Yogurtlu Kebap

• servings: Kofta Kebabs with Tomato

Ingredients

KOFTA

4 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed

2 pounds lean ground lamb or beef

½/2 small Spanish onion, grated (1 cup)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs

1 tablespoon paprika, plus 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus 1 tablespoon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

TOMATO SAUCE

1½ tablespoons virgin olive oil

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (21 cups)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pita breads

1 recipe Yogurt-Garlic Sauce (page 13)

14 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ teaspoon Turkish red pepper or ground red pepper

Directions

To make the kofta, soak the bread in cold water briefly, then squeeze the excess water out. Combine the lamb or beef, bread, onion, garlic, eggs, I tablespoon paprika, cumin, and 1/3 cup parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix to-gether, using your hands to mix the ingredients for about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the meat for about 30 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir in the tomatoes.Cook for about I minute, mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher or a fork, until they form a puree. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

Prepare a charcoal grill

With moistened hands—keep a bowl of warm water nearby divide the chilled meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Hold a skewer upright with one hand, and with the other hand form the meat into a sausage shape on the skewer. Start at the lower end and work your way to the tip of the skewer by gently pressing the meat against it, opening and closing your hands with a continuous quick motion.

Place the koftas on a hot grill set 5 inches above the coals. Grill the meat for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-cooked meat, 6 minutes on each side for well done. Turn the meat frequently during. cooking.

While the koftas are grilling, warm the pita bread and cut it into I-inch cubes. Divide the bread among 4 warmed plates.

Pull out the skewer from each kofta and cut each one into 4 or 5 slices. Place the slices on top of the pita bread. Spoon the warm tomato sauce over the meat and top it with the yogurt-garlic sauce.

Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in I teaspoon paprika, I tablespoon parsley, and the Turkish red pepper. Drizzle this mixture over the yogurt-garlic sauce. Serve at once.