Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

Patty pans:
• ½ cup fine bulgur
• 6 medium patty pan squash
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo chiles
• 2 Tablespoons Turkish red pepper paste*
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups chicken stock
  
  
  
Sauce:
• 2 cups thick Greek yogurt
• 6 hot chiles, grilled
• 1 red onion, sliced thin and tossed with 1 Tablespoon sumak
  

*Sold in Arabic markets as paprika paste

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Pour ½ cup hot water over bulgur and let sit 5 minutes. In a pan, sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Cool and stir into ground beef with the bulgur and the remaining ingredients. In an electric mixer, knead beef mixture until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, on high speed. Test for seasoning by frying a small amount of the mixture in a pan. Correct seasoning and set aside.

Split patty pans in half lengthwise. Place face down on baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes until just soft. Cool and scoop out seeds. Stuff half of each patty pan with 3 Tablespoons or ¼ cup of beef mixture and place in a roasting pan. Pour chicken stock into roasting pan and place tops of patty pans on top. Bake for about 12 minutes until beef is cooked. Remove patty pans from pan, strain the cooking liquid and reduce by ½. Serve warm with thick Greek yogurt, grilled hot peppers, sliced onions with sumak and the reduced juices.

Wine pairing:
A Greek rosé such as the Hir Yiannis “Akakies” Xinomavro Rosé 2002