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gotta cook these little tinkers. Lamb, beetroot and bulgar wheat patties

I caught the tail end of Nigel Slater cooking this last night on telly .... this will remind me to cook it sometime soon

Makes 12-16 — enough for 4 or more

Ingredients
75g fine or medium cracked wheat
250g raw beetroot 1 small to medium onion
400g minced lamb
2 or 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 heaped tbsp chopped dill
1 small handful chopped parsley
A little groundnut oil

For the dressing
Cucumber, about a third of a medium one
A handful of capers
4-5 sprigs mint, chopped
200g yoghurt

Method
1 Put the cracked wheat in a bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover, then set aside to swell.

2 Peel the beetroot and onion and grate them coarsely into a large bowl. Add the minced lamb, garlic, dill, parsley and a generous grinding of salt and black pepper.

3 Squeeze any water from the cracked wheat with your hands and add the wheat to the meat. Mix everything together thoroughly, then squish the mince into little patties about the size of a flattened golf ball. Cover with cling film (I do this tightly because the chopped garlic will taint everything in the fridge), then chill for at least an hour.

4 Set the oven at 180C/ Gas 4. Make the dressing by grating the cucumber coarsely, lightly sprinkle it with salt and leave in a colander for half an hour. Squeeze it dry, then mix it with the chopped mint, capers and yoghurt. Season with salt and black pepper.

5 Heat a non-stick pan, brush the patties with a little groundnut oil and fry till golden on both sides. Try not to move the meatballs very much when they are cooking; you risk them falling apart. Once they are lightly browned on both sides, carefully lift them into a baking dish and finish in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes (you can only tell if they are done by tasting one, as the beetroot gives them a rich red colour).

6 Drizzle with the cucumber dressing. Serve.

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