Kibbeh - "Syrian torpedoes"

The Shell

Soak bulghur in cold salted water, wash in running water, drain & squeeze out excess water. Add to the flour in a bowl, with some salt and pepper/paprika; you can also grate in some onion. Some people use (raw) minced lamb/beef instead of the flour, but Rachel always made the shells with bulghur and some matzo flour. You then need to make the mixture into a soft paste, traditionally by vigorous kneading by hand - Claudia says for 15 minutes, and you'd better believe it. Dribble in water as needed to keep it just moist. Alternatively you can use a food processor, or even handheld blender. Cover & cool in fridge for 30 minutes or longer (even overnight). When you come to use it, you may need to adjust to get the right consistency, adding water if too dry, or flour/matzo meal/rice flour if too moist.

The Filling (Hashwa)

Brown the meat, pressing it down to take out lumpiness, add chopped onion, seasonings and fry together, add nuts or pomegranate seeds at the end if using.If the meat is dry add a bit of water to moisten.

For a vegetarian filling, try browning chopped mushrooms in butter and add some pine-nuts; or fry onions and garlic with some chopped red pepper and small cubes of aubergines.

Assembly (the hard part)

Here’s where the skill comes in: moisten your hands, take a small ball of shell mixture, knead well, cup in one hand and hollow out with finger of other hand, rotating it as you go, as thin as possible. Insert filling in open end with a spoon, close the end and mould it, then mould the whole kibbeh gently, cupped in both hands. You can smooth out cracks with a dab of water, and if necessary a spot of shell mixture.

Cooking

You can cook them fresh, but they freeze well, and in some ways are easier to cook from frozen. So make a good batch, and freeze them on trays lined with baking paper, making sure they aren't touching. They must be fried in deep oil (to cover), quite hot but not smoking. Pat them dry before dropping into the oil, and keep them apart if necessary with a slotted spoon. Fry till golden brown, around 5-10 minutes.

Serving

They are best with a Tahini Dip: squeeze a clove of garlic and cream it by mixing with a little salt, add light tahini, lemon juice (amount to your taste) and a little water, then mix/blend into a smooth creamy sauce with a spoon. A richer version uses yoghourt (about thje same volume as tahini) instead of water. Serve with a tomato salad (with za'atar if you like), and pickles.