TURKISH STARTERS

Icli Kofte (Stuffed Meatballs)

700 grams minced meat
salt
300 grams fine bulgur (cracked wheat)
pepper
1 egg 50 grams crushed walnuts
1 teaspoon cummin
20 grams pine nuts
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 grams currants
1 bunch parsle
3 onions
20 grams margarine
220 grams vegetable oil

Recipe Info

Directions

Boil bulgur in plenty of water until soft. Drain and set aside. Melt margarine and lightly brown chopped onions and pine nuts. Add 350 grams of meat and saute until juices evaporate. Remove from heat. Add pepper, salt, cummin, crushed walnuts, currants and choped parsley. Mix. In a large bowl, combine the remainder of meat with the bulgur. Add cayenne pepper and egg. Mix and knead well. Take a large walnut sized piece of mixture and roll into a ball. With index finger, make a hole and push the inside, making a large cavity. Stuff the cavity with the meat mixture,press hole with fingers to close. Lightly press meatball in palm of hand to shape like an egg. Repeat procedure, making as many meatballs as possible. Add meatballs to salted boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Heat oil in frypan and lightly fry meatballs until golden brown. Drain and serve.


Mucver -- Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

1 lb. small zucchini (courgettes), coarsely grated.
1 cup all purpose flour
Sea salt.
Freshly ground black pepper (Malabar Black Peppercorns are recommended)
1/2 lb. equal parts of crumbled feta and grated casseri cheeses
Oil for frying
6 scallions, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Place the grated zucchini in a colander, salt lightly and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes to draw out the excess liquid. Using paper towels, squeeze the zucchini dry and place in a bowl. Add the cheese mixture, eggs, scallions, dill, mint, parsley, flour and salt and pepper to taste. Stir mixture until you have a thick batter.

In a deep fryer, over medium-high heat, pour the oil to a depth of 1/4 inch (approx. 7 mm). When the oil is hot, use a serving spoon to drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry, turning over once, until brown on both sides, 2 - 3 minutes per side. With a slotted spoon transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain. Keep warm until all the fritters are cooked.