Kofta b'siniyah Ottolenghi

Koftas from Israel

Yield:
Serves 4 as a main course with leftovers
Category:
Lamb and Mutton
Cuisine:
Isreali
Prep Time:
45 min
Cooking Time:
15 min
Total Time:
1 hrs 0 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • For the koftas
  • 400g non-lean minced lamb
  • 400g non-lean minced veal or beef (or just add another 400g of lamb)
  • 150g onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 50g toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped, plus extra whole ones to garnish
  • 30g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
  • 1 large medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1.5 tsp ground allspice
  • 0.75 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • paprika to garnish
  • For the sauce
  • 150g tahini paste
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 medium clove of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 100 ml water

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Put all the kofta ingredients except the oil in a bowl and use your hands to mix everything together well. Shape into long, torpedo-like fingers, roughly 8cm long (about 60g each). Press the mix to compress it and ensure the kofta is tight and keeps its shape. Arrange on a plate and chill until you are ready to cook them, for up to one day . Preheat the oven to 220˚C. 440 F.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini paste, lemon juice, 120ml water, garlic and a quarter of a teaspoon of salt. The sauce should be a bit runnier than honey; add one or two tablespoons of water if needed.
  3. Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying-pan and sear the kofta over a high heat; do this in batches so they are not cramped together. Sear them on all sides until golden brown, about six minutes for each batch. At this point they should be medium-rare. Lift out of the pan and arrange on an oven tray. If you want them medium or well-done, put the tray in the oven for two to four

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