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Kubbeh Scotch egg

Kubbeh Scotch egg is the perfect example of how I combine my Middle Eastern background with my life in the UK and come up with something a little Eastern and a little Western!

May 23, 2019 at 2:13 pm

I enjoy fusing food and culture together and taking inspiration from the countries I have lived in to make tasty new creations. This dish is the perfect example of how I combine my Middle Eastern background with my life in the UK and come up with something a little Eastern and a little Western!

Kubbeh is a dish which originated in the Levant and which is made differently across the various countries, with Syria and Iraq making the most variety of kubbehs! Today I am taking the standard kubbeh mix, made of bulgur wheat and minced meat, and stuffing it with a soft boiled egg, instead of a minced meat and pine nut mixture, to make my own Levantine answer to a Scotch egg.

Traditionally, kubbeh was made in a stone mortar with a wooden pestle by grinding the bulgur wheat and mince until it was a paste. But who has time for that now? I highly recommend finding yourself a good Middle Eastern butcher who either sells the kubbeh mix in his shop or is willing to make it for you in his meat grinder. This gives you the best texture. Otherwise, if you have a meat grinder at home, it is super easy to make or you could even use a food processor. Check out my past kubbeh recipe for detailed instructions.

I chose to add dried mint and chilli flakes to the kubbeh to echo the flavour in the yogurt dipping sauce I am going to make with this. When forming your kubbeh, make sure your dough is cold and you have a bowl of cold water next to you, so you can dip your hands in it and use it to shape your kubbeh. Make sure the thickness of the kubbeh dough is uniform so that it cooks evenly, and make sure you have no holes in the dough and it completely covers the egg.

When frying these, you could either use a deep fryer or shallow fry them in a pan, making sure to turn them twice on each side so that neither side gets too dark. While the kubbeh fries, you can make the dipping sauce, which is super simple. It is just garlic, yogurt, salt, mint and chilli flakes… so simple but it is the perfect accompaniment to the dish, so don’t leave it out!

Once your kubbeh is fried, place it on a kitchen towel for a few seconds to remove any excess oil, and serve alongside the dipping sauce as for breakfast, as an appetiser, or even suhoor! It is sure to impress.

Ingredients

Kubbeh

  • 550g kubbeh mix
  • 2 tbsp dried mint
  • Chilli flakes to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 6 large eggs

Dip

  • 300g yogurt
  • Chilli flakes to taste
  • 1.5 tsp dried mint
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. First, we boil our eggs. The timing will depend on how runny you like your yolks, I like mine only slightly runny so I boil them for 6-7 minutes. Once they are done, immediately run them under cold water, crack them, and then let them sit in cold water for a few minutes. The water will seep in and help separate the shell from the egg. Peel and set aside.
  2. For the kubbeh, mix in the mint, salt, and chilli flakes and then begin to form a small pocket for your egg. Make sure you wet your hands with cold water periodically to stop the mix from sticking to your hands and to act as a glue and smooth over any cracks or gaps in your kubbeh. You also want to make sure the thickness of the kubbeh mix is uniform all around to ensure it cooks evenly. Once the egg is fully covered in the kubbeh mix and formed into an egg/circle shape, set aside.
  3. When you are ready to fry the kubbeh, heat your oil, either is a deep fryer or shallow fry them in a pot. Once the oil is hot, carefully lower the kubbeh into the oil. I like to use a spoon to lower them in because they are quite dense and heavy and will splash oil if you drop them in. If shallow frying, fry for 5 minutes on each side, making sure to turn the kubbeh over twice on each side to make sure one side doesn’t get too dark.
  4. While the kubbeh is frying, make the dip. Start by crushing the garlic in a mortar and pestle until it forms a paste. Add it to the yogurt, along with the rest of the ingredients. Give it a taste and adjust to your liking.
  5. When the kubbeh is cooked, place it on kitchen towel for a few seconds to remove any excess oil. Serve with the dip. This dish is perfect for breakfast, as an appetiser, or even at Suhoor! Enjoy.