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Kibbeh
Serves 16 Prep 1 hr Cook 25 min Total 1 hr 25 min Type Meal Origin Lebanese

Kibbeh

Lebanon's fried torpedo: a thin bulgur-and-mince shell wrapped around a filling of lamb, onion and toasted pine nuts. Deep-fried shatteringly crisp.

Serves 16 Prep 1 hour Cook 25 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Fine bulgur soaks until soft. The shell mixture combines bulgur, raw minced lamb, finely-grated onion, salt and spices, then blitzes (or pounds) into a dense, smooth, almost claylike paste. The filling is a separate cooked mince of lamb, onion, pine nuts, allspice and cinnamon. Each kibbeh shell is shaped over a finger; filling stuffs in; the lot pinches closed into a pointed oval. Deep-fries for 5 minutes.

Ingredients

Shell

  • 250 g fine bulgur
  • 500 g lean minced lamb (or beef)
  • 1 onion (large, very finely grated)
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 100 ml ice water

Filling

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion (large, finely chopped)
  • 300 g minced lamb (or beef)
  • 50 g pine nuts
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • A small handful of flat-leaf parsley (chopped)

Frying

  • Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Yogurt-mint dip

  • 300 g plain yogurt
  • 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint (chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Method

Stage 1 - Soak the bulgur

  1. Cover the bulgur with cold water; soak 20 minutes; drain through a fine sieve, pressing hard to squeeze out excess water.

Stage 2 - Filling

  1. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
  2. Cook the onion 6 minutes until softened.
  3. Add the pine nuts; cook 2 minutes until lightly golden.
  4. Add the lamb; cook 5-6 minutes, breaking it up, until the meat is cooked and any liquid has evaporated.
  5. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon, pepper, salt and parsley.
  6. Cool fully.

Stage 3 - Shell

  1. Combine the bulgur, raw lamb, grated onion, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, pepper and salt.
  2. Blitz in batches in a food processor with a tablespoon of ice water at a time until you have a smooth, dense, paste-like mixture (a pestle-pounded version is more authentic but slower).
  3. The mixture should hold its shape and feel slightly tacky but not sticky.
  4. Refrigerate 30 minutes (firms up; easier to shape).

Stage 4 - Shape

  1. Wet your hands with cold water.
  2. Take a walnut-sized piece of shell mixture; roll into a smooth ball.
  3. Press your finger into the centre to make a pocket; rotate to thin the wall, working out toward the rim.
  4. The shell should be 5-6 mm thick at most.
  5. Place a teaspoon of filling inside.
  6. Pinch the opening closed; mould into a pointed oval (lemon shape) about 7 cm long.
  7. Smooth any cracks with damp fingers.
  8. Lay finished kibbeh on a tray; cover.

Stage 5 - Yogurt dip

  1. Whisk all the dip ingredients; rest 15 minutes.

Stage 6 - Fry

  1. Heat 6 cm of oil in a deep pan to 180°C.
  2. Fry kibbeh in batches of 4-5 for 5-6 minutes, turning, until deep mahogany brown and crisp.
  3. Drain on kitchen paper.

Stage 7 - Serve

  1. Pile onto a platter while hot.
  2. Serve with the yogurt dip and a green salad.

Notes

  • Cold mixture: Working ice water into the shell mixture helps it stay cool and binds the bulgur to the meat. A warm mix splits in the fryer.
  • Thin walls: The defining feature of good kibbeh is a thin, almost translucent shell. Thick-walled kibbeh feels heavy and stodgy.
  • Freeze ahead: Shaped raw kibbeh freeze well - fry from frozen, adding 2 minutes.

Storage

  • Best eaten hot; re-crisp leftovers at 200°C for 5 minutes.
  • Freeze raw shaped kibbeh 3 months.

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