From Bulgaria With Love

Israeli-style BBQ, aka Mangal, is an old personal favorite and remains at the top of Israel’s most popular food categories. The approach is very straight forward and simple, letting the freshness of the ingredients do the work.

Any Israeli citizen, no matter his style, class or taste, holds a firm Mangal vocabulary and has his own technique to run a BBQ event. Often times it becomes a ritual of manhood!

I promise to dedicate a specific column for the Israeli Mangal in the future, but in the meantime, here is a traditional Bulgarian recipe for Kebab.

This recipe is a variation of the famous recipe by Yehiel Filosof from the famous Balkan Restaurant. This traditional Balkan spot on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa was founded i n 1948, the same year as the State of Israel, and has since been serving delicatessen for an older generation of Bulgarian immigrants and other foodies who crave a different flavor.

Last week, my sister, who is a vegetarian, followed Yehiel’s recipe and with the help of her husband on the grill, brought to life a wonderful Bulgarian kebab dinner. Too bad she wasn’t able to enjoy it…

Traditional Bulgarian Kebab

Ingredients (for 20 kebabs):

2 lb ground fresh beef (preferably mix of ribs and flank or other juicy parts)

4 spoons of bread crumbs soaked in 6 spoons of water.

3 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 teaspoon ground fresh pepper

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dry thyme

¼ cup ice water

2 onions, chopped coarsely

2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely

1 cup pine nuts, roasted

Little frying oil

Method:

1. Mix the ground meat with bread crumbs, eggs and spices.
2. Gradually, add the ice water and continue to knead for 5 minutes.
3. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the onions and fry until golden. Put it a side and let chill.
5. Take out the mixture from the refrigerator and add the parsley, pine nuts and onions.
6. Mix and Knead until you get a nicely glossy mixture.
7. Shape into round kebabs.
8. Barbecue on a charcoal grill about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with:

Large chunks of white bread and Bulgarian peppers or eggplant salad.

Be–te-a-von!

4 people like this post.

Unlike