Mezze: köfte, haydari and pork skewers

By Birgitta

Haydari is a thick yoghurt dip with crushed walnuts and dill. You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

• Lemon, honey and fennel pork skewers:
• 1 kg piece of boneless female pork belly, cut into 2cm pieces
• 125 g honey
• 2 lemons, juice only
• 2 tsp crushed fennel seeds
• 12 vine leaves in brine, drained, halved
• Haydari :
• 500 g sheep’s milk yoghurt
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dill
• 55 g (1/3 cup) finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Köfte:
• 400 g each finely minced lean beef and lean lamb
• 75 g fine fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mint
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander
• Large pinch chilli powder
• Cucumber salad:
• 2 tbsp caramelised red wine vinegar (see note)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 Lebanese cucumber, peeled
• 1/4 cup each (firmly packed) chervil, dill and flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from gourmettraveller.com.au

Preparation

Step 1

1 For lemon, honey and fennel pork skewers, combine pork, honey, lemon juice and fennel seeds in a non-reactive dish. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

2 Meanwhile, for haydari, place yoghurt in a fine sieve over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to drain. Discard drained liquid and transfer yoghurt to a bowl. Add remaining ingredients, season to taste and refrigerate until required.

3 Drain pork and thread 3 pieces onto a skewer, separating each with a folded piece of vine leaf. Refrigerate until required. Makes about 12 skewers.

4 For köfte, combine ingredients in a bowl. Fry a small amount of mixture in a small non-stick pan to check for seasoning, then season mix to taste and roll mixture into golf-sized balls. Makes about 26.

5 Preheat a barbecue or char-grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook skewered pork and köfte, turning occasionally until cooked through (15 minutes).

6 For cucumber salad, combine ingredients in a bowl and toss until honey dissolves. Serve with köfte, pork skewers and haydari.


Note: Caramelised red wine vinegar is available from select delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute with a good-quality cabernet sauvignon vinegar.