Turkish Lamb & Green Bean Fritters Served With Cucumber & |
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Prep Time: 12 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes |
Ready In: 24 Minutes Servings: 20 |
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These lamb fritters were first prepared towards the end of the 16th century when French beans were introduced to Turkey. Made by many different Eastern Mediterranean countries, the cucumber and yoghurt combination can form a delightfully refreshing accompaniment to many mezze dishes. Ingredients:
olive oil (for frying) |
150 g lean ground lamb |
150 g french style green beans, trimmed |
1 tablespoon flour |
4 eggs, lightly beaten |
2 tablespoons chopped coriander |
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice |
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
sea salt |
fresh ground black pepper |
1 lebanese cucumber (smaller cucumber) |
1 cup thick natural unsweetened plain yogurt |
2 tablespoons chopped mint |
sea salt |
fresh ground black pepper |
Directions:
1. Fritters.
2. Heat a frying pan, add a little oil and then the lamb mince and cook for 5-8 minutes till the lamb is lightly browned and crumbly. Remove from the heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
3. Slice the beans into 5mm rounds and blanch by cooking in plenty of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well then dry on paper towels. Toss the beans in a bowl with the flour until coated with flour.
4. Combine the beans with the cooked lamb mince and then mix in the eggs, coriander, allspice and cinnamon, and season well with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a large non-stick frying pan with enough oil to shallow-fry the fritters. Cook tablespoonfuls of the mixture for 1-2 minutes or until each fritter has set and then turn over to lightly brown the other side. Remove fritters to drain on paper towels.
6. Cucumber & Yoghurt Sauce.
7. Halve the cucumber and then remove the seeds by running a teaspoon down the central seed canal. Discard seeds. Coarsely grate the cucumber flesh and mix with the yoghurt and mint. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 11/2 cups.
8. To Serve
9. Serve fritters warm with the yoghurt and cucumber sauce for dipping. Makes 20.
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