KIBBEH

KIBBEH

If Lebanon were a dish, would it be a tabouleh, a manousheh (flatbread), or a kibbeh? Of all traditional Lebanese dishes, nothing has as many regional variations and interpretations as kibbeh. Kibbeh is a very finely minced puréed mixture—mainly of meat or fish, or in vegetarian versions pumpkin, lentils, or potatoes— and fine bulgur, seasoned with onion, salt, pepper, and fragrant herbs. Marjoram is the kibbeh herb, and a pot of it growing on a windowsill is a must in every house. From Zgharta’s purest kibbeh to the South’s most fragrant the’wishet kebbeh to the vegetarian versions or the Armenian vospov kofte (Armenian for “lentil kibbeh”), it is hard to choose. Even so, Zgharta is the kibbeh capital of Lebanon, the place where kibbeh has evolved into more than 30 different recipes, shapes, tastes, and mixtures. There is kebbeh nayieh (raw meat kibbeh, a must on a mezze table), arrass (fried kibbeh balls), sanyieh (oven baked in a pan), bi-laban (in a yogurt sauce), arnabyieh (orange and tahini sauce), batata (potato), hummus (chickpea), and many more. The traditional way to obtain the fine, smooth meat purée was to hand-grind the meat in a jorn (a huge stone mortar), in the Northern style; or to “beat” it on a blatta (a white marble plaque) with a wooden hammer, in the Southern style. The texture of the meat ground in this way is incomparable, as it keeps some bite to it, even if finely puréed. Nowadays, when making kibbeh at home, we use a meat grinder or food processor

pumpkin kibbeh

(kebbet laa’tin)

A Lenten staple, kebbet laa'tin is the definitive mountain vegetarian kibbeh. It is easy to prepare with the garden's bounty of pumpkin (which keeps all year and from harvest to harvest) and wild herbs, the best of which is obviously homeyda, the spring wild sorrel leaves, which add a special lemony taste to the stuffing. If they are unavailable, you could use other leafy greens, such as Swiss chard (the best option after the sorrel) or a mix of available wild leafy greens (kale does a great job in kale countries!). You could try spinach, but sometimes it can be too watery. No matter which alternative you choose, a bit more sumac will give the desired lemony taste. The kibbeh balls keep well uncooked in the freezer. 

Yield: 4 servings For the stuffing: 

¼ cup (50 g) dried chickpeas 

1 medium yellow onion 

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 

14 ounces (390 g) sorrel (or Swiss chard or kale), finely chopped 

1 tablespoon (6 g) ground sumac 

1⁄3 teaspoon of 7 spices (see page 125) 

Salt 

2 ¼ pounds (1 kg) pumpkin 

2 cups (320 g) bulgur 

2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour 

Zest of 1 lemon 

Zest of 1 orange 

2 sprigs of marjoram 

2 sprigs of basil 1 medium yellow onion 

Salt 

Vegetable oil, for frying 

To prepare the stuffing, soak the chickpeas overnight in water to cover. Drain and rub in a kitchen towel to take off the outer skin. Break each chickpea in half. Peeled and halved chickpeas are nicer and tastier in the stuffing. Boil the chickpeas in water to cover for 20 minutes and then drain. 

Chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the cooked chickpeas and the sorrel and stir just to mix well; lower the heat. Season with the sumac, the 7 spices, and salt to taste. 

Peel the pumpkin and cut it into cubes. Boil in water to cover for 20 minutes until tender and then drain and squeeze well with your hands.Add the bulgur (without washing or soaking it) to the warm pumpkin and knead well to soak the bulgur. Add the flour as needed to obtain a good dough. Add the lemon and orange zests. Finely chop the marjoram and basil, finely grate the onion, and add to the mixture. Season to taste with salt. 

Heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a deep pot or skillet until hot. Shape the kibbeh into walnut-size balls (see page 16) and then deep-fry in the hot oil until light gold all over. Let drain and cool on paper towels. Serve at room temperature. 

Many (or most) kitchen chores are (or used to be!) a tribal affair. Women are not alone in the kitchen for such "impossible tasks" as rolling grape leaves, baking maa'moul, or shaping kibbeh balls. Rather, family women, or neighbors, all get together around the working table and get the "impossible tasks" done. In a group, it’s faster and easier, and it has the air of a social gathering. The task maestro is 

often the grandma, and she is the one to distribute the jobs and to check on the end result.

SHAPING KIBBEH BALLS: A TRIBAL AFFAIR

Learning to shape kibbeh balls properly is required to obtain the title of a proper housewife. A kibbeh (kbaibet) is shaped like a rugby ball (other shapes, and names, exist, but let's stick to rugby for now!), with pointed ends, the thinnest crust of kibbeh, and the maximum amount of stuffing … it is not very easy for a beginner! But it is possible to learn. To shape a kibbeh ball, take a walnutsize piece of kibbeh dough, form it into a round, and, holding it with your left hand, start digging into it with your right index finger to shape a round bowl. Dip your finger into cold water so it doesn’t stick to the kibbeh and turn the bowl in the palm of your left hand, with your right index finger digging into it to build a deeper bowl, more like a drinking glass shape by