Frilly Kofte/Köfte

Köfte is arguably the best dish of Turkish cuisine.  A whole variety of köfte types, from ‘kadınbudu’  to ‘İzmir’ or 'grilled köfte'  to 'meatloaf' all share a common ingredient :  Minced meat. For a luscious , tasty köfte the minced meat has to be soft and rich in fat.  And for the meat to rise bi- carbonate of soda is a sine- qua- non.

As for the spices, you need salt, pepper and  plenty of cummin.  When cooking köfte without sauce, the cooking temperature is  of vital importance:  It should neither be too high nor too low, a steady medium temperature must be maintained to   ensure that the juices do not dry out.  This recipe for ‘Frilly Köfte’ came down to me from my mother-in-law’s cuisine. Another name we use for this type of köfte at home is ‘ köfte with onions on the side’. Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (250 grams ) minced  lamb meat
• 1 pound   (500 grams ) minced  beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 onions–chopped in rings
• 1 glass dried and ground bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon  bi-carbonate
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon cummin (optional)

 Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons tomatoe paste
• 1 glass water
• 3 tomatoes grated
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons shortening

How To:

Mix all the ingredients  except onion rings, knead well till all the flavours mix. Dip your hands in olive oil lightly to flatten the patties and shape them.

Place the butter and shortening  in a shallow pan , melt the butter. Add the ring shaped onions  when the oil is hot. Fry the onion rings until golden brown.  Place the patties on onion rings in fish-bone pattern, that is they should  not overlap. Cook over medium heat .

 Put the tomatoe paste in a bowl, add water and grated tomatoes, mix well and pour over the patties. Cover with lid. Keep cooking until köfte patties absorb all the water in the pan. When ready, turn it upside down on a serving dish so that the onions will be on top .

Enjoy!

 

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