Akçaabat köftesi
Akçaabat köftesi: Trabzon's garlicky beef köfte with stale bread and pepper
The town of Akçaabat, just west of Trabzon, is lined with köfte houses whose grills turn out small, oblong, firm meatballs that taste strongly of garlic. Made from beef mince bound with soaked stale bread, they are seared fast so the outside chars while the inside stays juicy, then served with grilled peppers, a pile of onion and parsley, and a white bean salad. Common mistake: overworking the meat with wet hands after the bread has gone in, which turns them dense; knead hard before adding bread, then mix gently. Cook until the centre reaches 71 °C. Chef's tip: rest the shaped köfte in the fridge overnight; they hold their shape on the grill and the garlic mellows into the meat.
- Total time
- 37 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb beef minceabout 20% fat, minced twice if possible
- 2 ⅛ oz stale white breadcrusts removed
- 5 cloves garliccrushed to a paste
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp sunflower oilfor the pan
To serve
- 4 long green peppers (optional)
- 1 red onion (optional)sliced and tossed with parsley and sumac
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 2 ⅛ oz stale white bread in water for 1 minute, then squeeze out as much water as you can and crumble it finely.
Step 2: Knead 1 ⅓ lb beef mince with 5 cloves garlic, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber) for 5 minutes, until sticky and pale. Then add the bread and mix just until it disappears.
5 minStep 3: Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
60 minStep 4: With damp hands, shape into 20 small oblong köfte about 6 cm long and 2 cm thick.
Step 5: Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan brushed with 1 tbsp sunflower oil over a high heat until smoking. Cook the köfte for 3–4 minutes a side, until well browned outside and 160°F in the centre. Cook in batches; don't crowd the pan.
10 minStep 6: Grill or blister 4 long green peppers in the same pan and serve the köfte with them and 1 red onion.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does akçaabat köftesi take?
- About 37 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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