Chef’s choice – Kofte
From North Cyprus Forum
by chef.
Kofte is a meatball which is native to Cyprus, Turkey and some Middle East regions. They come in all shapes, sizes and different flavours. This recipe is my mother’s recipe, she normally uses beef but since I don’t eat beef she uses chicken if I’m coming over. We serve them with Turkish Cacik (We make the exact recipe) and a green salad or parsley salad. The cinnamon, mint, salt and black pepper are not the exact measurements as mum uses her hand to measure anything, feel free to add more but only to your taste.
SERVES 6
Ingredients
* 1 kg ground chicken or minced chicken or minced beef or ground beef.
* 1 1/2 kg potatoes, peeled and finely grated.
* 1 onion, finely chopped.
* 1 egg, whisked (optional)
* 150 g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped.
* 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3 teaspoons dried mint, grounded.
* 1 1/8 teaspoons salt.
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste.
* vegetable oil, for frying.
Directions
1/. Peel and finely grate potatoes, place them in a bowl and sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt, set aside.
2/. In a separate large bowl, place ground/minced chicken or beef, onion, parsley, egg, cinnamon, mint, salt and black pepper.
3/. Potatoes have excess liquids and with this recipe you need to remove all the excess liquids. In a large strainer, kneed all liquids out of the grated potatoes with only leaving the potatoes flesh.
4/. Then add the potato with the rest of the ingredients and mix them together. If the mixture is a little sticky you may need to add more potatoes.
5/. With your hand mould the kofte into a small long patty about 5cm x 2cm (2 inch x 1/2 inch) then place them on a tray, repeat this until all the mixture is finished. When placing the kofte’s on a tray do not allow them to touch each other as they may stick together.
6/. Heat oil in a frying pan or deep fryer add kofte one by one in the pan without touching each other. Flip them over once they are brown and then let the other side brown. Remove onto serving platter, then repeat this step until all kofte’s are finished, then serve.
7/. Can be served as finger food, entree or a main dish with Turkish Cacik (yoghurt sauce) and garden salad.
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