Lamb Kofta with Tabbouleh and Yoghurt

Ingredients

• 600g lamb mince (20% fat)
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• 15g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
• 150g bulgur wheat
• 60g fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and fine stems finely chopped
• 20g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 200g natural yoghurt
• 10g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 4 warm flatbreads, to serve
• fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, to finish
• sumac, to dust, to serve
• extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle, to serve
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Tip the bulgur into a heatproof bowl, pour over 250ml boiling water, stir once, cover tightly with a plate and leave for 20 minutes — the steam does the work, and the grain should drink every drop.
2. Meanwhile, combine the lamb mince, cumin, ground coriander, paprika, cinnamon and chilli flakes in a large bowl. The spices go in raw here but they'll bloom in the fat of the lamb as it sears — toasting in a dry pan first would dry them out before they hit the meat.
3. Add the grated garlic, grated onion and chopped parsley. Season generously with salt and pepper — kofta needs more salt than you think, because half of it leaches out as the meat cooks. Mix firmly with your hands for a minute until the mixture turns slightly tacky and holds its shape when pressed.
4. Divide into 12 portions and shape each around a skewer or roll into a firm oval roughly 10cm long. Brush lightly with olive oil. Chill for 10 minutes if you have time — cold kofta hold their shape on the grill.
5. Get a griddle pan ripping hot over a high flame until it's smoking lightly, or fire a grill to high. Lay the kofta down in a single layer with space between each one — crowd the pan and they steam in their own moisture instead of charring. Work in two batches if your pan is small.
6. Cook for 10–12 minutes total, turning every 3–4 minutes, until deeply charred on the outside with no pink at the centre. The spices will smell properly fragrant once they hit the heat — that's the bloom you want, where raw cumin turns warm and nutty.
7. While the kofta cook, stir together the yoghurt, chopped mint, grated garlic and the juice of half a lemon. The garlic is going in raw here so keep it to one clove, finely grated — any more and it bullies the mint. Season with salt and set aside.
8. Fluff the bulgur with a fork and spread it onto a board for 2 minutes to cool — warm, not steaming, or it wilts the herbs the moment they hit it.
9. Tip the bulgur into a large bowl with the chopped parsley, mint, diced tomatoes and spring onions. Pour over the extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice from both lemons, season well and toss until everything is glossy and evenly dressed. Taste — it should be sharp, herby and properly seasoned. Adjust now, not at the table.
10. Spoon the mint yoghurt across the base of a serving platter, pile the tabbouleh alongside, and lay the charred kofta on top. Scatter with parsley leaves, dust generously with sumac, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and tuck the lemon wedges around the edge for squeezing over at the table. Warm flatbreads alongside.