Fried Kibbeh

Steps

1. 1
   Rinse the bulgur in a sieve, squeeze it dry and leave it for 15 minutes to soften.
2. 2
   Make the filling: heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the pine nuts for 2 minutes until golden, then lift them out. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, then the 250 g minced lamb, 1/2 tsp of the allspice, the cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of the salt, and fry for 8 minutes until browned and crumbly. Stir in the pine nuts and leave to cool.
3. 3
   Make the shell: blitz the quartered onion in a food processor to a purée, add the lean meat, bulgur, cumin, the remaining allspice and salt and the pepper and process, adding the iced water a spoon at a time, to a smooth, stiff paste that feels like soft clay.
4. 4
   Chill the paste for 30 minutes; cold, it shapes without cracking.
5. 5
   With wet hands, take a piece the size of an egg, roll it into a ball and push a finger into it, turning it against your palm to hollow out a thin, even shell about 5 mm thick.
6. 6
   Fill with a heaped teaspoon of the filling, close the opening and shape into a torpedo with pointed ends, smoothing any cracks with a wet finger.
7. 7
   Heat the sunflower oil to 175°C/350°F and fry the kibbeh in batches for 4–5 minutes, until deep brown and crisp; drain on kitchen paper.
8. 8
   Serve hot or warm with the yoghurt and lemon wedges.