Köfte

To get good lamb mince here you have to go to a Turkish supermarket. I wanted to make Köfte and needed a mix of beef and lamb mince. I was looking for freshly minced meat, not the packaged stuff. The butcher at the supermarket cut up some meat and let it through the mincer. Great quality. I found a seasoning package near the butcher ciunter and read the ingredients list on the back. It covered what the people on the channel mostly used and was not full of fillers and other stuff I am allergic to.

Since this is my first time to prepare Köfte, I watched a couple of YT videos to get some basic skills. I decided to prepare them in the oven.

Secret ingredient for fluffy Köfte: 2 g baking soda 1/2 tsp lemon juice for the amount of meat.

Recipe for 4:

250 g lamb mince 450 g beef mince, köfte seasoning package

1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 50 g milk soaked white bread, 150 ml water, hand full of parsley, pepper, pul Biber

Mix meat with the seasoning and drain the white bread. Use a fine grater for the onion, drain a lot of the liquid and press the garlic.

Add water and finely chopped parsley and with your hands mix it well for 5 to 10 min. Put into a freezer bag and store in the fridge for 3 hours minimum.

Take an ice cream scoop and make equal size balls. Toss them between your hands to get the air out and flatten them a bit. Put on baking paper.

Add peppers or veggies you like and put them on the baking tray as well.

Preheat the ocen 180C fan and bake for 20 to 25 min. Turning once in between.

Köfte Turkish style

Köfte are the meatballs of the Turkish region. Traditional made with lamb mince, but beef or poultry are used too.

So many cultures have meatballs, they are a basic form to have a quick and cheap meal for many eaters. I am still very fond of German Frikadellen, as the meatballs from mixed pork and beef mince are called in my region here. Going north you will hear Bouletten, going south you will hear Fleischpflanzerl.

I was at our local Turkish supermarket this morning to get the lamb meat for Sunday and new what to do with the turkey breast, sitting in the fridge from yesterdays meal. I bought some piede bread, a crumbly fresh cheese and lots of parsley,  mint and veggies.



recipe:
250 g turkey breast
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 green chili
1 egg
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp parsley
salt, pepper, zatar
cherry tomatoes
iceberg lettuce
ayvar
turkish yogurt
1 tsp dried onion and garlic
salt, pepper, sumac
1 tbsp fresh mint

In a blender put in the rough chopped turkey breast, 1 quartered onion, the garlic and chili, the parsley and the seasoning and give it a quick blitz.
Add the egg and enough breadcrumbs to make a meatpaste, that you can form into balls.
In some oil fry them on all sides until they are done.

Chop iceberg lettuce and tomatoes.
Mix Yogurt with the dried onion and garlic, fresh mint and salt, pepper and sumac.
Open the jar of Ayvar.
Tear off a piece of piede.
 Spoon some crumbly cheese on a plate.
Get everything together and enjoy.