International Recipes: Bine Longhe Soave Classico and Middle Eastern Kofta Meatballs

Kofta is a traditional Middle Eastern dish that is popular and enjoyed all over the world; it consists of flavorful meatballs served on a skewer, which are usually made with ground lamb or a mixture of beef and lamb. These meatballs have a particularly rich and full-bodied flavor, thanks to the meat and spices, and a pleasant hint of mint.

For this type of meat and the recipe’s spicy seasoning, we recommend pairing it with Bine Longhe Soave Classico DOC, whose savory notes balance the dish’s flavor well.

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Ingredients

Ground lamb, 640 g

5 mint leaves

1 fresh chili pepper

3 sprigs of thyme

Cumin, 8 g

Zest of half a lemon

Black pepper and salt

2 cloves of garlic

To make kofta (Middle Eastern meatballs), finely chop the mint leaves, then cut the chili pepper in half lengthwise, remove the seeds with the tip of a knife, and mince it. Place the lamb in a bowl along with the chopped mint and chili pepper. Combine the thyme leaves and cumin, grate the zest of half a lemon, crush the garlic, and mix vigorously with your hands to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. Season with salt and pepper, then shape the mixture you’ve prepared into elongated meatballs weighing about 80 g each, and thread them onto skewers: with these quantities, you should end up with 8 pieces. Once you’re done, preheat the grill, then cook the meat for 2 minutes on each side, turning it to ensure even cooking. Once the required time has elapsed, turn off the heat and serve the kofta piping hot.