Turkish Meatballs with Potatoes and Pepper

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:42:15 GMT

Step 1

Wash and dry your parsley. Trim away any brown ends and finely chop the stems. Add the stems to a large mixing bowl, then finely chop the leaves. Place 2/3 of the chopped leaves into the bowl with the stems and set aside the remaining parsley for sprinkling over the finished dish.

Step 2

Next add the following to your mixing bowl:

Step 3

Minced beef/lamb

Step 4

3 cloves of garlic - finely grated

Step 5

1 small onion, peeled and finely grated

Step 6

30g parsley, washed and finely chopped (including any tender stalks)

Step 7

1 egg

Step 8

1.5 level teaspoons of salt

Step 9

A few grinds of black pepper

Step 10

1.5 teaspoons ground cumin

Step 11

35g fine white breadcrumbs

Step 12

1 teaspoon Aleppo chilli flakes (or 0.5 teaspoon of regular chilli flakes)

Step 13

Mix thoroughly with your hands until the mince is homogenized and quite sticky. Squeeze and pummel enthusiastically - pick up chunks of the size of a golf ball and throw them with some force back into the bowl - this will help break down the protein and produce tender köfte. After about 7-8 minutes the köfte mixture should be quite sticky and well blended. Alternatively (and this is much easier!), place everything into the bowl of a stand mixer and using a paddle attachment, blitz on medium/high for 3-4 minutes.

Step 14

Take a tablespoon of mixture and press into a small burger - heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook until golden. Remove and taste to check the seasoning (which should be perfect). Adjust if necessary.

Step 15

Oil a small baking sheet with a tiny drizzle of oil. Remove small balls of mixture (around 50g) and form them into mini rugby balls which is the traditional shape for Izmir köfte. You can of course form them into little burger style patties or sausages - just make sure to use roughly the same quantity (50g) per köfte. Transfer to your oiled baking sheet and refrigerate to set while you prepare the sauce and vegetables.

Step 16

Peel the potatoes and slice into even, fairly chunky wedges. Place into a saucepan and cover with cold water, add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 8 minutes or until just tender when prodded with the tip of a knife. Drain and return to the pan to steam dry.

Step 17

Wash the peppers, halve, remove the seeds and, if using the long pointed variety, cut in half again lengthwise. If you are using the slightly meatier bell peppers remove the core and cut each half into 2 or 3 long segments. Set aside.

Step 18

Cut 5 tomatoes in half across the equator and grate each cut half on the coarsest teeth of a grater (stand your grater in a large bowl to catch the pulp). Discard the skins and set the pulp aside. Cut the last tomato into quarters, removing the green stem and set aside.

Step 19

Finely chop the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and set aside.

Step 20

Pre-heat your oven to 170C (338F)

Step 21

Remove your köfte from the fridge. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to a large oven-proof frying pan or casserole and fry on a medium heat until golden but not cooked through (around 6 minutes). Drain and return them to the baking sheet (they will finish cooking in the oven).

Step 22

Don’t wash your pan! Turn the heat to medium/low and add the chopped garlic to the pan. Cook gently for 2 minutes then add a rounded tablespoon of tomato paste and 1 teaspoon of mild chilli flakes. Stir and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes, a scant ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper and simmer for 3 minutes.

Step 23

Return your köfte to the pan along with the cooled potatoes and gently stir to coat everything with the sauce. Add the peppers and tomato then drizzle over 6 tablespoons of olive oil and pop your pan on the middle rack of your pre-heated oven. The total cooking time will be around 45 minutes, but set your timer for 20 minutes so you can lovingly baste everything half way through.

Step 24

Once the time is up, remove and leave to cool for 10 minutes before eating. Sprinkle over the remaining 30g of parsley before serving and enjoy with plenty of fresh bread. If you want the full authentic Turkish experience, serve with a good dollop of creamy natural yoghurt!

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