Georgina Hayden’s Greek feast
It might be chilly outside but it’s a Greek island paradise in the This Morning studio! New show Mamma Mia - I Have A Dream will be hitting our screens this weekend, set on the stunning island of Corfu. So, to get us in the mood, Greek-Cypriot chef Georgina Hayden’s in the kitchen with her delicious Keftedes, also known as greek meatballs. Packed full of flavour and served with tangy Tzatziki, Georgina’s mouthwatering meatballs make for a delicious midweek meal.
Greek Cypriot meatballs with bulgur wheat and tzatziki
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the Tzatziki:
1 cucumber1 tsp flaky sea salt 1 small garlic clove, peeled1 tsp dried mint, plus extra to finish Freshly ground black pepper, to taste500g Greek yoghurt 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzlingJuice of ½ lemon
For the Meatballs:2 large potatoes, about 500–600g 1 onion½ a bunch of flat-leaf parsley 500g pork mince 1 egg ½ tsp baking powder½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp dried mint¼ tsp white pepperSea salt, to taste100g breadcrumbs, plus 2 slices of white bread1L vegetable oil
For the Bulgur Wheat:2 onions4 tomatoesOlive oilSea salt and freshly ground black pepper150g vermicelli750ml stock (vegetable or chicken)1 cinnamon stick200g bulgur wheat
Method
For the Tzatziki:
1. Start by draining the cucumber. Trim it and coarsely grate it into a mixing bowl. Mix in 1 tsp of flaky sea salt, then spoon it into a clean, fine sieve.
2. Leave it to drain over the mixing bowl for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to remove all the liquid. When it is ready, spoon it into a larger mixing bowl.
3. Finely grate in the peeled garlic clove and add the dried mint and a good pinch of ground black pepper.
4. Spoon the yoghurt into the fine sieve. You don’t want to press it through, just to remove any excess liquid. When it’s drained, spoon it into the bowl with the grated cucumber, drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil, squeeze in the lemon juice and mix everything together well. Serve finished with a little drizzle of oil on top and sprinkled with a little dried mint.
For the Meatballs:
1. Peel the potatoes and coarsely grate them into a colander over a large bowl. Squeeze the grated potato to get rid of the liquid and starch, then leave to one side.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion and finely chop the parsley. Place both in a bowl with the mince, egg, baking powder, cinnamon, dried mint, white pepper and a generous few pinches of salt.
3. Squeeze small handfuls of the grated potato to really extract all the moisture, and add to the pork mixture. Keep going until it is all used. (If you have had a bowl under the colander, gently discard the liquid and you’ll see a starchy sediment at the bottom. Spoon this in also.)
4. Mix everything together well, kneading it and adding 60g of the breadcrumbs. Bring it all together and see how it feels – this might be enough breadcrumbs, or you might feel like it needs more.
5. Pat the mixture down, lay the slices of bread on top, and place the bowl in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. The bread will absorb any excess moisture.
6. Place the oil in a large saucepan and place onto a medium heat. Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture and with slightly wet hands mould into an oblong or round shape. Fry them in batches of 5 or 6, so the pan isn’t overcrowded, for around 6–8 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain off the excess oil, and keep going until all the mixture is used up.
For the Bulgur Wheat:
1. Peel and finely slice the onions and finely chop the tomatoes.
2. Place a large saucepan on a medium-low heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil and the sliced onions. Season them well and fry for 5 minutes.
3. Break in the vermicelli and turn up the heat. Leave the vermicelli to brown for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, fry for a few minutes then add stock and cinnamon stick.
4. Bring the pan to the boil then stir in the bulgur wheat, season again and as soon as it’s bubbling, cover with a lid and reduce the heat.
5. Cook for 8 minutes then remove from the heat. Remove the lid, cover with a tea towel, then place the lid on top again (make sure this isn’t near any open flames - the tea towel will absorb excess moisture and make the bulgur wheat fluffy).
6. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, then use a fork to fluff it up.
7. Serve the bulgur wheat with the meatballs and the tzatziki.