Fried Kibbeh Bites With Tahini Dipping Sauce.

Fried Kibbeh Bites With Tahini Dipping Sauce

Recipe By: Maureen Abood

Fried kibbeh bites are so delicious that we make them not just with leftover kibbeh, but with kibbeh made just for this purpose. They are excellent pan fried. Can you bake them? Sure. Remember that kibbeh has no fat in it, so if you bake them, it’s best to brush them with oil or butter before and after baking. A half-pound of kibbeh makes about 30 1-inch bites.

Dipping Sauce
1 cup tahini
1/2 cup Labneh or plain Greek yogurt
1 small clove garlic, minced or grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cold water, as needed
Mint salt for finishing (or crushed dried mint + fine sea-
 salt)

Kibbeh Bites
Any amount leftover raw or freshly made kibbeh
Oil for frying (neutral, such as Safflower, canola, or olive
 oil.

Directions:
First make the dipping sauce so it is ready when the Kibbeh Bites are hot out of the pan. In a small food processor, blend the tahini, labneh, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until sauce is thick and dip-able liquid. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The sauce can also be whisked by hand. Transfer the sauce in a small bowl and dust the top with mint salt.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat while you shape the kibbeh bites. The oil should register 350 degrees, and can be tested with a small bit of kibbeh; it should bubble up vigorously when added to the oil.

Line a pan with paper towel. Start with the cold kibbeh straight from the refrigerator (if freshly made kibbeh rather than leftover, chill for one hour). Shape about 1 tablespoon kibbeh into a 1 inch ball, repeating this with all the kibbeh and placing the balls on the lined sheet pan.

Fry the balls in batches, taking care not to crowd them, until they are deep golden brown. Turn them to brown them evenly all over.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the bites from the frying pan and transfer to a fresh paper towel-lined sheet pan.

Serve the bites hot with the tahini dipping sauce.  This is finger-food, or if you prefer, serve them with cocktail toothpicks.

To Make Your Kibbeh:

Kibbeh Nayeh, tartare of Lebanon, is specially prepared spiced raw meat with bulgur. The ratio of cracked wheat to meat is 1:1, so you can adjust quantities easily. I always make much more raw kibbeh than we are going to eat because I want to bake or fry it the next day. This recipe is for a manageable 2 pounds of meat, but I make as much as 5 pounds to provide for day 2 of kibbeh-love. The meat is ideally ground by a knowledgable butcher; technique to grind it yourself is below. If you want to bake the kibbeh, that recipe is here. 

Kibbeh Nayen:

Ingredients:

2 cups fine bulgur (#1)

2 pounds leg of lamb or eye of round beef, trimmed entirely of all fat and gristle
1-2 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium sweet onion, pureed
1-2 cups ice water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Rinse the bulghur in cold water, drain, and cover to 1⁄2 inch with cold water. Soak for 1⁄2 hour, or until the bulghur is softened.

Either ask the butcher to grind the meat for you (three times on sterile blades), or grind it yourself. To grind meat, slice the trimmed meat into rectangles, about 4x2 inches. Season lightly with salt and pepper and freeze for 30 minutes. Grind the meat once on the fine/small holes on the grinder, or twice on the large holes.

To combine the kibbeh meat, keep a small bowl of ice water nearby to keep hands wet and cold. In a large bowl, knead the meat with the pureed onion and about half of the cracked wheat. If there is any visible water left in the cracked wheat from soaking, squeeze it out of the wheat before adding it to the kibbeh. Dip hands in water as you knead, adding about 1⁄4 cup of the water in total; be careful not to add too much water to the kibbeh or it will become mushy rather than simply soft. Add the wheat 1⁄2 cup at a time until it’s fully incorporated. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne and cinnamon, tasting and adjusting the seasoning.

To serve, shape traditionally, on an oval platter, form the kibbeh into an oval dome and press a cross into with the the tip of your finger, adding fresh mint for garnish (or simply flatten the kibbeh on a plate and decorate using the tip of a spoon or tines of a fork). Sweet onion, toasted pine nuts, and mint are excellent garnishes. Serve with pita bread and labneh (thickened yogurt).