Minced Meat Balls
February 24th, 2007
Qotbane del Kefta
The best kefta I have eaten ware in Tangiers. There I had a charming guide, Rashid, who born and brought up in the medina, and knew every single cafe, restaurant and stall – and, of course, which ones were the best. He took me on a marvelous gastronomic tour of all these tiny places, culminating in a visit to a very old man who make the most exquisite kefta. The recipe below is his. Makes 24 brochettes.
ingredients
- 1 medium sized onion quartered
- 55 g/2 oz each fresh flat leaf parsley and fresh coriander most of bottom stalks discarded
- 2 – 3 springs of fresh mint, leaves only
- 1 kg/2 ½ lb boneless lamb, preferably from the shoulder minced
- 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and paprika
- ½ teaspoon each ground allspice, ras el hanout (optional) and dried chilies crushed to a coarse powder
- sea salt
preparation
- Put the onion, coriander, parsley, and mint in a food processor and process until very finely chopped.
- Put the minced lamb in a mixing bowl and add the chopped onion and herbs, all the spices and sea salt to taste. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. If you have a blender, process the meat mixture in it, in batches, for very short time to make it little smoother.
- Divide the meat into 24 portions. Roll each portion into a ball and warp it tightly around a skewer, squeezing it up and down, to form a sausage 10 – 15 cm/4 –6 in long. Pinch it quite thin at each end.
- Cook the kefta over a charcoal fire or under a preheated hot grill for 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until they are done to your liking. Serve immediately.
Entry Filed under: Main dishes