Kofte in the style of Jamie Oliver

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g minced beef or lamb
• 1 cup of couscous (200 – 250 ml)
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tsp, heaped thyme
• 1 handful of pistachios
• 1 half cucumber(s)
• 1 handful of cocktail tomatoes
• 125 g feta cheese
• 2 small chili peppers, dried
• 1 tsp honey
• some mint
• some sea salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp, heaped Ras el Hanout or any other oriental spice mix
• 1 half lime(s), juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

First, knead the meat (actually lamb, but I prefer beef) with thyme, salt, pepper, and the oriental spice mix, then form a large ball. Make sure all the spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat. Using a hand blender, finely chop the chilies with a little coarse sea salt, pepper, and fresh mint. Add a small portion of the couscous, blend briefly, and set aside with the remaining couscous. Coarsely grate the cucumber and place it in a salad bowl with the quartered cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta. Add a little pepper and salt, mix briefly, and let it sit. Pour the yogurt into a small bowl and mix with the juice of half a lime, salt and pepper, and a little mint. Serve as a dip. Heat a nonstick pan. Meanwhile, with slightly wet hands, divide the meatball into four equal pieces, roll them out into long sausages, and press them flat. The flatter dish will hold the pistachios better later. Shell the pistachios and crush them in a mortar and pestle. Heat water in a kettle. Add the hot, but no longer boiling, water to the couscous in twice the amount of couscous, mix well, and cover with a kitchen towel. Brown the meat vigorously in a little oil until cooked through, turning frequently. Drain off the excess oil or remove it from the pan with a kitchen towel and drizzle the kofte with honey. Once the honey has melted, sprinkle the ground pistachios over the kofte. Fry briefly over low heat and then serve immediately with the couscous, salad, and yogurt dip.