CYPRIOT MEATBALL RECIPE

Captured by The Recipe Hunters in Cyprus

A delicious Cypriot meatball recipe made of potatoes and meat, plus a bunch of delicious savory spices and fresh herbs! There is nothing quite like biting into these crispy little logs whose crunch breaks away to a juicy flavorful inside. These meatballs are known as Patates Köftesi in Turkish and Keftedes in Greek. Depending on the crowd they can work as an entree or side dish. They are best eaten hot! We learned this recipe from the lovely Fatimah, who runs and cooks for her family's restaurant in Girne, Cyprus! To find out more about Fatimah, click here.

RECIPE

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Prep time: 40 min.

Serves 6 people

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Making the Meatballs

1. Wash & Peel potatoes.

2. In one large baking pan, grate in 4 of the potatoes and the garlic using the cheese grater with the edge that slices medium sized shreds. Made with Love Tip: garlic is used to take away the meat smell. Some people use breadcrumbs instead. 

3. Grate 2 of the potatoes and an onion using the cheese grater with the edge that slices medium sized shreds. Mix the meats together and add to the bowl. Made with Love Tip: I put my onions in the freezer to avoid tears especially if I grate them.

4. Dice up fresh parsley or mint and add it to the potatoes and onion.

5. Add the salt, crushed cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and wild thyme.

6. Crack in one egg.

7. Squeeze in the lemon juice.

8. Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together. After the ingredients are evenly distributed, place the meat mixture into a strainer and push out the water by squeezing and kneading it like bread dough. 

9. Once the liquid is strained, add a sprinkle of baking powder. This is my best Made with Love Tip, because it allows the entire meatball to fully cook. 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large potatoes, peeled

• 1 large onion, peeled

• 1/2 bunch of parsley or mint

• 300 g minced lamb meat (without fat removed) 

• 300 g Beef minced meat (reduced fat) 

• 1 clove of garlic

• .5 tablespoons of salt

• .5 tablespoons of cumin

• .5 tablespoons of crushed cinnamon

• .5 tablespoon of black pepper

• 1 teaspoon of wild thyme

• 1 egg

• .25 lemon, juiced

• Sunflower oil

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• paper towels

• large deep frying pan

Forming the Meatballs

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1. Take a golf ball sized piece of meat mix.

2. Squeeze the mix in one hand and then the other to remove some liquid but dont squeeze too hard otherwise your meat will become too dry.

3. Roll the meat in between your hands to form a “sausage shaped” log.

4. Place the log to the side and repeat until all the meat mix is rolled up.

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Frying the Meatballs

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When frying you want to be prepared by creating an assembly line process: adding the meatballs, frying them, placing them over the paper towels to absorb any residual oil.

1. Line a drying rack or plate with two pieces of paper towel.

2. Add a three inch layer of sunflower oil to a large frying pan and place the flame on high.

3. Place a tiny piece of the mixture into the frying pan to test if the oil is hot enough.

4. Upon adding a piece of meat, if the oil fizzles without splattering, you are ready to start!

5. If it splatters, lower the heat.

6. Add as many of the sausage logs as possible.

7. Once they brown, flip them over using tongs or a slotted spoon.

8. Once they turn golden brown, remove them to the paper towel.

9. Serve warm and enjoy!

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RECIPE PHOTOS

Fatimah's Patates Köftesi Recipe

Captured by The Recipe Hunters: Leila Elamine & Anthony Morano