Lamb and bulgur meatballs

Serves four

• 80g bulgur wheat
• 500g minced lamb
• 0.5 onion
• 15g parsley leaves
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.75 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 clove garlic
• 0 black pepper
• 100g feta
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 5g mint leaves
• 4 tsp lemon juice

Step 1
Chop the onions nice and fine, though, so the meatballs stay compact once they’re in the pan.

Step 2
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6.

Step 3
Half-fill a small saucepan with cold water, bring to a boil, and cook the bulgur for three minutes.

Step 4
Drain in a sieve or colander and set aside until dry: you should end up with about 200g of cooked bulgur.

Step 5
Tip the bulgur into a large bowl and add the lamb, onion, parsley, dried mint, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper.

Step 6
Mix well to combine, then gently fold in the feta.

Step 7
Divide the mix into 16 balls, weighing about 55g each, then gently but firmly press together, so they hold their shape later.

Step 8
Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high flame, then fry the meatballs, turning them regularly, for eight to 10 minutes, until golden-brown all over (fry them in batches, if need be).

Step 9
Transfer the browned meatballs to a small baking tray and bake for five minutes, to finish off cooking.

Step 10
Serve four balls a person with some yoghurt spooned alongside, a sprinkle of mint on top and a drizzle of lemon juice.