Albanian Kofte

Place the ground lamb in a wide bowl. Add the finely grated onion, breadcrumbs, the yolk of one egg, chopped parsley, oregano, paprika, black pepper and half of the salt.

Knead the mixture with your hands for 3–4 minutes, until it becomes smooth and slightly sticky. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 10–15 minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb the moisture.

Divide the mixture into 14 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, roll it in some of the flour, then flatten it into a small oval patty about 1.5 cm thick.

In a small bowl, whisk the second egg and the white of the first egg with the remaining flour, water and the rest of the salt until you get a smooth, runny batter.

Pour oil into a deep skillet to a depth of about 3 cm and heat over medium heat. The oil is ready when a drop of batter sizzles immediately but doesn't turn brown.

Dip the kofte into the batter so it's fully coated, and fry in batches of 3–4 pieces for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel to drain off excess oil.

Serve the kofte warm with plain yogurt.