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Recipe

KOFTA WITH TAHINI, POTATO, AND ONION

by Michael Cardy

This is a rich dish, thanks to the tahini. If you want to lighten things up, the potatoes can be replaced with florets of cauliflower. Other vegetables also work, including cubes of butternut squash or pumpkin. If you do this, the cauliflower will need 5 minutes less in the oven than the potatoes and the squash or pumpkin will need about 5 minutes more.

Ingredients

FOR THE POTATOES:
• 3 russet potatoes (1 lb 2 oz/500g), peeled and cut into roughly ½-inch/1.5cm dice (2 cups/470g)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

FOR THE KOFTA:

• 9 oz/250g ground lamb (at least 20% fat)
• 9 oz/250g ground beef (at least 20% fat)
• ½ onion, coarsely grated (½ cup/75g)
• 1 large plum tomato, coarsely grated and skin discarded (½ cup/90g)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ¾ tsp ground allspice
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp Aleppo chile flakes (or ½ tsp regular chile flakes)
• ½ cup/10g parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and black pepper

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE & GARNISH:
• 7 tbsp/125g tahini
• ⅓ cup/80g Greek yogurt
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• ¾ tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ cup/120ml water
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 onion, thinly sliced (1¼ cups/150g)
• ¼ cup/5g parsley leaves
• ¼ cup/25g pine nuts, lightly toasted (see ‘Nuts,’ page 339)
• ½ tsp Aleppo chile flakes (or ¼ tsp regular chile flakes)

Directions

1. PREPARE AND BAKE POTATOES:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tbsp of oil, ½ tsp of salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. ADJUST OVEN TEMPERATURE:
Increase the oven temperature to 475°F.

3. PREPARE KOFTA:
To make the kofta, meanwhile, put all the ingredients into another medium bowl with 1 tsp of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Shape into 12 little torpedo-shaped pieces, each weighing about 2 oz/55g. Set aside.

4. PREPARE TAHINI SAUCE:
Put the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and water into a medium bowl with ¾ tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Whisk together well, until smooth and slightly runny, and set aside until needed.

5. COOK KOFTA AND ONION:
Put the remaining 1 tbsp of oil into a large ovenproof sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the kofta and the sliced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the kofta are lightly colored and the onion has softened. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 4 minutes, or until the kofta are cooked through and the onion has lightly browned.

6. COMBINE AND FINISH:
Remove from the oven, stir in the potatoes, and pour on the tahini sauce. Swirl the pan, so that the sauce gets distributed, and return to the oven for a final 4 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before topping with the parsley, pine nuts, and chile flakes. Serve directly from the pan.

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