Camel meatballs with a lovely mint dipping sauce

Put aside your mental image of a horrid, spitting beast--camel makes for a wonderful meal. The meat tastes a bit like strong-flavoured lamb, only with a unique, sweet aftertaste that makes pairing camel with sauce a challenge. This mint/yoghurt dipping sauce is the perfect partner for these meatballs, which are sure to be a hit with adventurous guests at your next party.

Ingredients:

1 kilogram pack of camel sausages, fully thawed
250g Greek-style yoghurt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Lebanese cucumber
a pinch of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (more to taste)
a few drops of lemon juice (more to taste)
a little freshly ground black pepper (again, more to taste)

In a bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, crushed garlic, sea salt and a little of the mint. Take the cucumber, slice it in half lengthways and use a tiny spoon (I find one of those 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoons to be perfect for the task) to scoop out the seeds. Grate both halves of the cucumber into the yoghurt mix, whisk and taste. At this point, you might want to add a little mint. Don't just throw in a stupid amount, as fresh mint is very strong. Whisk in the lemon juice and a little freshly ground pepper. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for a while.

Take a sausage and, using a paring knife, slit the skin open. Peel the skin away and remove the meat. Take a good pinch of the meat and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining sausages. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper, before pan frying over a medium flame until cooked. Don't overcook, as camel is quite lean.

To serve, simply jam a toothpick into each meatball, so people can dip it into the mint/yoghurt sauce.