SHORBET FREEKEH

FOR THE MEATBALLS

• 1/2 cup matzo meal or coarse breadcrumbs (55 grams)

• 3/4 cup buttermilk

• 3 scallions, minced

• 1/2 cup (10 grams) parsley, minced

• 1/2 cup (10 grams) mint, minced

• 1 serrano chile, seeded/deveined and minced

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon allspice

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 12 ounces (336 grams) ground chicken thighs

• 1/4 cup neutral vegetable oil

FOR THE SOUP

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large leek, washed and finely sliced into half moons

• 2 celery stalks, washed, trimmed, and finely sliced into half moons

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed coarsely in a mortar and pestle

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 cup (170 grams) freekeh

• 1 1/2 cups (30 grams) cilantro, roughly chopped

• 1 cup (20 grams) parsley, roughly chopped

• 12 cups light chicken stock (or 8 cups regular stock + 4 cups water)

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 scallions, finely sliced

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons)

• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint

Mix together the matzo meal and buttermilk. Add the scallions, herbs, spices and salt and mix to combine. Gently fold in the ground chicken with your hands. Form into tiny meatballs (3/4 to 1” diameter; you should end up with about 30). The mixture will be tricky to handle, but wet hands make all the difference.

In a very large skillet, sear the meatballs on all sides in hot vegetable oil. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly shaped or uniformly seared. Golden round meatballs are a platonic mirage, unachievable without deep frying or special equipment, and we in the Limo reject this standard of perfection. Drain them on paper towels.

In a soup pot, saute the leek and celery in the olive oil until soft and translucent but not browned. (Browned leeks easily turn bitter.) Add the spices, garlic, tomato paste, freekeh, about two-thirds of the cilantro and parsley (save the rest for garnish), the chicken stock and about 2 teaspoons of salt. Simmer, partially covered, until the freekeh is soft, 40 minutes. Add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes to cook through. Add the minced scallion. Taste and add salt if needed.

Mix together the buttermilk, lemon juice and zest, and dried mint. Drizzle on each bowl of soup right before serving, and garnish with the remaining cilantro and parsley.