Kofte with Tahini Sauce

This is a flexible dish, with a varied history. Living in North London, Kofte is usually Turkish and lamb-based, but I’ve also enjoyed making Ottolenghi’s Kofta b’siniyah which are more heavily spiced, and even a version with lemongrass. I generally want two types of meat in this dish and something to stop it being too dense. I find turkey keeps it light, and the veal is just fatty enough.

Method

1. Put all the kofte ingredients in a bowl. Mix with your hands until homogenised
2. Make the kofte, keeping a consistent size
3. Bake at 180 for 20 minutes, or grill on a medium heat
4. Mix the sauce, and leave for the garlic to infuse. The consistency should like single cream.

Ingredients

• ~400g Turkey mince.
• ~400g Veal mince.
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
• 100g breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Half a preserved lemon
• herbs - flat-leaf parsley, corriander
• salt & pepper
• Sauce: 100g tahini, splash of olive oil, 50ml water, lemon juice, crushed garlic clove.

Hints & Tips

• Smaller kofte cook quicker, but take longer to make.
• I find the best shape to be a mini rugby-ball. About 3 tbsp of meat per kofte
• You can also use pork and/or lamb. Once mince can be lean, but one should be fatty