It’s been a funny year for the barbecue, lots of bad weather and then when it turns nice it’s often not in the forecast. Surely, we are due some nice back to school weather and you’ll have the opportunity to cook these tasty koftas.
Wine Suggestion: From an incredibly awarded, but always under the radar Clare Valley winery is Kilikanoon’s Killermans Run GSM. We’re always amazed at the amount of depth and finesse this wine has. With a full-body, but complete balance, this finishes superbly long and weightless. Bravo!
Lamb koftas – serves 4
- a little vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 800g lamb belly, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely grated
- 1 tsp ras el hanout
- 1 tsp ready-made mint sauce
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- lemon wedges and coriander leaves, to serve
Heat the oil in a frying pan on the hob and fry the onion over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until soft. Remove the onion from the heat and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, grind the spices and salt together using a pestle and mortar until you have a fine powder.
Put the lamb into a big bowl with the cool onion, garlic, ground spice mix, ras el hanout, mint sauce, lemon zest and herbs. Mix well with your hands.
Divide the mixture into 8 and roll each piece into a sausage-shaped kofta. Lay the koftas on a lined tray and chill in the fridge for an hour to firm them up.
Meanwhile, get your barbecue fired up and ready to cook on.
Place the koftas on the edges of the barbecue so they are over a medium heat – if you put them over the direct flame you might create a blaze when the fat drips off. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning regularly.
When the koftas are cooked, serve them on a platter with some lemon wedges and coriander leaves.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge: Outdoor Cooking, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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