Recipe Corner: Lebanese & Syrian Meat and Bulgur Balls in Yoghurt (Kibbeh Labaniyya)

Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 1/2 pints Greek-style yogurt

1/2 tablespoon corn flour, mixed to a paste with a little water

1 tablespoon butter or ghee*

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

A small handful of dried mint leaves, crushed

Preparation:

Place the bulgur in a large bowl. Put the onion into the food processor, whizz to a purée, and add it to the bulgur. Process the lamb in batches in the food processor and add the puréed meat to the bulgur. Add the spices and the seasoning to the meat and bulgur mixture and mix well. Blend the mixture in batches, combining it with spoonful’s of cold water to ease the process, or pound it with your fist until smooth.

Knead the blended kibbeh mixture once more in the bowl, if using a processor, then cover and put aside.

Beat the yogurt until it is smooth and pour it into a heavy pan. Beat in the corn flour paste with a little salt and gently heat the yogurt, stirring all the time, until it is almost at scalding point — don’t let it boil as it will curdle. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until it is thick.

Take portions of the kibbeh mixture in your fingers and mold them into ovals. Gently place them in the yogurt sauce, cover, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the kibbeh are cooked. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the crushed garlic and mint until the garlic begins to brown. Spoon the kibbeh onto a serving dish with the yogurt sauce then drizzle the flavored butter over the top. Serve immediately.

For this recipe: https://www.kaveyeats.com/lebanese-syrian-meat-and-bulgur-balls-in-yoghurt-kibbeh-labaniyya

* Ghee is a form of highly-clarified butter that is traditionally used in Asian cooking. Like butter, ghee is typically made from cow’s milk.

The Lebanese Cookbook: Exploring the Food of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan Hardcover — Illustrated, December 7, 2020 by Ghillie Başan (Author)

To order, go to: https://www.amazon.com/Lebanese-Cookbook-Exploring-Lebanon-Jordan/dp/0754834697

The Levant is a region long known for the largesse of its hospitality. In The Lebanese Cookbook, Ghillie Başan explores the foods and traditions of a swathe of the Fertile Crescent that takes in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. Başan spent many years living and working in the Middle East (as well as Europe, North America, India, South East Asia and Africa), and has published a great number of food books covering the individual cuisines of Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. ”One of the finest writers on Middle Eastern food is Ghillie Başan,” says Clarissa Dickson Wright.

The cuisine of the region has been driven in large part by the excellent locally-grown ingredients — the area is not known as the Fertile Crescent without good reason — farmers produce a variety of grains and pulses, high quality dairy, and above all a cornucopia of fresh fruit and vegetables. Landscapes run from hot, dry coastlines and lush, fertile flood-plain valleys to sandy deserts and cooler high mountains, giving a variety of different growing climates. Sheep are particularly well suited to mountainous terrain, making lamb and mutton the most commonly used meat, with beef also readily available.

Başan’s first chapter introduces in turn Lebanon, Syria and Jordan before sharing the ancient history of the wider region, and how this history influenced culture and cuisine. For example, Phoenician traders introduced herbs, spices, fruits, nut and dried fish; Persian merchants brought ingredients such as pomegranates, saffron, aubergines and lemons, together with a a range of culinary techniques; the Romans extended trade routes even further, and advanced the use of spices and herbs in food and medicine. The Golden Age of Islam brought with it a cultural emphasis on etiquette and tableware, with guidelines written about manners, diet and health. The Ottoman Empire delivered Turkish influences, and also saw the introduction of new world ingredients such as chilli peppers, tomatoes and corn. Coffee too was discovered, introduced and flourished during this era. More recent history is responsible for the current country borders, and has sadly been a period of terrible conflict. Throughout these difficult years, a regional love for good food and hospitality has persisted.

Learning about different religious festivals provides more insight into food traditions, with Christian, Islamic and Jewish celebrations observed throughout the year. Along with these are the many personal milestones in life (such as birthdays and weddings) which are often celebrated with specific foods and rituals. The passage about the religious food rules of Islam is also concise and useful. We learn too about the joy of shopping for food in the souks (markets), and the tradition of mezze — a concept that has existed across the different ages of the region, but today is named after the Persian ‘maza,’ meaning to taste or relish.

See:

https://www.ghilliebasan.com/

https://www.wildernessscotland.com/blog/film-series-women-in-the-wild-e2-ghillie/

For Ghillie Başan’s books, go to: https://www.ghilliebasan.com/books/

For recipes: https://www.thetimes.com/profile/ghillie-basan

For more recipes: https://www.ghilliebasan.com/uncategorized/food-safari/

For her Cookery Workshops in Scotland: https://www.ghilliebasan.com/cookery-workshops/

See: “Recipe Reveal & Book Review | Mezze – Small Plates to Share” by Ghillie Başan at: https://floandfrankie.com/blogs/blog/recipe-reveal-book-review-mezze-small-plates-to-share-by-ghillie-basan

See: https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/general/flavour-profile-qa-ghillie-basan/

Also:

https://www.kaveyeats.com/lebanese-cookbook-by-ghillie-basan

https://www.kaveyeats.com/middle-eastern-courgettes-baked-in-a-cheese-sauce

https://www.kaveyeats.com/palestinian-upside-down-rice-lamb-aubergine