Gjirokastra-style rice balls with mint and feta
Qifqi are a rice-and-egg speciality of Gjirokastra, traditionally cooked in a pan with rounded wells. This version includes white cheese, a variation documented by Slow Food. The serving photograph includes yogurt and cucumber.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 35 mins
- Rest
- 20 mins
- Total
- 1 hour 10 mins
- Serves
- 6 servings (18 small qifqi)
- Difficulty
- Moderate
The recipe
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Before you start
Use a qifqi pan or an uncoated cast-iron pan with small rounded wells. A normal frying pan produces flatter cakes. Cool the cooked rice promptly before adding raw egg.
Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Lidded saucepan paid link
- shallow cooling tray paid link
- mixing bowl paid link
- qifqi or rounded-well pan paid link
- small spoon paid link
- kitchen scale paid link
Method
Stir the rice in melted butter for 1 minute. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently for about 18 minutes, until tender and the water is absorbed.
Spread the rice in a shallow tray and cool for about 20 minutes, until no longer hot. Mix in egg, feta, mint, pepper and salt.
Heat the pan over medium-low heat and brush the wells with oil. Spoon in loosely rounded portions, about 45 g each.
Cook for 3–4 minutes until the bases hold, then turn carefully and cook the other sides. The egg must be fully set and the centres hot. Repeat in batches; serve immediately.
Chef’s notes
The mixture is softer than a bread dough. Form it with a spoon in the pan rather than trying to roll firm balls. Test one piece first and adjust the heat before filling every well.
Tips and variations
If using a flat pan, make small, shallow cakes so the middle cooks before the surface browns. Keep the cheese finely crumbled so large pieces do not break the mixture apart.
Serve with
Serve three qifqi per person with yogurt and thin cucumber slices. Use vegetarian-rennet feta if serving vegetarians.
Storage
Cool rice and finished qifqi quickly, ideally within 1 hour, and refrigerate. Use within 24 hours of cooking the rice. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
Nutrition has not been calculated. Portion size and the brands used will affect the final values.
Allergens
Contains egg and milk from butter and feta. Optional yogurt also contains milk. Check ingredient labels and kitchen cross-contact before making gluten-free claims.
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Questions
Do I need the traditional pan? It gives the characteristic rounded shape. A flat pan works for an adapted rice-cake shape.
Why do they break when turned? The underside may not have set. Leave the next batch a little longer before turning.
Can I leave rice out overnight? No. Cool it promptly and refrigerate.
