There are those recipes we go back to again and again; you know, the ones that really make our taste buds sing, or that comfort us when nothing else can. Or that we just love to eat over and over again. This is one of those recipes for Doug and I. I’ve been making Lamb Köfte, aka lamb meatballs, ever since this recipe first appeared in the January 2010 issue of Bon Appetit two years ago.
The meatballs are served with fried onions, pita bread and two sauces—a simple yogurt sauce and muhammara, a roasted red pepper spread that easily comes together in the food processor. I use a different muhammara recipe than the one that appeared with the original köfte recipe in Bon Appetit—I think the traditional version is a bit more flavorful, if slightly more time intensive. I’ve included my favorite version below, which, by the way, you can also serve as a dip with pita chips or vegetables.
And so every few months, like clockwork, our bellies begin to grumble for a taste of the Middle East—the earthy flavor of the lamb meatballs, the taste of the bright and sweet roasted red pepper spread (aka muhammara), the clean tangy yogurt sauce spiked with tahini, and the chewy goodness of warm pita bread. My stomach is growling just thinking about it.
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