The best lamb koftas

Name: The best lamb koftas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: ½ large onion; 2 cloves garlic; 500 g pack 20% fat British lamb mince; 1 tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Rose Harissa Paste; 4 dried apricots, finely chopped; 25 g pack mint, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus extra to serve; 25 g pack coriander, leave and stalks finely chopped, plus extra to serve; 1½ tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; ½ g ground cinnamon; ¼ g ground allspice; 1 tsp fine sea salt; Harissa paste, to serve; Flatbreads, warmed, to serve; Pomegranate seeds, to serve

Generously spiced minced meat, moulded around skewers and grilled until caramelised but still juicy in the centre. Martha Collison's koftas couldn’t be easier to make and will add a smack of flavour to your barbecue platter.

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Serves6
CourseLunch
Prepare15 mins
Cook10 mins
Total time25 mins
Plussoaking if using wooden skewers (see tip)

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½ large onion
2 cloves garlic
500g pack 20% fat British lamb mince
1 tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Rose Harissa Paste
4 dried apricots, finely chopped
⅓ x 25g pack mint, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus extra to serve
⅓ x 25g pack coriander, leave and stalks finely chopped, plus extra to serve
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½g ground cinnamon
¼g ground allspice
1 tsp fine sea salt
Harissa paste, to serve
Flatbreads, warmed, to serve
Pomegranate seeds, to serve

For the whipped feta garlic dip

100g feta
75g No.1 Strained Natural Greek Yogurt
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle

Coarsely grate (or finely chop) the onion and garlic cloves. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lamb mince, onion and garlic, rose harissa, apricots, mint, coriander, the spices and salt. Using your hands, mix everything together well, ensuring the spices and herbs are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
Take a soaked 25cm bamboo skewer (see tip). With slightly dampened hands, take one-sixth of the lamb mixture and press it around the skewer, into a cylindrical shape about 15cm long. Press firmly onto the skewer so it holds together and is an even thickness all the way down. Repeat with the remaining skewers, ensuring each is evenly shaped.
Preheat the grill or barbecue to medium-high. Put the skewers under the grill or on the barbecue and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until gently charred and throughly cooked with no pink meat and juices that remain clear.
While the koftas cook, prepare the dip. In a food processor or blender, combine the feta, Greek yogurt, garlic and 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Blitz briefly until smooth and creamy – don’t overblitz or the mixture will become too runny. Season to taste, then spoon into a dish and top with a drizzle more oil.
Once the koftas are cooked, remove from the skewers and arrange on a platter. Serve with the whipped feta dip, a smear of harissa and the flatbreads, garnished with a few extra mint or coriander sprigs and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.

Cook’s tip

Soaking skewers
If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. This will prevent them from burning. You can also cover the ends in foil before cooking, just to make sure.

Cooking them in a pan
Shape the meat into fatter sausage shapes, without using the skewers. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the koftas for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until thoroughly cooked, as above.

Making ahead
You can prepare the kofta mixture a day ahead and chill it, which allows the flavours to develop even more. Leave out the salt, as this will toughen the mince. Add it just before shaping onto skewers for cooking.

Feeding a crowd
Lamb tastes fantastic, but can be expensive, so if I’m making a big batch, I use a mixture of lamb and beef mince to keep the cost down. The flavours work well together – just be sure to choose 20% fat mince so they don’t turn out too dry

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe