Meatballs and kebabs
The secret to kiremitte kofta is the cooking vessel: earthenware heats and cools slowly, so the meatballs cook in the juices released by the vegetables without drying out. Put the dish in a cold oven and let it heat up with the oven; earthenware can crack if placed in a hot oven. Serve it in the same dish, which holds its heat through the last bite.
Grate the onion and squeeze out its liquid. Knead the ground beef with the onion, crumbled bread, salt, and spices for 5–6 minutes, until the mixture sticks to your hand.
Divide the mixture into 16 portions and shape them in your palms into flat meatballs 1.5 cm thick.
Dice the tomatoes, slice the peppers into rings, and cut the onion into thin half-moons. Whisk the tomato paste with the water, olive oil, crushed garlic, and salt.
Spread the onion and peppers over the bottoms of four earthenware dishes. Arrange the meatballs on top, scatter the tomatoes between them, and divide the sauce evenly among the dishes.
Place the earthenware dishes on the middle rack of a cold oven, set the oven to 200°C / 390°F, and bake for 30 minutes. The vegetables should have released their juices and the edges of the meatballs should be starting to brown.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for 5 minutes more, until melted and browned in spots. The center of a meatball should reach 71°C / 160°F. Set the earthenware dishes on dry wooden trivets before bringing them to the table.
Soak the earthenware dish in water overnight before its first use, and always put it into a cold oven. It can crack if placed in a hot oven or set on a wet counter while hot.
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