GRILLED TURKISH KOFTA KEBABS

When I was in Istanbul two years ago, kebabs were everywhere: shish kebabs – grilled chunks of meat or chicken on a skewer; doner kebabs – meat cooked on a rotisserie and sliced off for serving; and kofta kebabs – ground lamb or beef shaped onto skewers and grilled. They were served with tomatoes (raw or grilled), fresh parsley, assorted salad ingredients, seared peppers, rice or pita, and tahini or yogurt sauce – perfect complements to the rich, flavorful meats.

In Turkey I was intrigued by the unusual shape of the kofta kebabs – long and flat with ridges. I wondered how it was done. Now I know! It’s not required that you do this, by the way. You can simply form a long sausage shape and flatten it a bit, and your kebabs will be just as delicious. But if you’re up for trying the fancy technique, here’s how to do it:

INGREDIENTS

• You will need long 6 skewers, preferably flat (12 inches or more) or 12 shorter ones. If you use bamboo skewers, soak them in water first, for at least 30 minutes.

For the Garlicky Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 1/4 cups plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sumac (plus more for the meat and vegetables)
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Lamb:

• 2 pounds ground lamb or beef
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and grated, blotted with towel to soak up excess liquid
• 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, just the leaves, divided
• 3 tablespoons Urfa pepper
• 1 tablespoon sumac, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For The Accompaniments:

• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced in half through the core, each half sliced thinly
• 1 english cucumber, washed and thinly sliced, crosswise
• 1 red onion, peeled, slivered, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained
• Parsley leaves (about 1 1/2 cups or whatever’s left of the bunch)
• 12-18 romaine lettuce leaves (depending on size), washed
• 3-6 pitas, sliced in half, warmed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the Garlicky Yogurt Sauce: Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
2. Make the Kebabs: Finely chop 1/4 cup of the parsley leaves. Set the rest aside for the salad.
3. In a large bowl combine lamb, onion, chopped parsley, urfa pepper, 2 teaspoons sumac, and salt. Work the ingredients together with your hands for a couple of minutes until they are fully incorporated.
4. ....................................

for full instruction please see : www.panningtheglobe.com

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