Meliz Berg’s delicious lamb köfte
Meliz Berg is back in the kitchen with another delicious dish, inspired by her Turkish-Cypriot background. She’ll be making her crispy, smashed new potatoes baked with warmly spiced köfte meatballs and served with a whipped tahini dip and a finely chopped salad. Perfectly for the BBQ, but also great in the oven.
Meliz’s spiced roasted köfte and potatoes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
500g baby potatoes
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp cumin
1tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried mint
1tsp pul biber
3 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp sea salt flakes
¼ tsp ground black pepper
For the Köfte:
500g lamb mince
100g fine white breadcrumbs
1 small onion, finely chopped
50g flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp pul biber
2 tsp dried mint
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tsp olive oil
For the dip:
150g tahini
75ml cold water
75ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt flakes
150g thick natural yoghurt
For the salad:
1/3 cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, halved and sliced
25g fresh parsley / coriander, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt flakes
To serve:
Parsley
Olive oil
Dried mint
Pul biber
Method
1. Preheat your ov en to 200c fan / 220c and brush a large, shallow non-stick baking tray with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes while you prep your potatoes.
2. Wash and halve the potatoes lengthways, then pat them dry with kitchen roll. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle over the cornflour, and mix together with your hands until the potatoes are fully coated. Drizzle in 2 tbsp of the olive oil, then the smoked paprika, pul biber, cumin and dried mint, and mix again with your hands, before seasoning with the salt and black pepper.
3. Add the potatoes to the hot tray, ensuring that they are all facing cut side down, then pop on the top shelf of the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the köfte.
4. Mix all of the köfte ingredients (other than the olive oil) together really well with your hands, reserving the olive oil to brush them with, once rolled. Wet your hands with cold water (to prevent the mixture from sticking to them), and roll the köfte mixture into 20 even, golf ball-sized balls.
5. Take the hot tray out of the oven, turn over all of the potatoes so that they are now skin side down, and nestle the köfte balls into the spaces in the tray. Brush each köfte with a little olive oil, then place in the oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the Tahini & Yoghurt Dip and Salad.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, cold water, lemon juice, salt until fully combined and smooth (don’t be alarmed initially, as the dip will turn lumpy before it becomes smooth, but just be patient, ensure to use cold water, and you’ll get there). Once smooth, whisk in the yoghurt and spread the dip evenly into a large platter or serving dish (preferably with slightly raised edges).
7. Mix together the salad ingredients (you can also prepare your salad vegetables in advance, just don’t add the dressing ingredients to it until you are ready to serve).
8. Once the köfte and potatoes are cooked, give them a gentle swish in the juices in the tray, and pile them all on top of the plated tahini and yoghurt dip. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley, and mix together a little extra virgin olive oil, dried mint and pul biber to drizzle over.
9. Serve with the salad and some flatbreads or hot freshly baked bread.