Kibbeh Bil Saneeyeh

Ingredients

Kibbeh dough

• 200 g fine bulgur (#1 grade - labelled "fine" or "very fine")
• 250 ml cold water (for soaking)
• 400 g lean lamb (or beef, leg meat, twice-minced from the butcher OR processed at home)
• 1 onion (small, rough chunks, for the blender)
• 1 ½ teaspoons Baharat (Palestinian seven-spice)
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 60 ml ice water (added during blitzing)

Filling

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion (large, finely diced)
• 400 g fattier lamb mince (around 20% fat - keeps the filling juicy)
• 1 ½ teaspoons Baharat
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 60 g pine nuts (toasted in a dry pan 3 minutes until just gold)
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)

To bake

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for the tin and to drizzle)
• 30 g butter (small pieces dotted on top - optional)

To serve

• Greek yogurt (or thick labneh) with a sprinkle of dried mint
• Cucumber-tomato-mint salad

Method

Stage 1 - Soak the bulgur

1. Cover the bulgur with cold water; soak 20 minutes.
2. Drain through a fine sieve; squeeze handfuls dry between your palms until no liquid drips.

Stage 2 - Kibbeh dough

1. In a food processor, blitz the lean lamb, onion, baharat, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper to a smooth paste - 30 seconds.
2. Add the drained bulgur.
3. Pulse 8-10 times, adding ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth slightly tacky dough that holds together. It should be like a stiff hummus consistency.
4. Tip into a bowl; cover; refrigerate while you make the filling.

Stage 3 - Filling

1. Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion; cook 8 minutes until soft and golden.
3. Add the fattier lamb mince; brown 6 minutes, breaking up.
4. Stir in baharat, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute.
5. Off heat; stir in the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
6. Cool 10 minutes (lukewarm filling makes the dough sit better).

Stage 4 - Assemble

1. Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
2. Brush a 26 cm round tin (or 22 x 28 cm rectangular oven dish) with olive oil.
3. Take half the kibbeh dough; wet your hands and press it firmly into the base of the tin to make an even 1 cm-thick layer.
4. Spread the cooled filling evenly over.
5. Take the remaining kibbeh dough; flatten it into a disc between two sheets of cling film or baking paper to the same size as the tin.
6. Carefully transfer over the filling.
7. Wet your hands; smooth the top; seal the edges.

Stage 5 - Score

1. With a sharp knife, score the top into diamonds (or squares) - cut about 5 mm deep, all the way through the top layer but not into the filling.
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top.
3. Dot the butter (if using) at intersections.

Stage 6 - Bake

1. Bake 35-40 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the edges are crisp.

Stage 7 - Rest and serve

1. Rest 10 minutes (this firms it up for cutting).
2. Cut along the scored lines.
3. Lift wedges with a wide spatula onto plates.
4. Serve with yogurt and a fresh cucumber-tomato salad.