Lebanese Lamb Kofta was a winter menu staple last year at the Staff Café but sadly disappeared to make room for new mouthwatering seasonal dishes in 2014.
Staff Café Chef Manager Housien Koussan says demand for this culinary classic is still high and that the dish may in fact make a return. In the meantime, he is providing staff with the recipe if the wait is all too much.
Housien has been Chef Manager at the Staff Café for just over 12 months but has been a familiar face around the culinary circles here for years. For more than 14 years his work has taken him around the world and he is excited to have the opportunity to apply his skills and experience here, to create a place for staff to come together and eat fresh, healthy meals in a relaxed, friendly environment.
Housien Koussan’s Lebanese Lamb Kofta
Ingredients
Serves 10
700g minced lamb
½ brown onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1tsp cumin
1tsp coriander powder
1tsp paprika
1tsp salt
1 pinch of white pepper
1 pinch of black pepper
1 pinch of hot chili powder
1 bunch of chopped parsley
1tbs olive oil
Method
First, place the mince in a medium sized bowl.
Dice the onion-half as fine as possible (using a food processer is best).
Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the lamb mince, but do not mix.
Wash and finely chop the parsley and add to the mix.
In a pan, combine cumin, coriander and paprika, and dry roast them until aromatic. Set aside to cool.
Add salt, white pepper and black pepper then chili to taste. Note; go easy with the chili as you can’t remove it once it’s mixed in. More can be added later.
With your hands mix all ingredients until well combined. This is best done by using your fists.
Roll the kofta mix into small 35-40g balls and set aside. Dipping your hands in water will help during this step.
When finished rolling the mix, heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a pan.
Fry the kofta balls until golden brown all over and soft and juicy inside.
Serve with a side of hummus, Lebanese bread and your favourite salad.
Creating this at home?
Email This Week (thisweek@mq.edu.au) with a picture of your culinary masterpiece and tell us how you went. Best pictures will be published in future editions.