These oval balls were meant to be kebabs but never make it on to skewers at my house, (skewers are an option, though, as it’s easier to turn them the meat on the barbecue). Fantastic stuffed into Turkish pide or warm puffy pita pockets.
Ingredients
—Meatballs 750g (1 lb 6 oz) minced lamb 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 large (size 7) free-range egg 3 Tbsp water Rub 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp dried mint 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp ground pepper 1 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp flaky sea salt Turkish pide or pita pockets Iceberg lettuce leaves Sliced peeled telegraph (tender-skinned) cucumber Handful mint leaves Unsweetened plain yoghurt Pomegranate molasses Pomegranate seeds, optional
Method
—1 Mix lamb mince in a bowl with garlic and salt, cumin, olive oil and egg. Beat in water. Form into 20 oval sausages putting them onto a tray as they are done. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, to firm.
2 Mix rub ingredients in a small bowl. Just prior to cooking, gently massage meatballs with spicy rub. Leave at room temperature, covered (use a food umbrella or similar), for 30 minutes.
3 Cook on a preheated oiled barbecue hot plate or grill until golden all over and just cooked through. Split pide or pita pockets and fill with lettuce, cucumber and meatballs. Scatter with mint leaves, then drizzle with yoghurt and pomegranate syrup, and finish with pomegranate seeds if you have them.
Recipe Notes
See ingredients information for Dried Oregano Smoked paprika
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