Turkish-Style Lamb and Shrimp Patties with Tomato-Yogurt Sauce

I saw a recipe awhile back in Bon Appetit that featured small kebabs made with ground lamb and chopped shrimp, which the author described as something of a Middle Eastern take on "surf and turf."   The idea sounded different but nonetheless pretty good to me, but rather than make little appetizer-sized skewers, I went with something a bit larger.

In terms of technique, there isn't really much to these.  Add some chopped shrimp to the lamb, toss in some grated onions, herbs and seasonings, shape the mixture into whatever shape you like (I went with long shapes, which would fit nicely on a pita bread, but circular patties would work just fine, too).   Then toss them on the grill and cook them until they're cooked through.  The result:  a rich, juicy, delicious taste treat like nothing you've ever had. 

As I said, these would go great on a pita, but I didn't have any pita around, so I served them up with a tasty yogurt sauce.   They were just fine that way, too.  On or off the pita, this surf/turf combo is a winner.

Turkish-Style Lamb and Shrimp Patties with Tomato-Yogurt Sauce

yield - 6-8 servings

2 1/2         teaspoons minced garlic
2               teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4         pound ground lamb
1               pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and
                   coarsely chopped
1/2            cup + 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/3            cup grated red onion
2               teaspoons ground cumin
1/2            teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2            teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1               cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1               small tomato, diced
1               tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1               teaspoon chopped fresh mint
                 additional kosher salt and black pepper
1               tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sprinkle the kosher salt over the minced garlic, smearing together to make a paste.  Mix garlic paste with lamb, shrimp, cilantro, onion, cumin, red pepper flakes and black pepper.  Shape the lamb mixture as desired.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix together yogurt, tomato, lemon juice, mint and additional kosher salt and black pepper in a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

Remove the lamb patties from the fridge.  Prepare grill with a medium-hot fire and direct- and indirect-heat areas.   Brush the lamb patties on both sides with olive oil, then grill over direct heat for 6 minutes.  Turn the patties, grill on the other side an additional 6 minutes, then move them to the cooler part of the grill and cook until cooked through (another 5-6 minutes).  Serve the lamb-shrimp patties with the yogurt sauce.

Couscous with Dried Fruit and Almonds

While planning to make the Lamb Chops with Hot Pepper Cherry Sauce featured in yesterday's post, I gave some thought to what I would be serving along with the lamb chops.  Couscous is often served along with lamb in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, and since I hadn't made anything with couscous in awhile, I decided to go with that idea.  I decided adding some chopped fruit - including cherries - to the couscous would make it go well with the fruit-topped lamb chops.  I also knew from experience that nuts go well with couscous, so I decided to add some slivered almonds to provide more flavor and a different texture.  I usually make couscous with broth instead of water to make it more flavorful, and I decided that with the fruit and nuts, I wouldn't need to add much else in the way of seasonings.  Frying the couscous in olive oil before adding the liquid makes the couscous itself more flavorful, so that was a must.  I decided all it needed beyond that was some red onion and cumin, to provide a bit of a Middle Eastern flavor, plus a bit of salt and pepper. 

The couscous turned out great:  Tender and flavorful, with delightful chunks of fruit and/or almonds in every bite.  It did go along great with the lamb chops, and drizzling a bit of the spicy cherry sauce on top made for a delicious combination as well.  This couscous recipe will serve just as well with a lot of other dishes, and particularly those with a fruit sauce.   Since I love to cook meat with fruit sauces, I expect this recipe will be seeing more use in the future.

Couscous with Dried Fruit and Almonds

yield = 4 servings

2                  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2               cup grated red onion
1                  cup large (Israeli or maftoul) couscous
1                  teaspoon ground cumin
1 3/4            cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4               cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4               cup dried cherries, chopped
1/3               cup slivered almonds
1/4               teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4               teaspoon table salt

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.   Add red onion and cook two minutes, then add couscous and cook, stirring often, until golden brown (2-3 minutes). 

Stir in cumin and cook until fragrant (about 45 seconds), then add chicken broth and stir in chopped apricots and cherries, sllivered almonds, pepper and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, then cover the Dutch oven and remove from heat.  The couscous will continue to absorb what liquid remains in the pot.

Stir with a spoon, then serve.

Cooking Tips:
Much of the couscous you find in supermarkets is the standard stuff with really small grains.  That is good, but I personally prefer the larger Israeli and Middle Eastern varieties, which are a bit more flavorful and which hold up better to browning in oil before adding the liquid (the smaller variety is more prone to burning).  This style of couscous can be found most readily in kosher or Middle Eastern groceries.  I've gotten consistently good results with Ziyad brand Mafoul.

This dish is easy to customize to go along with different sorts of fruit sauces.  Simply vary the mix of fruit, using raisins, chopped dried apples or chopped dried cranberries in place of the dried cherries.  I'd leave the apricots, as they are a common ingredient to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking.

Falafel

I love falafel.   I have for years, since I first had it at a Lebanese restaurant while in graduate school, more than two decades ago.  I used to look forward to going to the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Markets on Saturday mornings during the spring through the fall in large part to get some of the falafel served by a vendor who, sadly, eventually moved out of the area.  What I'd never done, until fairly recently, was made falafel myself.    It was about time, and I'm glad I did.

I started by looking up a bunch of falafel recipes.  I ended up utilizing elements from a number of different recipes, attempting to create falafel with just the right texture and mixture of flavors.  I ended up going a bit heavier on the garlic than is the case with many recipes, and I also went with a bit more in the way of herbs, in order to give the falafel both a nice, green color and a more pleasant and complex mix of flavors.  

My first try was a success.  The falafel ended up looking a bit overcooked, which I attribute to probably having the oil a bit too hot (the heat I list in the recipe below is a bit lower than the temperature at which I cooked my falafel, so it should be fine), but they tasted great!   We had ours with ample servings of Tahini Sauce and thin slices of cucumber and tomato.   This made for a really pleasant, filling meal with good leftovers (leftover falafel warms up great in the microwave if covered with a slightly-damp paper towel). 

Falafel

yield =5 servings

1           cup dried chickpeas
1/2        cup chopped red onion
4           garlic cloves, chopped
1/3        cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/3        cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/4        cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3/4        teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2        teaspoon ground coriander
1/2        teaspoon ground cumin
1/2        teaspoon baking powder
1/2        teaspoon  table salt
1/8        teaspoon cayenne pepper
1           cup canola or vegetable oil
5           flatbreads or pita breads
1           recipe Tahini Sauce
             chopped tomatoes and thinly-sliced cucumbers
               or other garnishes to taste

Put the chickpeas in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover them with an inch of water.  Allow the chickpeas to soak at least overnight, but less than 24 hours.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to a food processor along with the onion and garlic.  Pulse to form a coarse puree, then add the mint, parsley, cilantro, pepper, coriander, cumin, baking powder, salt and cayenne and process into a thick, green paste.  Cover and let rest for at least 1/2 hour before cooking to allow the pase to firm up and the flavors to blend.

Form the chickpea mixture into small patties (approximately 16).  Heat oil to 365 degrees in a skillet or Dutch oven.  Add several falafel patties to the pan, making sure to not add so many that they touch.  Cook until golden-brown on one side, then flip and cook until browned on the other side.  Transfer cooked falafel to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, then repeat with the remaining patties.

Serve on pita or flatbread  along with Tahini Sauce, tomato and cucumber slices or other condiments and garnishes to taste.  Fold bread around the other ingredients to form a sandwich.

Other Serving Ideas:
If you're watching carbs, you might like an idea Juli came up with:  Skip the bread and simply spread a bit of the Tahini Sauce atop the cooked Falafel patties, then top with veggies.  These might make for a nice appetizer.

Tahini Sauce

We often have bagels for breakfast.   There's nothing wrong with plain ol' cream cheese on a bagel, of course, but sometimes I like something a bit different than that.   I am very fond of hummus on bagels, for example.   My latest favorite bagel topping is Tahini Sauce.

I first made Tahini Sauce to go with the falafel I made for a weekend lunch recently (more about the falafel in another post), but once I tried it, I realized it would work excellently as a bagel topping.  So I made up another batch and have been using it for just that purpose.   Juli isn't fond of it as a bagel topping - she thinks the savory, garlic flavor is too much for a breakfast food - but I'm loving it.

Tahini Sauce

yield = not quite 1 cup of sauce

1/2               cup tahini
3                  large garlic cloves, chopped
2                  tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4               teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4               teaspoon table salt
1/4               cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2                  tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Add tanihi, garlic, parsley, pepper and salt to a food processor and pulse until blended and smooth.  Transfer to a small mixing bowl. 

Stir in olive oil, lemon juice and sesame seeds.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes, or preferably refrigerate overnight, for the flavors to blend, then serve as a bagel topping or sandwich condiment.

Cooking Tip:
Roasting sesame seeds is pretty easy.  Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until most of them have started to brown.   This takes about 5 minutes.  Toward the end, you will need to be stirring them almost constantly to avoid burning.