• --- 2 ½ cups (350g) onion, grated on the coarse side of the grater
• --- 2 cups (100g) finely chopped parsley
• --- 1 teaspoon (4g) cinnamon
• --- 1 teaspoon (4g) sweet paprika
• --- ½ teaspoon (1g) black pepper
• --- 1 ½ teaspoons (12g) salt
For the caul fat (panna)
• --- 2 pieces (200g) caul fat (panna or skepi)
• --- ½ small cup vinegar
For serving
• --- Cypriot pitas
• --- red onions
• --- parsley
• --- cucumbers
• --- tomatoes
• --- lemons
METHOD
1. Place plenty of water in a bowl and add the vinegar. Submerge the caul fat and let it soak for 10 minutes. Rinse it well and drain it.
2. Place the bread in a bowl and pour in the milk. Let it soak for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. In a bowl, combine the chicken mince, the soaked bread (without draining it), the coarsely grated onion with its juices, parsley, cinnamon, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well. Take 70-73g of the mince mixture and shape it into an oval.
4. Spread the caul fat on your work surface and place a piece of the mince mixture at one end. Roll it to cover the mince, then cut the caul fat 5 cm further along. Fold the edges inwards and roll the sheftalia, similar to how you would roll koupepia (stuffed vine leaves). You will make 24 sheftalia. Place the sheftalia on a rack and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40 minutes.
5. Halfway through baking, turn the sheftalia to brown evenly. If grilling them over charcoal, thread them onto double skewers. Grill them over charcoal for 10 minutes, turning them occasionally. Then, insert another double skewer through the middle of each sheftalia and turn them to cook the inside. Continue grilling for about another 10 minutes until golden brown. Serve the sheftalia in Cypriot pitas with finely chopped onion, cucumber, tomato, parsley, and lemon.
