Kibbet El Jazeree
Recipe by Sharon Salloum, Almond Bar
Serves 2
Syrian kibbet stuffed with beef, pine nuts and b’harat, a traditional sweet, aromatic spice blend is poached in a tomato and herb broth, served with natural yoghurt.
Kibbeh
300g fine semolina
300g fine white burghul
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely diced
200g minced beef
2 tablespoons salt flakes
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons b’harat spice mix
1 handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
50g pine nuts, roasted
Stock
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 brown onion, cut in half
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
Natural yoghurt, to serve
For Kibbeh, combine semolina and burghul in a medium bowl. Pour over enough water to just cover the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mince and cook until brown, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon into smaller pieces. Drain off any excess fat from the mince.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt flakes, ½ tablespoon black pepper, b’harat spice, parsley and pine nuts and mix until combined.
Pour the stuffing into a sieve and rest it over a small bowl to drain any excess liquid. Cool before using.
Once the semolina and burghul mix has completely absorbed the water, season with remaining salt and pepper. Place half the mixture in a Smeg hand blender mini chopper and blend for one minute until the mixture comes together. Repeat this process for the remaining mixture.
(Note: if the mixture is too wet, add a little more semolina to ensure it is not too sticky and if too dry, add a splash of water.)
Fill a small bowl with cold water and set it by your side. Moisten the inside of your hands, then grab a golf-ball-sized portion of dough and roll it into a smooth ball. With the index finger of one hand, poke a hole half way into the ball while cupping it with the other palm; gently moving your index finger back and forth. Then place both your index and middle finger into the dough; gently moving them both back and forth to create a wide and narrow cavity inside. Spoon in one to two teaspoons of the stuffing, then close the opening by pressing together the two sides of the dough to form a purse-like shape. Place on a tray sprinkled with semolina to avoid the kibbeh sticking. Repeat with the remaining kibbeh mixture and stuffing. Leave to rest in the fridge for about an hour before cooking.
For stock, place 5 cups water, tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic, onions, herbs and seasoning into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring every 10 minutes and allowing the flavours to infuse. Simmer the liquid for about an hour in total.
Remove the herbs, garlic and onion from the saucepan.
To serve, carefully lower the kibbeh in batches of 5-6 into the stock and cook for about 5 minutes, gently stirring to ensure they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon into a plate.
Serve warm with natural yoghurt and a fresh green salad.
Recipe created with the Smeg hand blender.
