Post by Amani on Oct 6, 2013 18:09:44 GMT -5
Icli Kofte
Pronounced "ichly koefte" this is a celebration dish of meatballs in a crisp bulgur coating. The recipe is adapted from Meral Alpay of Tuba restaurant, where cooks form the meatballs the day before, scoop them onto baking sheets, and freeze them. This technique makes it much easier to wrap the bulgur coating around the balls. You will have extra stuffing, which is delicious in a pasta sauce.
Stuffing
2 tablespoons corn or olive oil + more for frying
4 cups diced onion (about 1 1/2 pounds onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons Turkish pepper paste (see Note)
2 cups walnut pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Dough
2 cups fine-ground bulgur (see Note)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (see Note)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
To serve
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, at room temperature
Pinch finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
Chile oil
For the stuffing: Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven; cook the onions over medium heat until tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pepper, cumin, sugar and salt.
Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until broken up and browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato and pepper pastes. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the juices at the bottom of the pan evaporate, 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the walnuts, then the parsley. Transfer the mixture to a rimmed baking sheet to cool off; refrigerate until cold enough to form balls, at least 1 hour.
Use a small ice cream or large cookie dough scoop to form balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, wrap and freeze overnight.
For the dough: Combine the bulgur, salt, cumin and pepper flakes in a bowl. Add the boiling water, stir, and cover. Let rest until soft, 20-30 minutes.
Add the flour and egg; knead together with your hands or process in a food processor until fully incorporated.
To stuff and cook (see photos on page M1): About 1 1/2 hours before serving, remove the meatballs from the freezer. Place a small bowl of water on the counter. Using the same tool you used for the meatballs, scoop out a ball of dough and place it in your cupped hand. Dip your fingers in the water and use 2 fingers to make a deep depression in the center of the dough. Continue turning the dough in your cupped hand while pressing with your fingers to flatten the sides until you have a cup or eggshell shape 1/8 -inch thick.
Place a meatball inside the shell and pull extra dough up and around until sealed, removing any dough that bunches on top. Keep your hands wet and use a bit of water to smooth out the dough.
Repeat with the other meatballs. Let rest at room temperature at least 1 hour to defrost.
Fill a medium saucepan with 3 inches of oil; heat to 375°. Fry up to 4 or 5 kofte at a time until golden and hot in the center, about 3 minutes. Remove, drain and keep warm in a low oven while frying the remaining meatballs.
To serve: Combine the yogurt with the garlic and salt to taste. Spread on a platter, drizzle with chile oil, and place kofte on top. Serve right away.
Makes 20 kofte; serves 10.
Note: You can find pepper paste, fine-ground bulgur and Aleppo chile at Mediterranean markets such as Samiramis Imports in San Francisco.
Per serving: 426 calories, 20 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (5 g saturated), 56 mg cholesterol, 343 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.
Pronounced "ichly koefte" this is a celebration dish of meatballs in a crisp bulgur coating. The recipe is adapted from Meral Alpay of Tuba restaurant, where cooks form the meatballs the day before, scoop them onto baking sheets, and freeze them. This technique makes it much easier to wrap the bulgur coating around the balls. You will have extra stuffing, which is delicious in a pasta sauce.
Stuffing
2 tablespoons corn or olive oil + more for frying
4 cups diced onion (about 1 1/2 pounds onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons Turkish pepper paste (see Note)
2 cups walnut pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Dough
2 cups fine-ground bulgur (see Note)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (see Note)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
To serve
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, at room temperature
Pinch finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
Chile oil
For the stuffing: Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven; cook the onions over medium heat until tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pepper, cumin, sugar and salt.
Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until broken up and browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato and pepper pastes. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the juices at the bottom of the pan evaporate, 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the walnuts, then the parsley. Transfer the mixture to a rimmed baking sheet to cool off; refrigerate until cold enough to form balls, at least 1 hour.
Use a small ice cream or large cookie dough scoop to form balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, wrap and freeze overnight.
For the dough: Combine the bulgur, salt, cumin and pepper flakes in a bowl. Add the boiling water, stir, and cover. Let rest until soft, 20-30 minutes.
Add the flour and egg; knead together with your hands or process in a food processor until fully incorporated.
To stuff and cook (see photos on page M1): About 1 1/2 hours before serving, remove the meatballs from the freezer. Place a small bowl of water on the counter. Using the same tool you used for the meatballs, scoop out a ball of dough and place it in your cupped hand. Dip your fingers in the water and use 2 fingers to make a deep depression in the center of the dough. Continue turning the dough in your cupped hand while pressing with your fingers to flatten the sides until you have a cup or eggshell shape 1/8 -inch thick.
Place a meatball inside the shell and pull extra dough up and around until sealed, removing any dough that bunches on top. Keep your hands wet and use a bit of water to smooth out the dough.
Repeat with the other meatballs. Let rest at room temperature at least 1 hour to defrost.
Fill a medium saucepan with 3 inches of oil; heat to 375°. Fry up to 4 or 5 kofte at a time until golden and hot in the center, about 3 minutes. Remove, drain and keep warm in a low oven while frying the remaining meatballs.
To serve: Combine the yogurt with the garlic and salt to taste. Spread on a platter, drizzle with chile oil, and place kofte on top. Serve right away.
Makes 20 kofte; serves 10.
Note: You can find pepper paste, fine-ground bulgur and Aleppo chile at Mediterranean markets such as Samiramis Imports in San Francisco.
Per serving: 426 calories, 20 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (5 g saturated), 56 mg cholesterol, 343 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.