Kebab Kubideh
large yellow onion, peeled and grated (i run it through my immersion blender’s chopping attachment, which purees it perfectly)
1/2 lb ground lamb + 1/2 lb ground beef (or 1 lb beef)
1 clove garlic peeled and finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp paprika
1 pinch saffron threads
1 tbsp butter, melted
ground sumac & lemon wedges (optional garnish)
Drain the grated onions in a sieve over a bowl for 2 hours. Press onions to release more juice. (Onion juice is good to use in soups — I use mine to cook some carrots, then whizz them with yogurt & milk to make a soup, flavored with fresh dill or middle-eastern spices.) Add onion pulp to large bowl, then add meat, garlic, egg, crumbs, salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika; mix well. Divide into eighths and make each into a 5″ cylinder, and slide it onto a large flat wide metal skewer, forming and flattening around the skewer — if you don’t have this type of flat skewer, just do as I do and make 8-10 rectangles about 8″x1.5″ and 1/4″ thick. Melt the butter and crumble in the saffron (or crush it in a mortar, then add). (Technically, this step is supposed to be toast saffron 30 seconds in dry pan, crush, add 1 tbsp boiling water, then add butter to melt. I’ve done the shortcut with no ill effect.) Brush kebabs with saffron butter and grill over medium hot coals or in a grill pan or cast iron skillet, brushing each side with more butter as you go. This brushing with saffron butter is the key to the deliciousness, so don’t skip. Serve with buttered basmati rice and grilled tomato halves, and sprinkle with sumac and/or offer lemon wedges if you like. I also make a yogurt/dried mint/chopped cucumber salad to go with this.