Rick Steins Lamb And Pistachio Köfte Recipes

RICK STEIN'S LAMB AND PISTACHIO KöFTE

Steps:

• For these you need a flat metal skewer, the sort of thing you're bound to buy in a shop somewhere in Turkey on holiday and then find again a year or two later languishing in the back of the garage. You need the surface area to enable you to turn them. If you use a thin, round skewer, the meat will fall off. This is what I would call the epicentre of Turkish cuisine.
• Köfte are popular all the way from Greece to Iran and as far as India, but the combination of fennel, coriander and cumin with minced lamb, pistachio nuts and chilli flakes sums up Turkey.
• Crush the spice seeds with a pestle and mortar, then mix all the ingredients together. If the mixture is too wet, add a little plain flour.
• Form with wet hands into sausage shapes on metal skewers. Brush with a little oil.
• Cook on a charcoal braai or under a hot grill for about 8 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through.

PISTACHIO LAMB KOFTAS WITH APRICOT RELISH

Steps:

• Put 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, add most of the sliced onions with some seasoning and cook over a medium heat for about 15 mins until soft and golden.
• Meanwhile, heat the grill to high. In a large bowl, combine the mince, grated onion, ras el hanout, most of the pistachios, half of the parsley and some seasoning. Divide the mixture into 8 and shape into patties. Place on a baking tray and brush with 1/2 tbsp oil. Grill for about 10 mins, turning once, until browned and cooked through.
• Add the apricot jam, a large pinch of zest and half the lemon juice to the cooked sliced onions, bubble down until thick, then set aside. To make the salad, mix the carrots, reserved sliced onions and remaining parsley in a bowl, then toss in the remaining lemon juice and olive oil and some seasoning. To serve, spoon the apricot relish into the pittas. Then add the koftas, salad, yogurt and remaining pistachios. Alternatively, serve the pittas open with the filling piled on top.

PISTACHIO CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Generously season each rack of lamb with herbes de Provence, salt, and black pepper.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place lamb in skillet and cook, browning on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a foil-lined baking sheet; set aside.
• Stir pistachios, bread crumbs, butter, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a bowl. Spread mustard on the fat-side of each rack of lamb. Pat pistachio mixture on top of mustard. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden and lamb is pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.