Make mine mince!

Give your old favourites a new taste twist

A lighter alternative to the classic Middle Eastern kofta. Please don’t skip the pomegranate arils, as they add bursts of sweetness and colour.

Preparation time 15 mins plus 30 mins chilling Cooking time 10 mins Serves 4

500g chicken mince

3 cloves garlic, finely grated 1 green shallot, finely chopped 3 Tbsp finely chopped

flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 Tbsp finely chopped mint

leaves, plus extra to serve 2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp fine salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper Hummus, to serve

Labne, to serve

Arabic bread, to serve Lemon wedges, to serve Pomegranate arils, to serve

TOMATO SALAD

250g punnet mixed cherry

tomatoes, quartered

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 green shallot, thinly sliced Arils (seeds) from ½ pomegranate,

plus extra to garnish Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground

black pepper, to season

STEP 1 To make koftas, mix mince, garlic, shallot, herbs, spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl until well combined, using your hands to thoroughly mix.

STEP 2 Form ¼ cup of mixture into a log then thread onto a metal skewer, using your hands to squeeze the mince mixture firmly onto the skewer. Transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining mince mixture to make 8 skewers, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

STEP 3 Heat a chargrill over high heat. Cook koftas on grill for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

STEP 4 Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shallot and pomegranate arils in a large bowl. Season and toss well. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow flavours to infuse. Serve koftas with tomato salad, hummus, labne, Arabic bread, lemon wedges, pomegranate arils and extra mint.

Labne is a thick strained yoghurt, sold plain or marinated in herbs and oil