Kotlet-e Goosht is golden and crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and one of the dishes we Iranians grow up on. Every family has its own version, and mine has changed since I first shared it here: no eggs anymore. Boiled and raw potato together, fresh tarragon and a few breadcrumbs hold everything together, and the texture is better for it.
I have a special memory of playing football with friends in the street in front of our house. The smell of my maman's kotlet frying brought us all running, and she made sandwiches for everyone. It's still the best picnic and road-trip food I know: warm from the pan, or cold the next day in bread with tomatoes, herbs and pickles.
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Time
Prep: 30 min Rest: 1–2 h Cook: about 1 h (boiling the potatoes and frying)
Ingredients for 6–8 portions (12–16 patties)
750g / 1⅔ lb ground beef (15% fat)
4 small to medium potatoes (400–520g / about 1 lb in total), unpeeled. Maris Piper, King Edward or Russet work well
2 small onions
2–3 garlic cloves
6–7 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves only, finely chopped
4 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
About 1½ tsp fine salt, to taste
Vegetable or sunflower oil, for shallow-frying
To serve: fresh bread (baguette, Barbari or lavash), sliced tomatoes, fresh parsley, pickles (khiyar shoor or pickled chillies), and chips and your favourite sauce if you like
Method for cooking Kotlet
Prepare the potatoes and onions
Put three of the potatoes, skins on, in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20–30 minutes, until a knife slides through easily. Drain, return them to the warm empty pan and leave uncovered for a few minutes to steam dry. Peel, then let them cool completely. Cooking them in their skins and steam-drying them keeps the potatoes from getting watery.
Finely grate the onions, then squeeze them firmly in your hands and throw the juice away. This is the most important step: onion juice makes the mixture too wet to shape. Grate the garlic on the finest holes and add it to the onions in a large bowl.
Peel the fourth, raw potato and grate it on the fine side of the grater. Squeeze it gently, but don't squeeze it dry. Its starch is what binds the kotlet without eggs. Grate it finely, or you'll see strands after frying.
Once the boiled potatoes are completely cool, grate them on the coarse side into the bowl. Grate them, don't mash them.
Mix and rest
Add the beef and knead with clean hands until everything comes together. Then add the breadcrumbs, tarragon, turmeric, pepper and salt, and knead again. The mixture should feel soft and slightly sticky, but hold together when pressed.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 2, or overnight. The breadcrumbs soak up the last of the moisture. Shape it straight from the fridge: cold mixture holds together better.
Shape and fry
Heat 5–10mm / ¼–½ inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry a small test piece of the mixture until golden and cooked through, then taste it for seasoning. If it falls apart, mix in a little more breadcrumb, one tablespoon at a time, and test again.
Wet your hands from a small bowl of water so the mixture doesn't stick. Roll a portion between your palms and flatten it into an oval about 1–1.5cm / ½ inch thick, smoothing the edges. Keep them all the same size so they cook evenly.
Fry in batches over medium to medium-high heat. You want a steady sizzle, never smoke. Don't crowd the pan, and don't rush to turn them: let the first side go properly golden, then flip with a slotted spatula and a fork. Allow about 4–6 minutes a side, until cooked through (75°C / 165°F in the centre).
Drain on kitchen paper while you fry the rest.
Serve
Serve warm with bread, tomatoes, herbs and pickles. Or do it properly: split a baguette and fill it with parsley, sliced tomato, a few kotlet and pickled chillies, with chips and sauce if you're feeling generous.
Maman's tips
My mum swears by stale Barbari bread instead of breadcrumbs, softened and worked right into the mixture. It's worth trying, but the amount takes some testing, so start with the breadcrumbs.
Cooked kotlet keep for 2 days in the fridge, and freeze well for up to 3 months with baking parchment between the layers. Reheat only once, in a frying pan or a 180°C / 350°F oven, until piping hot.
I’d love to see your Kotlet! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
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