1 lb ground lamb
1/2 medium red onion, very finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 large egg, well beaten
a handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
a handful of fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
a handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
zest of two lemons
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly toasted and ground cardamom, see instructions below
olive oil for frying
for the sauce:
2/3 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 tsp salt
water
garnish with pine nuts, chopped parsley, cilantro, or mint and a sprinkling of smoked paprika, or sumac
Set oven to 350F. Place the lamb, onion, garlic, ginger, bread crumbs, beaten egg, fresh herbs, lemon zest, pine nuts, feta cheese, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt and pepper into a large bowl. Mix everything together using your fingertips. You want to get all the ingredients evenly distributed without compacting the meat. Form walnut sized meatballs from the mixture. You can do this several hours ahead of time if you want, but be sure to cover the meat completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Cover the bottom of a heavy pan with the olive oil and heat until hot. Work in batches so you don't crowd the pan, and brown the meatballs on all sides. Add more oil as necessary. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. (Ground lamb should be cooked to about 160F). Meanwhile make the sauce by mixing the tahini and lemon juice, and then adding enough water to make a thin sauce. Salt it to taste. Serve the meatballs hot from the oven, nestled in the sauce. Garnish with more pine nuts, herbs, and a sprinkling of sumac or paprika.