Dream of Damascus

Children nearly always love meatballs and as a child in Syria I had the opportunity to try an enormous variety of them. The ones I liked best were the kibbeh: a mixture of pounded lamb and cracked wheat, which were often stuffed and either fried, stewed in a sauce or even eaten raw. I make a spicy kibbeh mixture into larger balls than usual, which I stuff with a luscious centre of marinated chicken breast. The balls are cooked in a thick yogurt sauce and the result is universally popular. E