The first time I tasted camel was some twenty-five years ago in Damascus, Syria. A friendly taxi driver had driven me to Midan (a working-class neighborhood that sadly has been decimated by the regime as they tried to clear it of rebels) because I had told him I was researching street food. As I walked down the main street—full of street vendors selling all kinds of scrumptious specialties—I came face-to-face with a hairy camel’s head. Hanging by its fleshy lips outside a butcher shop, the head was the butcher’s rather gruesome shop sign indicating he specialized in camel meat. Like most butchers in Damascus, he had a charcoal grill on which he cooked meat to order for patrons to take away or to eat at a rickety table set to one side of his store. I had never tried camel and I didn’t want to pass up
the chance, despite the stall’s noticeable lack of hygiene. I sat down and asked the butcher to grill me some meat. He suggested I have it ground rather than cubed as it would be too tough otherwise. It was not a gastronomic marvel. The meat was dry with a slightly gamey taste, but I was excited to have tried it. In this recipe, which also uses ground meat, the meatballs are made more interesting by adding millet grains, which provide a nice crunch, and the dipping sauces temper the dryness of the meat. If you can’t get camel meat, simply use lamb or beef, or a mixture of both.
SERVES 6 TO 8
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE TAHINI DIP:
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml) tahini
- Juice of 1½ lemons, or to taste
- 1 clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
- Sea salt
FOR THE TAMARIND DIP:
- 1 cup (200 g) seedless tamarind paste
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- A few sprigs cilantro, most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
- Sea salt
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- 1 pound 2 ounces (500 g) ground lean camel (or lamb) meat
- Scant 1 cup (150 g) uncooked millet
- 6 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- Sea salt
- Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the tahini dip: Put the tahini in a bowl and, alternating them, gradually add the lemon juice and ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml) water, stirring all the time. The tahini will thicken at first even though you are adding liquid, but do not worry; it will soon thin out again. Taste the dip before you use up all the lemon juice to adjust the tartness to your liking. If you decide to use less lemon juice, add a little more water to make up for the lost liquid. Stir until the sauce has the consistency of sour cream. Add the garlic and salt to taste. Mix well.
- To make the tamarind dip: Put the tamarind paste in a bowl. Add 1⅓ cups (325 ml) hot water and let steep for 15 minutes, then mash the pulp in the water. Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Strain the tamarind mixture in the sieve, pressing on the pulp to extract as much tamarind as you can. Add the coriander, pepper, and cilantro. Season with salt to taste and mix well.
- To make the meatballs: Combine the meat, millet, garlic, coriander, pepper, and salt to taste and mix well. Shape the meat into small balls, each the size of a walnut, and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes while you heat the oil. Set a fine-mesh rack in a rimmed baking sheet or line the baking sheet with several layers of paper towel. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) sunflower oil into a large deep skillet. Heat over medium heat to 350°F (180°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dropping a piece of bread into the oil—if the oil immediately bubbles around it, it is ready. Drop in as many meatballs as will fit comfortably in the pan. Fry, stirring the meatballs every now and then, until the millet is golden and the meatballs are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on the wire rack or the paper towels. Serve with the tahini dip and the tamarind dip.
