Name: Veal Meatballs with White Bean and Tahini Salad (Tekırdağ Köfte)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Turkey
Ingredients: 1½ teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 1 onion; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pimento; 3 tablespoons tahini; 1 French shallot (eschalot), chopped; 1 egg; 4 long yellow chillies; ½ tablespoon fine semolina; 1 garlic clove; 390 g (13¾ oz/2 cups) dried white cannellini beans; ½ teaspoon sugar; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) veal (about 20 per cent fat); 1 teaspoon cumin; ½ bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley; 8 quail eggs; 8 cherry tomatoes; 2 teaspoons sumac; 3 tablespoons olive oil; ½ teaspoon chilli flakes; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; ½ bunch spring onions (scallion(s)); 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs; juice of 1 lemon

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Anatolia

By David Dale and Somer Sivrioglu

Published 2015

About

The west coast city of Tekirdağ is known for two things: its exceptional rakı, due to the grapes and water of the region; and its delicious köfte, consumed in eateries devoted to this one experience and recognised as the most beloved veal dish all across the land of lamb. Each köfte maker in town has a personal secret ingredient, a common one being lungs. You may be relieved to hear my secret ingredient is not lungs, but semolina.

The accompanying sala