Kebbet Batata

Instructions

1. 1
   To get things started, place your fine bulgur wheat into a bowl, rinse under cold water, and drain tightly. Let it rest damp for 15 minutes to allow the grains to swell and soften completely.
2. 2
   Meanwhile, submerge the potato chunks in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for roughly 20 minutes until they pierce effortlessly with a fork. Drain completely.
3. 3
   For the stuffing, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop in the chopped onions with a pinch of salt and cook low and slow for 15 minutes until sweet, soft, and deeply caramelized.
4. 4
   Stir the chopped walnuts (or toasted pine nuts) into the caramelized onions, season with a pinch of seven-spice mix, remove from heat, and allow to cool.
5. 5
   Return to the hot potatoes: mash them vigorously while hot using a potato masher until a completely smooth, lump-free purée is achieved.
6. 6
   Incorporate the softened bulgur, minced fresh mint, dried marjoram, cumin, remaining seven-spice mix, salt, and pepper into the warm potato purée along with a small drizzle of olive oil.
7. 7
   Knead the mixture forcefully with your hands for a few minutes until the bulgur binds perfectly with the potato, forming a cohesive, pliable dough. If it feels too stiff, moisten your hands with ice-cold water as you knead.
8. 8
   Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and grease the bottom and inner walls of a round baking pan (28-30 cm / 11-12 inches) generously with olive oil.
9. 9
   Divide your potato-bulgur dough into two equal halves. Press the first half evenly across the bottom of the greased pan with damp fingers to form a tight, level base layer.
10. 10
    Spread the sweet caramelized onion and walnut stuffing uniformly over the entire potato base.
11. 11
    Take small pieces of the remaining dough, flatten them between damp palms, and patch them together over the stuffing layer until completely sealed. Smooth out any seams using the back of a wet spoon.
12. 12
    Using a sharp knife dipped in water, slice deep intersecting diagonal lines across the top dough layer to form the gorgeous concentric diamond geometry seen in the file "Kebbet Batata.png".
13. 13
    Pour a generous, steady stream of extra virgin olive oil uniformly over the entire surface, ensuring it seeps into the scored channels to aid crisping.
14. 14
    Bake at 200°C for 40 to 45 minutes until the edges pull away slightly and the top achieves that stunning, crisp, toasted golden-brown shade displayed in the file "Kebbet Batata.png". Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving hot or warm.