Turkish Meatballs

My paternal grandparents' summer house was in Sarkoy, a small village on the Marmara Sea coast in the Thrace region. My dad used to drive us up the coast to spend a week with my maternal grandparents at the end of every summer.

My granddad, a retired captain pilot, was a man of leisure and he knew how to have a good time. His day always started with an early morning walk with his buddies. After breakfast, he would pack up his gear and go to prepare his bright red boat to take us fishing. My dad would put a piece of bait on the fishing line and then give one to me and one to my brother. There would always be a competition, who will catch the first fish, the biggest fish or the most fish. We would spend hours on the boat trying.

Then at night time my granddad would cook the catch of the day. As he was serving the fish, my dad would announce this one is Zeynep's catch or Yalin's catch and my mom and grandma would be shouting "Bravo" and clapping at each announcement enthusiastically.

Another favourite memory from the Sarkoy era is the grand picnics that used to take place with all my grandparents' friends. Everyone would start preparing early in the morning and pack the cars. By mid-morning, a convoy of cars would drive to Ucmakdere, a little cove of paradise on the outskirts of a coastal village that could only be reached by a one-lane dirt road winding on a mountain cliff.

Blankets would be laid under the big trees, and men would gather around the flaming charcoal BBQ (as no other would do), already pouring the first round of ice cold raki while waiting for the mezzes to be ready. Melons and watermelons would be lowered to the cold waters of the sea to ensure they are cooled by the time feta is served. The women would be busy slicing tomatoes, cucumbers and freshly baked bread and unpacking plate after plate of delicious food.

We, the children, would run around giggling, splashing water or climbing trees until the smell of delicious char-grilled kofte (meatballs) filled the air luring us back to our mothers to demand a feed. Let me assure you, as a kid, there is nothing like biting into a sizzling hot meatball sandwiched in between two pieces of fresh Turkish bread when you are famished.

Once the adults had a round of food and alcohol, the music would start. One would be playing an instrument, another would be singing and then as the afternoon carried on, more singers would join the chorus. Every now and then, raki glasses would be raised for another round of "Serefe (Cheers)" in between the lyrics. As the dusk arrived, everything would be packed back in the cars and we would head back home as my brother and I dozed off in the back exhausted but happy from a big day out.

The only thing that could top up those summer picnics are the "Mangalda sucuk ve sarap (grilled Turkish salami and wine)" parties of my teenage years that my dad organised out in the snow, but that is a story for another time.

Traditionally, kofte mince is a combination of half veal and half lamb mince. You can either cook these on a frying or grill pan or on the grill side of your BBQ. I would suggest to use a regular mince if you prefer to BBQ as the fat content in the regular mix would help keep the meatballs moist and avoid them to dry out. Another thing to remember is that fattier mince shrinks quite a lot when cooked so make sure you do not make the meatballs too small. 

I normally make a big batch and put them in portioned containers or freezer bags and freeze them. If you place cling wrap in between layers, it makes it easier to remove after defrosting. Alternatively, you can cook them halfway before freezing.

Also sometimes I get lazy and instead of making them into meatballs, chuck the whole mince into a pyrex, flatten it, cover it with aluminium foil and cook it in a preheated oven at 180 C (fan forced) for about 30 minutes. I then remove the foil and cook for another 15-20 minutes (depending on how well cooked you like it.) I then cut it into squares and serve with some pilav. And how do you cook Turkish pilav? Well, we'll get to that soon.


Kofte (Turkish Meatballs)

Ingredients:

500 gr premium mince
3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 large brown onion (finely diced)
½ bunch of parsley finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp of each ground cumin, salt, black pepper
3 tbsp water


Here is how:

Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Mix them all to combine and kneed the mixture as a dough for about 15-20 minutes. The mixture should all come together in a nice and even consistency and you should be able to lift it up all in one piece from the bowl. That is how you will know it is ready.

Cover with cling wrap and leave it to rest for at least half an hour in the fridge.

When ready to cook, take a piece of the mince mixture and form it into balls, slightly flatten them and line them in a plate. The size of the meatballs is up to you but I like mine about 5 cm in diameter once flattened. 

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and when the oil starts to sizzle, reduce the heat to low and place the meatballs in the pan and cook on each side until they are browned. You can also cook them on the BBQ or a grill pan.