A bulgur shell moulded thin around spiced lamb and walnut, then fried or boiled. In Gaziantep the shell is worked so fine that the filling shows through when you cut it open.

İçli köfte is made across the southeast, but Gaziantep judges it on the thinness of the shell. Fine bulgur is kneaded with semolina and water until it becomes plastic enough to shape over one finger, and the wall is worked down almost to translucency before the filling goes in. That filling is minced lamb cooked with onion, pepper paste and, in the Antep version, plenty of walnut. The shaped köfte are then deep fried until the shell blisters. Çulcuoğlu is known for a version with a crisp outside and a heavy walnut middle, and home cooks still make them in batches for freezing.

2 editor picks for İçli köfte in Gaziantep, ranked by editorial score. All Gaziantep signature dishes · İçli köfte across every city.