Pork and halloumi koftes with tzatziki and olive slaw
- Prepare
- overnight
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
A Greek-inspired meal perfect for summer evenings, with homemade flatbreads for mopping up all the delicious juices.
Ingredients
For the flatbreads
- 1 tsp dried instant yeast
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 450g/1lb strong white flour
- 50g/1¾oz wholemeal flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for oiling the bowl
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
For the tzatziki
For the koftes
For the olive slaw
- ½ white cabbage
- 100g/3½oz pitted kalamata olives, halved
Method
To make the flatbreads, pour 300ml/½ pint of warm water into a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle in the yeast and sugar. Give it a whisk, then leave it to bubble up and bloom for 5 minutes.
Pour in both of the flours and the olive oil, then give your mixture a good mix so it is all combined. Tip in the salt at this point and mix it again.
Tip the shaggy dough out onto a clean work surface, and give it a good knead for 5 minutes, until you have a soft and springy dough.
Pour about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a medium-sized bowl and rub it in with your hands. Place in the dough. Tightly cover the top of the bowl with cling film, then place the dough in the fridge. Leave it to sit for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight, by which time it should have doubled in size and become bubbly.
When you are ready to cook the flatbreads, remove the dough from the fridge. Heat a cast iron skillet pan or good-quality frying pan over a medium heat – you want it to gradually get quite hot.
Tear off handfuls of dough about the size of a tangerine, or 100g/3½oz. Take one and flatten it with your hands to create a vaguely circular shape about 2mm/1/16in thick.
Once the skillet pan is very hot, place the bread in the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side – the top should bubble up, and the base will get nice and golden. Flip the bread and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side.
Remove the bread from the pan and wrap it in a clean towel to keep it warm. Repeat this with your remaining dough.
To make the tzatziki, grate the cucumber on a coarse grater, then pop it in a sieve set over a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and give it a good mix, then leave to sit for a bit. This will draw out the liquid from the cucumber.
Once some liquid has been drawn out, squeeze the cucumber to remove any extra liquid, then add it to a mixing bowl. Grate in the garlic, then add the yoghurt and the juice of a lemon. Mix, then season it to taste with salt. Set aside.
To make the koftes, grate the onion into a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and milk, then give it a really good mix.
Add the parsley and dill to the breadcrumb bowl along with the pork mince, dried mint, ground cumin, allspice and salt.
Grate in the halloumi, then give it a really good mix. Set aside.
Heat a grill or barbecue until it is quite hot. Roll the kofte mixture into 14 small rugby ball shapes, then (if grilling) arrange on a wire rack set over a tray. Grill for 5–7 minutes on each side, until they have a good bit of caramelisation on them. Alternatively, whack them on the barbecue and cook until no traces of pink remain and the koftes are cooked through.
To make the olive slaw, peel the cabbage with a vegetable peeler into thin strips. Add a pinch of salt and massage in with your hands for a few minutes to soften the cabbage.
Add the olives and give it a mix.
Once the koftes are cooked, spoon the tzatziki onto a plate. Arrange the koftes on top, then top with the lightly pickled cabbage. Serve it up with the warm flatbreads.
