Lamb and Pine Nut Kibbeh

A crispy bulgur shell that cracks under the teeth, releasing a heart of spiced meat and toasted pine nuts. The warm scent of cinnamon and seared meat fills the room.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 20 min
• Difficulty: Hard
• Calories: 844
• Protein: 35 g
• Carbs: 50 g
• Fat: 55 g

Ingredients

• 250 g Bulgur wheat ( fine )
• 500 g Ground lamb ( very fresh )
• 2 piece Yellow onion ( finely chopped )
• 50 g Pine nut ( whole )
• 1 tsp Four spices powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 750 ml Peanut oil ( for frying )
• 1 tsp Seven spices mix

Instructions

1. Bulgur preparation

   Rinse the bulgur in cold water. Let it soak for 15 minutes. Squeeze firmly between your hands to extract all the water; the grain should be soft but not soggy.

2. Cooking the filling

   In a pan, sauté a chopped onion. Add 200g of ground lamb and the pine nuts. Brown the meat until it is quite dry. Season with a pinch of allspice, cinnamon, and the seven-spice blend.

3. Making the dough

   Finely chop the second onion. Mix the remaining raw lamb with the drained bulgur and the onion. Pass everything through a meat grinder or food processor until you get a smooth dough, as malleable as modeling clay.

4. Shaping the kibbehs

   Take a ball of dough the size of an egg. Hollow out a hole with your finger to form a thin shell. Fill with the cooked stuffing and close by pinching the ends to give it an ogive shape.

5. Frying

   Deep-fry the kibbehs in oil at 180°C. The crust should become dark brown and very crunchy. Drain on paper towels as soon as the color is uniform.

Chef's tips

• Work with a bowl of ice water nearby to dampen your hands; this prevents the dough from sticking during shaping.
• If the dough is too fragile, pass it through the grinder a second time to refine the texture.

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge. To regain the crunch, reheat them in a hot oven, never in the microwave.