Dürüm Kofte with Samouraï Sauce

The influence of Turkish cuisine in Europe is centuries old.

Legend has it that after the Battle of Vienna in 1683 the fleeing Ottoman army left behind bags of coffee beans and pastries. An enterprising local took the bags and not long after opened Vienna's first coffeehouse, mixing the bitter coffee with sugar and steamed milk to make the world's first cappuccino. He served this alongside Islamic crescent-shaped pastries - or croissants. Vienna's café culture was born.

In Belgium the Turks also arrived in large numbers about half a century ago but, unlike their Ottoman ancestors, settled peacefully in the country and started cooking up delicious food for the locals.

Today the Turkish kebab, known as the dürüm, is a staple of the Belgian food scene. Brightly lit eateries up and down the country can be found rolling out dürüms day and night for hungry patrons, from rowdy schoolchildren to workers and late-night revellers. This is cheap eating at its best.

The dürüm, like most Turkish kebabs, is a wrap with salad, sauce and a grilled meat of choice like chicken or kofte balls. What makes the Belgian dürüm unique is the addition of local favourites, from the frites (served inside the wrap, of course) to the array of different sauces on offer. Choose from mayonnaise, ketchup, curry ketchup, andalouse, brasil, or the fiery hot king of sauces: samouraï!

Ingredients

For the koftes

500g lamb/beef mince

1/2 white or yellow onion (thinly grated)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1 egg yolk

Handful of fresh mint (chopped)

Handful of fresh parsley (chopped)

1 tbs breadcrumbs

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Salt and pepper

For the garnish

Turkish wraps or flatbreads

Lettuce (thinly chopped)

Red cabbage (thinly chopped)

Tomatoes (deseeded and chopped)

Cucumber (chopped)

Red onion (chopped)

Other toppings (optional): feta, olives, grated carrot, sweetcorn, jalapeño peppers, etc.

For the frites

400g potatoes (peeled and cut into chips)

1L unrefined beef tallow or cooking oil

Salt

For the samouraï sauce

2 egg yolks

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbs lemon juice

4-5 tbs sunflower oil or canola/colza oil

1 tbs harissa paste or Sambal oelek

2 tbs ketchup

Salt

Preparation (45min)

1. Prepare the koftes. In a bowl add the mince, onion, garlic, egg yolk, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix well and roll into balls. Flatten the balls slightly in the palm of your hand. Leave to chill in the fridge for 20min.

2. Prepare the sauce. In a food processor or by hand, add the two egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice. Start mixing and add the oil in small doses until the sauce starts to thicken (the sauce will split if added all at once). Once the sauce has thickened to a mayonnaise-like consistency add the ketchup and harissa paste or Sambal. Add salt to taste.

3. Prepare all the salad garnish.

4. Cook the frites. According to the Archmaester at the Belgian Citadel of Frites (yes I've been rewatching Game of Thrones) the traditional way to cook them is to dry them thoroughly after peeling/chopping then pre-cook them in beef tallow at 130-140C (6min). Remove and leave to rest (10min). Then cook them a second time at 165-170C for 3min. Season with salt.

5. While the frites are frying, cook the koftes in a pan or grill until slightly charred on top.

6. Prepare the wrap. Build up the wrap by first adding a generous line of sauce from top to bottom. Add salad garnish and any toppings of your choice. Add the meat and then the frites to finish. Roll the wrap up tightly and place under the grill to warm up for 30 seconds. Serve!

TIP 1: Classically the mince should be fatty, not lean, lamb (neck or breast) to keep it moist during grilling. Get a mixture of lamb and beef for a less gamey flavour.

TIP 2: When preparing red cabbage, remove the outer leaves. Chop in half and remove the bottom white stem. At an angle start chopping into thin strips. Because the leaves are so compact only the outer leaves need washing.

TIP 3: For the sauce, use a flavourless oil like sunflower or canola/colza oil. Olive oil will make the sauce taste bitter.