Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Spicy Haggis and Lamb Koftas
- 350 g ground lamb, chilled, 20 percent fat content
- 200 g haggis, cooked, chilled, and finely crumbled
- 1 yellow onion, finely grated and squeezed dry
- 3 garlic, minced into fine paste
- 4 g ground cumin
- 3 g ground coriander
- 3 g smoked paprika
- 3 g crushed red pepper flakes
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, stems discarded
- 10 g fresh mint, finely chopped, stems discarded
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 2 g ground black pepper
- 15 ml olive oil
Chilli-Roasted Tomatoes
- 300 g cherry tomatoes, whole, washed and stemmed
- 20 ml olive oil
- 3 g aleppo pepper flakes
- 2 g fine sea salt
Whipped Feta
- 150 g feta cheese, crumbled, drained of brine
- 80 g whole milk greek yogurt
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 1 garlic, finely grated
- 1 g ground black pepper
Fattoush Salad and Dressing
- 1 pita bread, cut into 2cm squares
- 15 ml olive oil
- 150 g romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into 3cm ribbons
- 2 persian cucumbers, sliced into 5mm half-moons
- 4 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, whole leaves picked from stems
- 10 g fresh mint, whole leaves picked from stems
- 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 25 ml lemon juice
- 15 ml pomegranate molasses
- 6 g ground sumac
- 2 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 874 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbohydrates
- 39 g
- Fat
- 67 g
- Saturated Fat
- 22 g
- Zinc
- 4.9 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the ground lamb, crumbled haggis, squeezed grated onion, minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, chopped mint, fine sea salt, and black pepper into a mixing bowl.
Knead and mix the meat mixture vigorously by hand for 3 minutes until the proteins develop and the paste becomes sticky and cohesive.
Cover the kofta mixture with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the fats. Thoroughly wash your hands, cutting surfaces, and prep tools with hot soapy water after handling raw meat.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the cherry tomatoes with 20ml olive oil, aleppo pepper flakes, and 2g fine sea salt on one side of the baking sheet, then toss the cut pita squares with 15ml olive oil on the other side.
Roast on the middle rack at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes until the pita squares are golden and crisp, remove the pita crisps to a plate, and return the tomatoes to the oven for another 10 minutes until blistered and tender.
Combine crumbled feta, Greek yogurt, 30ml extra virgin olive oil, 15ml lemon juice, grated garlic clove, and 1g black pepper in the bowl of a food processor.
Process the feta mixture on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through, until completely silky and airy.
Divide the chilled meat mixture into 8 equal portions of roughly 75g each and shape each portion tightly around a flat metal skewer into an oblong cylinder roughly 12cm long.
Preheat a heavy grill pan over medium-high heat until lightly smoking, then brush the surface lightly with 15ml olive oil.
Place the koftas onto the hot grill pan and sear for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating 90 degrees every 2 minutes with tongs, until charred on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest center registers at least 71°C (160°F).
Whisk 40ml extra virgin olive oil, 25ml lemon juice, 15ml pomegranate molasses, ground sumac, and 2g fine sea salt together in a small bowl until emulsified.
In a large salad bowl, combine romaine lettuce, cucumber slices, radish rounds, sliced scallions, whole parsley leaves, mint leaves, and toasted pita crisps, then drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat.
Spread a generous swath of whipped feta onto each of 4 serving plates, arrange 2 hot koftas alongside, spoon warm blistered chilli tomatoes with their pan juices over the cheese, and serve immediately alongside the dressed fattoush.
Chef's Notes
- Haggis already brings robust spice notes of toasted oats, black pepper, mace, and coriander, creating an ideal savoury bridge to the warm Middle Eastern spice profile of the lamb.
- Always squeeze grated onion over the sink in a clean cheesecloth or tea towel. Excess liquid is the primary reason home-cooked koftas steam and fall apart on the grill.
- Sumac provides a distinct tart, fruity acidity that balances the richness of the lamb and whipped feta; look for deep burgundy sumac without added table salt.
- For the cleanest presentation, swipe the whipped feta across cold plates with the back of a large spoon, then rest the piping hot skewers on top so the lamb juices mingle directly into the cheese.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store cooked koftas, whipped feta, roasted tomatoes, and fattoush salad ingredients in separate airtight containers. Do not dress the salad in advance.
Freezer: 1 month — Raw or cooked kofta skewers may be frozen individually on a tray, then wrapped airtight. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating. Do not freeze salad or whipped feta.
Reheating: Reheat leftover koftas in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) until the internal temperature reaches at least 74°C (165°F) on an instant-read thermometer.
Troubleshooting
Koftas crack or fall off the skewers while grilling
Cause: The meat mixture was not kneaded sufficiently to build myosin protein bind, or excess moisture from the onion weakened the structure
Fix: Remove the meat from the skewers and cook them as freestanding patties directly in a flat skillet
Prevention: Ensure the grated onion is thoroughly wrung out in a clean towel, and knead the meat mixture until it becomes sticky before chilling
Whipped feta turns out grainy rather than velvety
Cause: The feta cheese was excessively dry or cold when blended
Fix: Add 15ml of warm water or additional Greek yogurt and blend on maximum speed for another 90 seconds
Prevention: Use genuine Greek sheep or goat milk feta stored in brine and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before blending
Fattoush salad becomes soggy within minutes
Cause: Pita chips were tossed too early or the washed greens were not properly dried
Fix: Cannot be fixed once soaked; bake an additional batch of pita crisps to scatter on top for textural contrast
Prevention: Spin greens completely dry in a salad spinner and fold in the pita crisps and dressing only seconds before plating
Cultural Context
This recipe unites two storied culinary traditions: the iconic Scottish haggis, celebrated for its peppery warmth and hearty oat texture, and the Levantine mezze spread centered around grilled kofta skewers, cooling labneh or whipped feta, and crisp fattoush. Fattoush originated in northern Lebanon as a resourceful way to utilize stale flatbread by tossing it with garden-fresh greens and sour sumac dressing.
