Levantine · 110 min · Hard
Kibbeh — croquettes levantines de boulgour et viande
Often called the national dish of the Levant, kibbeh is a labour of love: a fine paste of bulgur wheat and lean meat (with onion and warm spices) shaped into torpedo-like shells, stuffed with a savoury filling of spiced minced meat, toasted pine nuts and onion, and deep-fried until deeply golden and crisp. Inside, the spiced filling stays juicy. From Syria and Lebanon to Iraq, kibbeh appears in dozens of forms — fried, baked in trays, even raw — but the stuffed fried torpedo is the showpiece, the centrepiece of celebrations and the pride of every home cook.