Fried Kibbe
Fried Kibbe
From Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking. Copyright ©2015 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Servings
1
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound ground lamb
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
- 1 pound ground lamb
- kosher salt
- canola oil, for frying
- basic tehina sauce
- lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
- Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion has begun to soften but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add the lamb and continue cooking, stirring to break up the meat, until it begins to brown, about 8 more minutes. Add the pine nuts, allspice, and salt and continue to cook, stirring, until the meat is well browned and the nuts begin to toast, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate and refrigerate until cool.
- Soak the bulgur in cold water for 1 hour. Drain, squeeze out the excess water, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Combine the soaked bulgur and lamb in a large bowl, season well with salt, and stir until well blended.
- To form the kibbe: Shape about ¼ cup of the shell mixture around your thumb. Fill the cavity with about 2 teaspoons of the filling, press the open end closed, and shape into a little football. Repeat until all the kibbe are formed. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
- To cook the kibbe: Heat about 2 inches oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. (You can tell when the oil is hot enough to fry by sticking the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil; if bubbles form around it, it’s ready. Or heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees F on a candy thermometer.) Fry the kibbe, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pot, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve with the tehina sauce and lemon wedges.