Kiymàdàn Firin Kèbàbi

Ingredients

• 3.5 pounds leg of mutton (or any other part of raw mutton) (Use 3–4 lb. A leg is traditional, but shoulder or neck work well. Ask your butcher to mince it, or use a food processor at home.)
• 3 medium onions (Peeled and finely chopped.)
• 2 tablespoons fresh butter (Unsalted butter is closest to fresh butter historically. Use enough to coat the pan and fry the onions.)
• 0.5 handful (approx. 3 tablespoons) skinned pistachios (Use raw, unsalted pistachios with the skins removed. To skin, briefly blanch in boiling water and rub off the skins.)
• 0.5 handful (approx. 3 tablespoons) currants (Dried currants. They add a subtle sweetness to balance the savoury meat.)
• 1 teaspoon salt (A little salt — adjust to taste.)
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (Freshly ground if possible.)
• 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon (Ground cinnamon.)
• 1 piece (approx. 300–400g) caul-fat (Caul-fat is a lacy, web-like membrane from a pig or lamb. Order from a butcher. Soak in cold water for 10–15 minutes before use to make it pliable, then gently pat dry.)

Instructions

1. 1Before you begin cooking, soak the caul-fat in a bowl of cold water for 10–15 minutes to make it pliable and easy to handle. This prevents tearing when you wrap the parcels later. After soaking, gently lift it out and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Set aside on a clean surface.
2. 2If your butcher has not already minced the mutton, cut the meat into rough chunks, removing any very large pieces of sinew, then pass it through a meat mincer or pulse it in a food processor until finely minced. You should have roughly 3–4 pounds (1.4–1.8 kg) of minced mutton. Set aside.
3. 3Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7). This is what the recipe calls a 'hot oven'. Allow at least 15 minutes for the oven to reach full temperature before baking.
4. 4Place a wide stewpan or frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fresh butter and let it melt without browning. Add the three chopped onions and stir them around. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened and turned translucent but are not yet golden — this is what 'partly fried' means. They should still have a little bite to them.
5. 5Add the minced mutton to the pan with the partly-fried onions. Scatter over the skinned pistachios, currants, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Stir everything together well with a spoon, making sure the spices and dried fruit are evenly distributed through the meat.
6. 6Continue to stir the mixture over a medium heat for about 5–7 minutes until the minced mutton is also partly fried — it should be mostly cooked through but still have some moisture remaining. It will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly so it is easier to handle when wrapping.
7. 7Lay the soaked, patted-dry caul-fat out flat on a clean work surface. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut it into pieces roughly the size of vine leaves — approximately 12–15 cm (5–6 inches) square. You want pieces large enough to wrap a small handful of the meat mixture. Don't worry if the pieces are not perfectly uniform; caul-fat tears easily so work gently.
8. 8Place a piece of caul-fat flat on your work surface. Spoon a portion of the minced meat mixture (roughly 2–3 tablespoons) into the centre of the piece. Fold the edges of the caul-fat up and over the filling to form a small cup shape, a ball, or any neat shape you prefer — the caul-fat will cling to itself and hold its shape without needing to be tied. Repeat with the remaining meat and caul-fat pieces until all the filling is used up. Place each finished parcel seam-side down on a baking tin.
9. 9Place the baking tin in the preheated hot oven (220°C / 425°F). Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the caul-fat has rendered down and the parcels are nicely browned all over. The caul-fat will almost melt away, leaving a golden, slightly crispy coating on the outside of each parcel. Check at 20 minutes — they are ready when they are a deep golden brown colour and cooked through.
10. 10Remove the baking tin from the oven. Using a spatula or tongs, carefully arrange the browned parcels on a warm serving plate. Arrange them neatly and serve immediately while hot.