comes together – this will become your outer layer.
- Divide the mixture into 16 balls (roughly 50g each). Place one ball on the palm of your hand, then press and flatten into an oval shape, roughly 7cm x 8cm. Place a good pinch of cooled filling into the centre, then mould the dough up and around the filling to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then place in the fridge to firm up for around 30 minutes. Now’s a good time to get on with making the Amba sauce and Houmous.
- When you’re ready to cook, just under half fill a large sturdy pan with oil – the oil should be 8cm deep, but never fill your pan more than half full – and place on a medium high heat. Use a thermometer to tell when it’s ready (170°C), or add a piece of potato and wait until it turns golden – that’s the sign that it’s ready to go.
- Carefully lower one kibbeh into the pan – after 3½ to 4 minutes it should be golden and perfectly cooked through, so take it out of the pan and cut it in half to check your timings – once you know where you stand, you can cook the rest, in batches.
- Serve the kibbeh with the houmous and amba sauce. It’s also good with pickled veg, flatbreads and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.
Source: Jamie Oliver
