Potato Cakes stuffed with Lamb

These are brilliant things - like mini moussaka or shepherds pie, only slightly more Middle Eastern tasting. Perfect eaten hot when just cooked - with a dollop of yoghurt, rocket and chilli salad; or the next day warmed up for 15 mins in the oven. Greek salad (of course without the Feta) is also a great friend to this potato cake!

Potato Dough

  • 800g Potatoes (Red ones or a floury type)
  • 1 Tbsp Plain Flour

Lamb

  • 200g finely minced Lamb Shoulder (with fat cut off where possible)
  • 1 Onion
  • 3 Cloves, ground to powder
  • 3 Cardamon Pods, ground
  • 1 Tsp Cinammon
  • 50g Pine Nuts
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 2 Tbsp Water
  • Parsley

 

This is a Moro recipe – and another good reason for buying all three of their lovely books…  Casa Moro is full of great ideas – and this recipe also works really well with beef (with smoked paprika and chilli rather than spices and pine nuts).

Boil your potatoes – make sure they are soft but not too wet – drain and cool before peeling and mashing.  Mix 1 tbsp Plain Flour into the mixture (and a drop of water or oil if too dry) and you should have your dough!

While the potatoes are boiling – make the Lamb Mixture

Lamb is quite fatty so remove as much as possible before getting your butcher to mince it

Chop and gently fry the Onion in a little Olive Oil.  when the onions are nearly done (ie soft and starting to brown), add the Cinnamon and the crushed Cloves and Cardamon Seeds and give it another 2 minutes or so

Add the Lamb and leave it to brown on the heat (don’t stir too often otherwise it won’t get that lovely brown crust that adds to the flavour).  When it has had 10 minutes or so – add a tablespoon of Tomato Puree and 2 of water together with 50g of Pine Nuts and a handful of chopped Parsley.  Stir and take off the heat to cool down

When you are ready to fry – make your patties by dividing the dough into 4 and squashing each pattie into a round about 1cm thick

Take each pattie, put a tablespoon of Lamb into the middle, and join all the edges up to make little potato parcels.  Squash all the edges together, and patch up cracks or crevices with more potato dough!  They should end up looking like discs of potato, but really thick and quite large ones!

Heat up 4mm of oil and cook each one for 5 mins or so on each side – or until there is a lovely brown crust on the side you are cooking (don’t move them around too often, otherwise they’ll break up).  When one side is done, flip them over and leave again to let a crust form on the underside

Drain on kitchen paper – you can keep them warm in the oven while you finish frying them

Great with rocket salad – also with aubergine – and beans!

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