Kafta mishwee (Kafta on skewers) with Tabouleh

Two of Lebanon's most famous and loved dishes...Kafta and Tabouleh.

Across the Middle East there are many different versions of Kafta also called Kofte, Kufte, Kofta etc. Each country has there own version of this recipe and method of cooking it. The most popular way to make Kafta though, is to mould minced lamb around skewers and cook them on an open grill. Once you have the basic Kafta mince recipe down pat, it can be quiet versatile and used for many other Middle Eastern dishes such as baked kafta, filled kafta or as a tasty and simple snack you can spread a thin layer of kafta mince over a split piece of Lebanese bread and bake it at 180 deg. celsius in an oven or under a grill for 4 -5 minutes.

Along side grilled Kafta, Tabouleh is a must. Tabouleh is a very popular Lebanese salad which is beautifully fresh, light and versatile. Tabouleh is fantastic as part of a mezza selection, alongside many meat and chicken dishes or simply on its own.

Kafta mishwee (Kafta on skewers) - Moorish by Greg & Lucy Malouf

500g lamb minced twice

1 onion, grated

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried mint or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Ras al Hanout (optional)

1 teaspoon sea salt

olive oil for cooking

Serves 4

Mix together all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a large mixing bowl. Knead well to a sticky paste. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When ready to cook, preheat bbq grill plate to its highest temperature.

If using wooden skewers, soak them for 10mins in cold water to stop them from burning.

Wet your hands, take a handful of the mince and shape tightly around the skewer to make a long sausage, about 10cm long and 3cm in diameter. Keep going until you have used all the mixture. Alternatively if you don't wish to use skewers you can make smaller kafta's the size of chipolata's(as pictured).

Brush each kafta lightly with olive oil and grill on the bbq grill plate. They will take anywhere between 5 and 8 minutes, depending on how well done you like them.

Serve Kafta's with warm Arabic bread, a good blob of Tzatziki and Tabouleh salad (see recipe below).

Tabouleh -Alba's Lebanese Kitchen by Alba Amad

1/4 cup (40g) fine burghul

5 cups finely chopped flat leaf parsley

5 tomato's, finely chopped (to make 2 cups)

8 spring onions, finely chopped (to make 1/3 cup)

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint

150ml lemon juice

150ml olive oil (you may not need this much, add gradually and check as you go)

1/2 teaspoon ground all spice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Serves 6 as part of a mezza selection

Wash burghul well, place in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover. Set aside for 30 minutes to soak. Once burgul has soaked, drain well with a seive.

Combine the burghul, parsley, tomato, spring onion and mint in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil, spices and salt and mix thoroughly.

Note - If you are making this salad ahead of time by all means mix the vegetables, herbs and spices but don't mix the lemon juice and oil until the very last moment or the whole salad will become mushy.