Feasts From the Middle East

Feasts From the Middle East Tony Kitous Comptoir Libanais - Fast, fresh, affordable and delicious Middle Eastern food for the mass market from one of the fastest-growing, most exciting Lebanese restaurant brands in the UK.- With Feasts from the Middle East, we want to recreate the excitement and buzz of the Waga COPYRIGHT (#ulink_594dfc5c-1d31-56c0-8fbd-4116e6acc446) HQ An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF First published in Great Britain by HQ An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018 Text Copyright © Tony Kitous 2018 Tony Kitous asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Hardback ISBN 978-0-00-824834-5 eBook ISBN: 9780008248352 Photography: Philippa Langley Food styling: Rosie Ramsden Prop styling: Olivia Wardle Design & Art Direction: Anita Mangan Senior Commissioning Editor: Rachel Kenny Project Editor: Sarah Hammond Head of Design: Louise McGrory All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. CONTENTS COVER (#u1ad4f5b9-66aa-5adf-a5d3-b5254bbcdde8) TITLE PAGE (#ue9103c3c-740c-5510-9894-349c097f7224) COPYRIGHT (#ulink_112f6d72-9b3b-5605-936d-9383027b5db2) INTRODUCTION (#ulink_891d404b-3fe3-5566-ad4d-e056efc171c0) MIDDLE EASTERN STORE CUPBOARD (#ulink_52ead0b1-d1ab-5a62-827f-a343981aa61a) BREAKFAST & BREADS (#ulink_70a49242-1121-5e3b-a1d7-44d9d286c2d7) AUBERGINE SHAKSHUKA (#ulink_a33b7937-b00d-5be0-89ae-c3791e19d394) AUBERGINE & HALLOUMI OMELETTE (#ulink_b49e2cd6-4983-5e1d-a48f-b8722497f2e0) FETA WITH TOMATOES & SPRING ONIONS (#ulink_845ebf9d-97e3-5ea9-a67c-6fd923f29ddb) FETA WITH OLIVE OIL & ZA’ATAR (#ulink_0f01fcfa-8a18-5cad-b13f-b2ecb8eac98e) FETA WITH PISTACHIOS & DATE SYRUP (#ulink_5d6453fc-9f96-5cf5-a218-008ca262d452) FETA WITH SESAME SEEDS & HONEY (#ulink_1c613834-9485-51d9-81df-450623096fbe) SUJUK SCRAMBLED EGGS (#ulink_00483a8f-f2a1-55d1-ac83-28af10267eb8) FIG & FETA TARTINE (#ulink_82939d63-19a7-5e3f-8b17-8133684dafba) LEBANESE VILLAGE BREAKFAST (#ulink_9da393a0-0664-5194-9f84-01b92b18f2ec) BROAD BEANS IN A TOMATO SAUCE (#ulink_bdad4b2f-5c18-52ff-952a-1ee05b5de2cc) SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH LAMB & COURGETTES (#ulink_54c3d728-103d-5315-90e1-9671350f03b0) LABNEH & CARAMELISED BANANA WRAP (#ulink_8f638dcc-7d6f-53e5-933c-22c8515fc654) LABNEH WITH CARAMELISED POACHED QUINCES AND SPICED DRIED FRUIT (#ulink_fed17812-bc65-5bf9-a8b5-ac451be5873e) DATE BRIOCHE (#ulink_718bfaa4-cdc1-5b6f-ae91-596926009f6f) SPICED TOMATO FLATBREADS (#ulink_e11246c7-d21a-5333-a3b9-8a65643c1c9b) FETA & SPINACH FLATBREADS (#ulink_1acba3cb-2b72-5f40-98c4-6c25dcd58608) SESAME SEED BREAD (#ulink_26d6287c-74ce-52bf-b4dd-40d349a1b9dc) ARABIC BREAD (#ulink_bf08896a-4945-5ec0-87f4-a7c177e8c901) MEZZE & DIPS (#ulink_de54a41e-e541-5122-bb73-a2dd1e1f8aeb) CLASSIC HOMMOS (#ulink_79225eef-c667-5f63-84b1-cc6bceb8cbd8) LABNEH DIP (#litres_trial_promo) AUBERGINE & WALNUT DIP (#litres_trial_promo) COURGETTE & TAHINA DIP (#litres_trial_promo) BROAD BEAN & TAHINA DIP (#litres_trial_promo) ARTICHOKE HEART & TAHINA DIP (#litres_trial_promo) FRIED VEGETABLES WITH YOGHURT & TAHINA SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) ALEPPO ROAST PEPPERS & MIXED NUT DIP (#litres_trial_promo) SPICED POTATOES (#litres_trial_promo) MARINATED CHICKEN WINGS (#litres_trial_promo) SPICED FRIED SQUID WITH HARISSA SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) CHICKEN LIVERS WITH CHERRY TOMATOES & POMEGRANATE MOLASSES (#litres_trial_promo) SPICED LAMB PASTRIES (#litres_trial_promo) PASTRIES STUFFED WITH FETA & HALLOUMI OR OLIVES (#litres_trial_promo) FETA & NIGELLA SEED FALAFEL (#litres_trial_promo) ZA’ATAR-CRUSTED HALLOUMI (#litres_trial_promo) ROASTED CHICKEN & COUSCOUS SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) SALADS & VEGETABLES (#litres_trial_promo) GRILLED CHOPPED AUBERGINE SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) AUBERGINE & POMEGRANATE SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) ROASTED PEPPER SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) BUTTER BEAN SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) NEW POTATOES & GREEN TAHINA SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) VILLAGE TOMATO SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) GRILLED HALLOUMI WITH ROASTED VINE TOMATOES (#litres_trial_promo) BEETROOT, FIG & FETA SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) FRENCH BEANS IN A TOMATO & OLIVE OIL SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) BRAISED BROAD BEANS WITH OLIVE OIL (#litres_trial_promo) BRAISED GREENS IN OLIVE OIL (#litres_trial_promo) FUL SALAD WITH RADISH & MINT (#litres_trial_promo) ROASTED PEPPER & FETA SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) BRAISED OKRA WITH TOMATO SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) SYRIAN AUBERGINE SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) CAULIFLOWER & TAHINA (#litres_trial_promo) ROASTS & GRILLS (#litres_trial_promo) SLOW-COOKED SHOULDER OF LAMB (#litres_trial_promo) SPICED ROAST CHICKEN (#litres_trial_promo) BABY CHICKEN WITH LEMON JUICE & POTATOES (#litres_trial_promo) PALESTINIAN BRAISED SPICED CHICKEN PIE (#litres_trial_promo) SPICED MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) AUBERGINE & SPICED MINCED-LAMB KEBABS (#litres_trial_promo) FISH & SEAFOOD (#litres_trial_promo) BAKED BREAM WITH TAHINA SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) SEAFOOD STEW (#litres_trial_promo) FRIED RED MULLET WITH CRISP BREAD & TAHINA (#litres_trial_promo) MY MUM ZOHRA’S FRIED SARDINES (#litres_trial_promo) CUTTLEFISH WITH GARLIC, LEMON & CORIANDER (#litres_trial_promo) SEA BASS WITH SPICED RICE (#litres_trial_promo) SAUT?ED PRAWNS WITH SPICED BRAISED FENNEL (#litres_trial_promo) MONKFISH & ROASTED PEPPER KEBAB (#litres_trial_promo) SOUPS & STEWS (#litres_trial_promo) LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON (#litres_trial_promo) ARTICHOKE & TAHINA SOUP (#litres_trial_promo) PUMPKIN & SAFFRON SOUP (#litres_trial_promo) TOMATO & MINT SOUP (#litres_trial_promo) LEBANESE CHICKEN SOUP (#litres_trial_promo) LAMB & ARTICHOKE STEW (#litres_trial_promo) SPICED LAMB KOFTAS WITH POTATOES & TOMATOES (#litres_trial_promo) BABY AUBERGINES WITH SPICED MINCED LAMB & TAHINA (#litres_trial_promo) STUFFED COURGETTES IN A YOGHURT SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) CHICKPEAS WITH YOGHURT & TAHINA SAUCE (#litres_trial_promo) CHICKEN & CHICKPEA STEW (#litres_trial_promo) POTATO & SPICED MINCED LAMB PIE (#litres_trial_promo) GRAINS & PULSES (#litres_trial_promo) STUFFED PEPPERS WITH SPICED RICE & LAMB (#litres_trial_promo) PALESTINIAN SPICED RICE WITH CHICKEN (#litres_trial_promo) GREEN LENTIL & RICE SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) BULGAR WHEAT WITH CHICKEN (#litres_trial_promo) BULGAR WHEAT & SPICED MINCED LAMB PIE (#litres_trial_promo) STUFFED SWISS CHARD WITH SPICED RICE & VEGETABLES (#litres_trial_promo) FREEKEH WITH CHICKEN (#litres_trial_promo) BULGAR WHEAT & TOMATO SALAD (#litres_trial_promo) STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES WITH SPICED MINCED LAMB & RICE (#litres_trial_promo) GIANT COUSCOUS WITH CHICKEN (#litres_trial_promo) DESSERTS & DRINKS (#litres_trial_promo) SHREDDED FILO & CHEESE PUDDING WITH A ROSE–HONEY SYRUP (#litres_trial_promo) TAHINA, CHOCOLATE & PISTACHIO CHEESECAKE (#litres_trial_promo) POMEGRANATE & PISTACHIO CHEESECAKE (#litres_trial_promo) ROSE MOUHALABIAH WITH SUMMER FRUIT COMPOTE (#litres_trial_promo) SWEET POTATO & TAHINA PUDDING (#litres_trial_promo) SEMOLINA, ALMOND & ORANGE BLOSSOM HONEY CAKE (#litres_trial_promo) CRISP FILO PARCELS WITH CREAM & ROSE WATER (#litres_trial_promo) ZALLABIA (#litres_trial_promo) FIG, HALLOUMI & PISTACHIO TART (#litres_trial_promo) WALNUT & CINNAMON HONEY CIGARS (#litres_trial_promo) GLUTEN-FREE ORANGE & ALMOND CAKE (#litres_trial_promo) MY ROASTED AUBERGINE, ROSE, HONEY & LABNEH TART (#litres_trial_promo) FRESH MINT & ORANGE BLOSSOM TEA (#litres_trial_promo) CAF? BLANC (#litres_trial_promo) SAHLAB (#litres_trial_promo) COMPTOIR SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE WITH TAHINA & HALVA (#litres_trial_promo) DATE, ALMOND, ORANGE BLOSSOM & LABNEH SMOOTHIE (#litres_trial_promo) WATERMELON LEMONADE (#litres_trial_promo) FROZEN MINT LEMONADE (#litres_trial_promo) VANILLA CITRONNADE (#litres_trial_promo) LEBANESE LEMONADE (#litres_trial_promo) FEAST MENUS (#litres_trial_promo) LIST OF SEARCHABLE TERMS (#litres_trial_promo) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (#litres_trial_promo) ABOUT THE PUBLISHER (#litres_trial_promo) (#ulink_13da285a-6b37-581d-84ba-8e777f42edf0) I like food – in fact, I love food. I love absolutely everything about food: the smells, the tastes, the colours, the way it makes people happy. A simple smell can take me back to the markets I used to go to with my dad and grandad to buy ingredients for my mum. Or it can transport me back to walking home from school, smelling the food in the air when I was close to home. I remember men walking the streets with their carts of sardines shouting, ‘Yalla sardine!’ and everybody going out to buy them. Every family cooked and flavoured them differently. We’d eat at home and then take the leftovers outside to swap with our friends. I can recall the aroma of fruit ripening on the trees, too. To this day, no matter where I am, a new-season fig will make me close my eyes to savour that first bite, longing to be six years old again, back in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. Since I was little it has always been the same. I ate so much so that my mum used to hide food because otherwise it would be gone! Always, always eating. I learned about the joys of food from my mum, Zohra. She is my inspiration, my motivation in everything I do and my biggest influence. She taught me the joy of eating, of feeding people and of learning about new foods. My mother was the heart of the home, cooking for hours every day. She was very creative when meat or fish were scarce or there were lots of people to feed (I’m the oldest of seven). I also came to realise that no matter how simple, food can always be delicious when it’s made with love and with fresh, seasonal ingredients. As food was such a big part of everyday life when I was growing up, it wasn’t long before I started to think, dream and talk about food. I was brought up in both a Berber and Arab culture and have embraced both my whole life. The Middle East and North Africa are lands of generous hospitality, and people often don’t see the inclusive nature of Arab culture, with eating at the heart of it. Food is an integral part of my roots; food is everything because you give it and share it and you make it with love. Eating it offers a chance to be with friends and family, to talk and laugh and celebrate and share the latest news. Food brings us together. As a child I was spoilt by my grandma, who would cook all the things I liked. My grandparents kept chickens, and sometimes I’d go there in my lunch break and run down the garden to see if there were any eggs. I would collect the eggs and take them to the kitchen where grandma would cook them simply by frying them in some extra-virgin olive oil, with a little garlic and some coriander – there might be some aubergines or potatoes, too. I’d pick plums, pomegranates and figs straight from the tree, plump and juicy and ripened by the hot sun. I started earning my own money at a young age. We lived across the street from the big football ground. I would get up early to buy tickets for a match and sell them later to visitors from out of town – at a slightly inflated price! My mum would help me make lemonade or merguez sandwiches, which I’d sell on the street. My father never knew as he wouldn’t have approved of his son selling things on the street. This was my street life and a big part of my education. Working on the streets of Tizi Ouzou taught me that you could make opportunities for yourself. By the time I was nine I was hitch-hiking up to the coast, about half an hour away, during the summer holidays, where I helped the fishermen with their catches – emptying the nets, cleaning the fish – not for money, but because I liked to do it. My parents thought I was staying with friends, but really I was exploring and looking for the next adventure. As I grew older, my desire to see and experience more took me further afield. At 15 I used my savings to visit Tunisia, at 16 I ventured to Spain and at 17, it was France. Every year I worked a little harder, saved a little more and travelled a little further. I had just turned 18 when my friend Nasser and I decided that we would travel to London. I arrived with ?70 in my pocket (?50 of which was borrowed from my uncle). We spent our first night in Victoria Station, unsure where to go and needing to make our little money last. I fell in love with the city over that summer and ended up living in a squat in Manor House, working wherever I could. I returned home the day before I was due to start university. I made it through half an hour of my first engineering lecture before I walked out, knowing it wasn’t for me. I’d had a taste of something else and I wanted more. My parents didn’t want me to go – it was unusual for the first-born son to leave the family like this. They roped in uncles, cousins and family friends to talk me out of it, although this just made me more determined to go. But I couldn’t leave without a letter from my father stamped by the police, as I was only 18. And, most importantly, I wanted to go with their blessings. In the end, he gave me that letter, despite the reservations he must still have had about his eldest son leaving to live in London, with no job or home and only basic English. This was an incredibly difficult decision for him and I thank him for it every day, even though he is no longer with us. I left as soon as I could. But I hadn’t expected the huge weight of responsibility that I felt the minute I passed through the doors of Heathrow. I realised that I had to make this choice count. I had to make my family proud and make something of myself if I wasn’t going to university. Within four years I needed to have a restaurant. I had to start working hard – and quickly! For the next few years I worked two full-time jobs every day in pubs, bars and restaurants from 6 a.m. until late. I returned to the squat to live initially but then I was offered a live-in job at a small hotel. Hot running water, my own bed and breakfast every day! I stayed focused on my goal of having my own restaurant for the next four years. I was working in a restaurant on Wigmore Street when one day I turned up to find it closed. The rent hadn’t been paid and the landlord had taken back the property. This was my chance. I had enough money in the bank for a deposit and a few months’ rent. I set up a meeting and bought myself a suit and tie, ready to impress. It went well, and it was agreed that I could take on the restaurant, but one clause in the lease worried my lawyer and so he advised against it. I called a friend of my uncle, who had lived in England for some time, to ask his advice. After listening to all that I had to say he asked how old I was and what I had to lose. When I answered ‘Twenty-two’, and ‘Nothing’, he said, ‘Then you have your answer.’ I signed that contract and today, some 25 years later, I still have that restaurant on Wigmore Street. I want you to fall in love with the Middle East and its bold flavours and welcoming, generous traditions. Maybe it will once again become the place to travel to, but in the meantime, these flavours are becoming an integral part of the food landscape. I want to share them with you. The food of the Middle East is the best in the world. As Middle Eastern food grows in popularity, ingredients that were once hard to source are now readily available. I’ve always wanted everyone to be able to cook these amazing recipes at home, which is why I set up the souk shops within our restaurants, so you can buy orange blossom water or za’atar. The recipes in this book allow you to put together your own feasts, whether you are two, ten or twenty people; whether you want breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or anything in between. For example, I love a selection of dishes for breakfast, but if I’m in a hurry I make the Aubergine & Halloumi Omelette (see here (#u071aaa94-501d-5f9d-9879-fdd569c2e436)), a delicious start to any day. Mezze is how we welcome guests into our homes – the more the better! I can’t choose a favourite as I love everything about the way mezze encourages everyone to join in and share. You will never walk away from an Arabic table hungry! In addition, there is always a salad of some kind, and as a lover of aubergines, Grilled Chopped Aubergine Salad (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) has a huge place in my heart. One of my favourite recipes is the Slow-cooked Shoulder of Lamb (see here (#litres_trial_promo)), cooked with herbs and spices, rice and dried fruits. It’s something you can build a feast around. And My Mum Zohra’s Fried Sardines (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) is still my favourite fish dish and never fails to make me feel nostalgic. Soups and stews are a huge part of the Middle Eastern diet. My mum made sure there was soup on the table every day in winter; my favourite today is Artichoke & Tahina Soup (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Soups can be eaten on their own or enjoyed alongside recipes such as Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) and some roast vegetables. No feast is complete without something sweet to finish! I like to play with flavours and experiment with ways of using ingredients. My Roasted Aubergine, Rose Honey & Labneh Tart (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) is one of those special recipes that is truly unique. Dipping pastries into caf? cr?me, or refreshing yourself with a lemonade or mint tea, is also part of Arabic culture, as the days can be very hot and the evenings cool. I feel fortunate to be able to do this wonderful job for a living. It is a job I love, and it doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do and when you are making a home from home – an extended family. These recipes and restaurants are more than a reflection of me; they are manifestations of my experiences – from the flavours on the menus to the designs on the walls. Comptoir Libanais is everything to me: my memories, my life, my culture, my family, my children. The people who dine with us aren’t customers, but guests in our home – and you are all very welcome. Sahtein! (simply, ‘Enjoy your food!’) Tony MIDDLE EASTERN STORE CUPBOARD (#ulink_ecd6f4e9-1265-5a25-bbc7-6a8318865cd4) Middle Eastern ingredients are very versatile and can be used in lots of different ways. They’re easier to find now, but when I first came to London in the late 1980s they used to be much harder to source – I found it difficult even to buy couscous! Since opening Comptoir Libanais, I’ve stocked all sorts of products, such as jams, oils and orange blossom water, just as you would find in a souk, so our guests can buy them easily. Here are the ingredients I always have in, with which you can easily rustle up a delicious meal. ALLSPICE If I want a little bit more warmth in my food, I’ll add a pinch or two of allspice. You can also buy these little brown peppercorns ground, which I find easier to use. The seeds are picked, unripe, from the pimento tree and have a unique flavour – a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Try it in Spiced Lamb Koftas with Potatoes & Tomatoes (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). BLACK PEPPERCORNS Sometimes I wonder what I’d do without salt and pepper. Food that is not seasoned at all (or not seasoned enough) tastes bland, as the seasoning helps to enhance the flavour of all the ingredients and bring them together. In the restaurants we always throw a good pinch or two of black pepper into a pan of bones bubbling in liquid when making stocks. And, of course, peppercorns can be crushed into pieces, as big or as small as you like, for seasoning. BULGAR WHEAT We also call this burghul or cracked wheat, and you can buy it finely ground, medium or coarse. The fine version is brilliant in salads (see my very easy Bulgar Wheat & Tomato Salad, see here (#litres_trial_promo)), but you can also use the other varieties to give texture to a dish such as Potato & Spiced Minced Lamb Pie (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). CARAWAY I use ground caraway in the flavoursome chicken recipe, Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). This powerful, musky-tasting spice is as divisive as Marmite – some people love it, some hate it. You can also buy the seeds (they’re a similar shape to cumin seeds), which are often used to garnish bread. CARDAMOM I love the delicate scent that cardamom brings to a dish. The spice is encased in a shell and it’s the black seeds hiding within that you need. Crush the pods by carefully placing a large chopping knife on top of them and pushing down on the knife with your fist until you hear a little crack. Take the seeds out and use them as described in the recipe. Cardamom adds a delicate flavour to Caf? Blanc (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). CHICKPEAS These are a must, must, must in my cupboard! Dried chickpeas are best for making Hommos (see here (#u85ba820a-6aa1-5b50-8dfd-27b61e63e33e)), as they produce a much better flavour and texture than tinned ones, as well as in falafel (check out my Feta & Nigella Seed Falafel recipe, see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Like dried lentils, chickpeas are much cheaper dried than tinned. You just need to remember to soak them first – about 4–6 hours is enough, or overnight. I buy tinned ful (fava beans) though (see opposite). CHILLI FLAKES & CHILLI POWDER I love chillies – they’re up there with sumac and za’atar as one of my favourite spices. Both the flakes and the powder pack a punch, so I use them sparingly. Middle Eastern food is not about high levels of spice, more a subtle balance of flavours that all work together. I use both chilli flakes and fresh chillies in Aleppo Roast Peppers & Mixed Nut Dip (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) to add two slightly different flavours to the recipe. Chilli powder works better when blended with other ingredients, such as when seasoning the flour for the Spiced Fried Squid recipe (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). CIDER VINEGAR If you have good olive oil and cider vinegar in your store cupboard, you’ll always be able to make a great dressing. I sometimes mix it with lemon juice, so there’s a little sweetness to the taste, too. CINNAMON This spice is often used in both sweet and savoury recipes. I pop cinnamon sticks into Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) and sweet recipes (see Labneh with Caramelised Poached Quinces & Spiced Dried Fruit, see here (#u05b97937-d304-5125-878c-3995986347f5)), in which the stick can withstand long periods of simmering. Use ground cinnamon when blending this spice with other ingredients, for example in the Sweet Potato & Tahina Pudding (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). CORIANDER We don’t use the spice coriander in our cooking nearly as much as we do the fresh herb or even cumin, but it still serves a purpose. The slightly lemony flavour of the spice will soften and complement other ingredients, such as the cumin in the Feta & Nigella Seed Falafel (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). COUSCOUS When I was young, I remember my mum buying couscous in very large bags – they’d be either 25kg or 50kg – as we used to eat so much of it. Gone are the days when it was always steamed in a couscoussier (the traditional steamer used in the Middle East to cook couscous). This method does make the texture really light, but it’s quicker to pour hot water or stock over the grains and leave them to soak for 10–15 minutes to rehydrate them. Couscous needs lots of flavouring – oil and lemon juice, and you can also melt a knob of butter in the hot liquid – and then it’s ready to serve with rich stews. A lighter recipe, and very delicious, is my favourite Roasted Chicken & Couscous Salad (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). CUMIN This spice infuses any recipe with a distinctive musky flavour. It’s often used with coriander, which complements it perfectly, with its lemony character. It’s a must in My Mum Zohra’s Fried Sardines (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Buy cumin seeds if you have a good spice grinder, or use ground cumin if you need to save time. FREEKEH We don’t use this as often as couscous or bulgar wheat, but I do enjoy it and it’s delicious in my easy and very filling Freekeh with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Like bulgar and couscous, it is wheat, but it is harvested when young and green, then toasted and cracked to make the freekeh. It has a slightly nutty flavour and the cooking time varies depending on the packet you buy. Check this before you start so you don’t end up with bullet-like grains when you’re preparing it. DRIED FRUIT I always keep dried dates, figs, prunes and apricots in my cupboard – they’re instant snacks, plus I also love to serve them with mint tea and perhaps some whole almonds if anyone drops by. Much smaller dried fruit, such as sultanas, are also useful. Have a look at one of my favourite recipes, Slow-cooked Shoulder of Lamb (see here (#litres_trial_promo)), where I go to town with the whole range. FUL OR FAVA BEANS I’ve explained why it’s better to buy dried chickpeas and lentils, but I tend to buy ful or fava beans in tins. These are broad beans that have been dried then rehydrated. You can, of course, cook the dried beans, but it takes more time, and the recipes I use them in – Ful Salad with Radish & Mint (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) and Broad Beans in a Tomato Sauce (see here (#u59f5c8e0-14ca-5b82-a189-deef375e0b1c)) – are quick to make, so it’s easier to use tinned. HARISSA I love this fiery hot paste and I’ve even been known to enjoy it on eggs for breakfast. It’s also great swirled into yoghurt to make a dip, which softens its heat. You can buy it ready-made in jars or tubes (which makes it look a little like tomato pur?e), but I urge you to make my homemade harissa sauce, which is served with the Spiced Fried Squid (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) and keeps well in the fridge. HONEY For me, sugar brings a simple sweetness to a recipe, but to give depth, too, you need a good-flavoured honey. We often use honey to make a syrup; I love using it this way, especially combined with orange blossom water or rose water. Choose a runny honey so it dissolves easily into other ingredients. it’s wonderful in the Walnut & Cinnamon Honey Cigars (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). LEBANESE SEVEN-SPICE MIX I use this to season a piece of meat when I want to add a little extra something, at the same time as salt and pepper. Seven-spice is a blend of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. I use it in the Chicken & Chickpea Stew (see here (#litres_trial_promo)), and also to give a more powerful flavour to a finished dish, such as the Slow-cooked Shoulder of Lamb (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). DRIED LENTILS These are really handy as they don’t need soaking overnight, and a little goes a long way. I keep both green and red lentils in the cupboard. Lentils need extra herbs and spices to give them flavour and garlic is always a good addition. Try my budget-friendly Lentil Soup with Lemon (see here (#litres_trial_promo)), which uses a handful of ingredients and is bulked up with Swiss chard. DRIED MINT We use dried herbs in dishes that need long, slow cooking as they have a more intense flavour than fresh herbs. The powerful flavour of dried mint can also be used to finish off a recipe, as in Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Spiced Minced Lamb & Rice (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). The little parcels of cabbage stuffed with rice are drizzled with an aromatic herb and garlic butter. NIGELLA SEEDS I like these little black seeds in the Feta & Nigella Seed Falafel (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) as they have a slightly bitter flavour, which enhances the herbs, spices and other ingredients. I also love the fact that they look good decorating the outside of the balls. If you’re looking for them in supermarkets, you might see them labelled as black onion seeds or kalonji seeds. NUTS Nuts play a big role in Middle Eastern food; they are part of our culture. If someone drops by, we put a bowl of nuts on the table. When we bake, we use them in sweet recipes. At the end of a meal, we’ll finish with mint tea and a bowl of nuts and dried fruit. You can buy them everywhere – from stalls in the street to shops specialising in roasted seeds and nuts, so of course I like to use them generously in whatever dish I’m making. If you can, buy them in big bags – it’s cheaper that way – and store them in a cool, dark cupboard so they don’t go off. I like to keep a good range in stock, but pistachios and pine nuts are my favourites so I always have these in. Try pistachios in my Fig, Halloumi & Pistachio Tart (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) and sprinkle pine nuts over Feta & Spinach Flatbread (see here (#u96458ea0-4de9-571a-bb71-b9c2ee93338f)). EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL I like my olive oil to have a rich colour and a deep flavour. Lots of people reserve extra-virgin olive oil for dressings, but if you can buy a reasonably priced one, it’s worth cooking with it, too. The only time I use another oil is when I’m deep-frying, and then I use sunflower or vegetable oil, as they have high smoking points. PAPRIKA This lovely, red, smooth-tasting spice is made by drying sweet red peppers then grinding them into a powder. It doesn’t have any heat and is lovely in the mezze recipe, Aleppo Roast Peppers & Mixed Nut Dip (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). POMEGRANATE MOLASSES I love this pink-hued syrup, which is a mixture of sweet and sour. It’s quite powerful – a little goes a long way – so I tend to dot it carefully over salads. It’s particularly good in the Spiced Lamb Pastries (see here (#litres_trial_promo)), in which the sweetness enhances the savoury filling of these little pies. RICE Basmati is my go-to rice on the side if I’m serving a stew with lots of sauce, and it’s essential in dishes in which light, fluffy rice is needed, for example, my Palestinian Spiced Rice with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Pudding rice isn’t just used for desserts; we use this stubby variety in recipes where the rice part of a stuffing, as in the Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Spiced Minced Lamb and Rice (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). The sticky nature of the grains helps to meld all the ingredients together and maintain the shape of the cabbage parcels. ROSE WATER AND ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER I buy these scented waters in big bottles, as they are better value. I quite often advise the chefs not to be cautious about adding these waters to dishes. The orange blossom water adds a really interesting twist to the Date, Almond, Orange Blossom & Labneh Smoothie (see here (#litres_trial_promo)), while the rosewater is a must in the Roasted Aubergine, Rose, Honey & Labneh Tart (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). SALT You’ll notice that most of the recipes in this book specify a measured quantity of salt in the ingredients list. It’s so important to season food properly as this helps to bring the flavours of all the ingredients together and enhance them. I like sea salt, but you may need to grind it to make it finer if you’re making bread, so that it disperses through the flour properly. SESAME SEEDS These tiny little seeds pack a punch once they’re toasted – see my gorgeous breakfast feta recipes (see here (#u44b4df39-a24f-5479-9757-ae8243479fa3)). They also give a great texture to falafel or to finish off our renowned Sesame Seed Bread (see here (#u52903ddd-8123-54b9-b688-ebfa50a8348b)). SUMAC This is one of my absolute favourite spices. I love the deep red colour and the lemony, slightly sour flavour. The bush that these berries come from originated in the Middle East. The berries are dried and ground into powder. A sprinkling is perfect with sweet-flavoured ingredients such as tomatoes, so try it in my Village Tomato Salad (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). TAHINA Along with extra-virgin olive oil and pomegranate molasses, tahina is one of those store-cupboard ingredients that I have to keep in. I buy it in a big plastic tub – it’s cheaper that way – and keep it in the cupboard next to the salt and pepper, so it’s always to hand. You may spot it labelled as ‘tahini’ in supermarkets. Anyone close to me knows how much I love aubergines, so even simple dishes such as grilled or roasted aubergines are served with a drizzle of tahina over the top, to make them taste even better. I also love it in the amazing New Potatoes & Green Tahina Salad (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). ZA’ATAR I couldn’t live without za’atar, the spice blend of wild thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and salt, and I will add it to anything. It’s a must on man’ousha (see pages (#u46d397cf-f2bd-5c9c-aa72-88ec732078e0)) and I particularly love it pressed into halloumi – see Za’atar-crusted Halloumi (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Just so you know, we call wild dried thyme za’atar, too. (#ulink_22b03fb0-0dca-5e01-be73-cef267a52464) My mum used to make this favourite of mine for me, my brothers and my sister. Breakfast was pretty busy for her with seven of us to feed, but she could rustle this up quickly and sometimes she made it for lunch instead. If she was really pressed for time, instead of waiting for the eggs to set, she’d scramble them into the tomato mixture, which I loved. Here I’ve married the classic with one of my favourite ingredients, aubergine. You must make the sauce in an ovenproof frying pan, as the eggs are baked right at the end. Just 5 minutes in a hot oven is all it takes for the whites to set and the yolks to still be soft and runny. AUBERGINE SHAKSHUKA (#ulink_4c51102a-d236-508a-96e2-76340fcf65be) SHAKSHUKA BATENJAN SERVES 6 olive oil, for frying 2 large aubergines, sliced into rounds ? red onion, sliced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 8 large tomatoes on the vine, chopped 125ml tomato juice ? tsp salt ? tsp black pepper ? tsp cumin (optional) 6 large eggs 100g feta cheese, roughly chopped TO SERVE a few parsley sprigs and a large mint sprig warm pitta bread Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Season the aubergine slices and fry them in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and tender, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer the slices to a plate as they are cooked. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium frying pan and saut? the onion gently over a low-to-medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring every now and then, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute. Tip the tomatoes into the pan along with any juice and stir into the onion. Cook for 8 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and softened – they should be a pulp. Pour in the tomato juice and cook, again over a low heat, for 5 minutes. The sauce will be quite thick by this stage. Season with salt, black pepper and the cumin, if using. Spread a layer of aubergine slices over a large, ovenproof dish, then spoon over half the tomato sauce. Repeat to make two layers. Make a hole in the sauce with the back of a large spoon and crack an egg into it. Do the same all round the dish until you’ve positioned all the eggs. Scatter over the feta. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Pick the leaves off the parsley and mint sprigs, and chop roughly. Scatter over the shakshuka and serve with the warm pitta bread. This is a dish I had at a friend’s house on the outskirts of Beirut. We were totally spoilt there as his mum would cook four or five different dishes for breakfast every morning, and because she knew I loved this, she would always make it. It’s a big, open omelette, topped with tender chunks of aubergine, caramelised cherry tomatoes and bite-size cubes of halloumi – all seasoned with one of my favourite spice blends. If you want to get ahead with this to make it a really speedy dish to rustle up, you could cook the vegetables and cheese the day before and chill them. Just make sure you toss them in a pan to heat them through before topping the omelette. AUBERGINE & HALLOUMI OMELETTE (#ulink_adda244f-76f3-51a2-b7cb-79d4f34b7419) BATENJAN WA HALLOUMI SERVES 6 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle ? aubergine, chopped into 2cm cubes za’atar, to season 100g cherry tomatoes, halved 75g halloumi, chopped 8 large eggs salt and black pepper fresh thyme, to serve Heat the oven to 100°C/80°C fan/gas mark ? to keep the vegetables and halloumi warm while making the omelette. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and cook the aubergine over a low heat, tossing every now and then until golden. Season with za’atar and some salt and pepper. Spoon into a roasting tin. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the tomatoes, cut-side down, until just golden and caramelised, but not squishy. Season in the same way as the aubergine and put in the tin. Cook the halloumi in the pan, tossing it every now and then so that the cubes turn golden on each side and then season them, too. Spoon into the tin, then put the tin in the oven to keep warm. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season well. Add a drizzle more oil to the pan and place over a low-to-medium heat. Pour in the beaten eggs. As the egg starts to cook, draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan to allow more of it to cook. It’ll wrinkle up and make a much thicker – and more delicious – omelette this way. Lower the heat if it cooks too quickly and continue until the egg is just set on top. Spoon the aubergine, tomatoes and halloumi on top, garnish with fresh thyme and more za’atar, and serve. FETA 4 WAYS JEBNA FETA It’s a bit unusual to have feta for breakfast, but I’ve been brought up on it and the salty, slightly sharp flavour goes brilliantly with both savoury and sweet ingredients. To be honest, I’m so greedy I could easily hoover up a block when it’s served with any of the accompaniments here. Sometimes I use a handful of mixed nuts in place of pistachios, and toast them in a pan first for extra flavour. And, if I can get hold of them, I love it topped with candied figs and a drop of rose water. Fingers of hot, just-toasted pitta cut through the richness, and a bowl of fruit completes the meal. If you have any left over, save it for lunch and serve it in a sandwich. (photos on here (#ulink_064d3a3e-0415-538f-9434-862bcb437288).) FETA WITH TOMATOES & SPRING ONIONS (#ulink_70b3b0cc-5c4a-5ff1-941d-9b45fe3048c2) EACH BLOCK OF FETA SERVES 4–6 250g block of feta, cut into three equal pieces 3 tomatoes, halved, deseeded and chopped 3 spring onions, sliced ?–1 red chilli, sliced small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped black pepper, to season olive oil, for drizzling juice of ? large lemon paprika, to sprinkle Arrange the feta on a plate. Spoon over the tomatoes, spring onions, chilli and parsley. Season with black pepper – there’s no need to add salt as the feta is salty. Drizzle over some olive oil – about 2 tablespoons will be plenty – then squeeze over the lemon. Finally sprinkle over a little paprika and serve. FETA WITH OLIVE OIL & ZA’ATAR (#ulink_e8c44123-a187-5cf7-ba25-82a38da9a2db) 250g block of feta 3–4 tsp za’atar 2 tbsp olive oil Place the feta on a plate. Mix together the za’atar and olive oil, and spoon over the top of the cheese. FETA WITH PISTACHIOS & DATE SYRUP (#ulink_44b582a3-3ad7-592b-af7d-0860f958a84f) 250g block of feta 2 tbsp date syrup 25g shelled pistachio nuts, toasted and chopped Place the feta on a plate. Spoon the date syrup over the top of the cheese, then scatter over the pistachio nuts. FETA WITH SESAME SEEDS & HONEY (#ulink_695810d4-714a-5096-9c3d-2108fbd5df01) 250g block of feta 1–2 tbsp runny honey 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds Place the feta on a plate. Spoon the honey over the top of the cheese, then scatter over the sesame seeds. My pitstop snack as a little boy when I ran in from playing with my friends was to wolf down a scrambled-egg sandwich – so quick and very filling. Then, later, as a teenager I loved merguez sausages – the spicier, the better – stuffed into a sandwich with frites (skinny, and sometimes not so skinny, hand-cut chips) and harissa. This recipe, inspired by my friend Aziz, who made it for me in Beirut, combines the two and uses Middle Eastern sujuk. It’s thinner and longer than merguez, usually made from beef and flavoured with garlic, cumin and sumac. First make a big pan of scrambled eggs, then take it to another level by topping it with chunks of the sausage, just fried with some cherry tomatoes. A little pomegranate molasses and a sprinkling of parsley cuts through the richness. Use chorizo or merguez if you can’t track down sujuk sausages. SUJUK SCRAMBLED EGGS (#ulink_1315f900-9952-547f-8b07-eb6ea5c391dd) BEYD BIL SUJUK SERVES 6 8 large eggs, beaten 1 tsp salt a good grinding of black pepper 25g butter 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tsp olive oil 60g sujuk sausage, sliced into 1cm chunks 6 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses Season the eggs with the salt and pepper and stir together. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a low-to-medium heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the eggs. Start stirring the eggs to scramble them, watching them carefully. When they’re half cooked, stir in half the parsley. Keeping one eye on the eggs, cook the topping. Put a separate, smaller frying pan on a medium heat, add and heat the olive oil. Cook the sujuk chunks until golden and crisp, tossing regularly. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook until they’ve just blistered and turned golden on the flat side. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses over the top and toss everything again. Check the eggs and stir them again – you want them to be cooked, but still a little soft. Spoon them into a bowl, then spoon the sujuk mixture on top. Drizzle over the juices and scatter over the remaining parsley, then serve. I love tartines, French open sandwiches, because I can see exactly what the filling is or, in this case, the topping. I’ve made this recipe a big, sharing crowd-pleasing affair, with cheese, honey, candied figs, nuts and fruit. For a slightly more decadent topping, swap the pomegranate seeds for dried rose petals and add just a drop of rose water to the syrup or honey before drizzling. If you prefer the feta uncooked to enjoy more of the salty flavour, sprinkle it on with the seeds and rose water just before eating. If you can’t get hold of figs in syrup, poach dried figs in a little water to soften, then keep them in a jar with honey. FIG & FETA TARTINE (#ulink_8fca21c7-193d-50b6-85f1-218a127644a9) SERVES 6 200g block of feta 1 large flatbread 2–3 tbsp fig syrup, or use honey if using dried figs 9 whole figs in syrup – or use dried figs – chopped into chunks 20g slivered or roughly chopped pistachio nuts large handful of pomegranate seeds 1 tsp sesame seeds Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7 and put a baking sheet in the oven to warm. Put the feta into a bowl and mash it with a fork until it crumbles into small pieces. Put the flatbread on a board and drizzle half the syrup over the top. Spoon the feta over the bread, covering it evenly. Then arrange the figs and pistachios over the top, again so they’re evenly spaced on the bread. Slide the flatbread on to the preheated baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes – just long enough to warm the bread through and allow the feta to become very slightly golden. The bread shouldn’t be too crisp. Drizzle the remaining syrup over the top, followed by the pomegranate and sesame seeds. Cut into wedges and serve. If you’re as greedy as me and like to pick at lots of bits, you’ll love this. It’s a true feast in every sense of the word and features lots of different dishes laid out in one big spread. This breakfast varies from family to family, village to village. For starters, you’ll always find a selection of homemade cheese, eggs and flatbreads with different toppings. There’ll also be jars of homemade jams such as quince, fig or rose petal. Olives and pickles, tomatoes, bunches of mint, baby cucumbers and radishes will be arranged in separate bowls. There’ll always be space for labneh, of course – whether the topping is sweet or savoury depends on preference. And finally there’ll be fresh fruit, whatever’s in season. Here’s a round-up of some of my favourites (photos on see here (#ulink_6c57a927-027a-551d-b94d-d52aa8a8bd5e)). LEBANESE VILLAGE BREAKFAST (#ulink_059f2537-7e57-5cb4-9022-3bf64158dd10) FOTOOR ARABY LABNEH Serve it plain or dressed as in the recipe on see here (#litres_trial_promo). Or top it with something sweet – rose petal or quince jam are two of my favourites – or choose whatever you have to hand. It’s also delicious with poached quinces and dried fruits (see here (#u05b97937-d304-5125-878c-3995986347f5)). Labneh balls: serve as many different flavours as you like. There are plain labneh balls (dressed in a little olive oil), za’atar labneh balls, sumac labneh balls, labneh balls with flaked chilli, dried-mint labneh balls and labneh balls with nigella seeds. OLIVES & PICKLES Green olives mixed with Kalamata olives, dressed in oil. Whole green chillies, pickled turnips with beetroot and strips of Lebanese gherkins. FALAFEL Serve plain and simple or try the recipe on see here (#litres_trial_promo). A BOWL OF CRISP VEGETABLES Slice baby cucumbers lengthways and sprinkle with a little salt Carrots, squeezed with a little lemon juice and salt Cherry tomatoes, halved, or large tomatoes, cut into wedges and opened like a flower, sprinkled with salt and sumac, and drizzled with a little olive oil Radishes Small bunch of mint, to garnish BREAD Choose Arabic Bread (see here (#u3ecde2d5-45bd-5f3d-b7bc-ba6ce620b7e4)), Sesame Seed Bread (see here (#u52903ddd-8123-54b9-b688-ebfa50a8348b)), Village Bread, or Man’ousha – either Spiced Tomato (see here (#u46d397cf-f2bd-5c9c-aa72-88ec732078e0)) or Feta & Spinach (see here (#u96458ea0-4de9-571a-bb71-b9c2ee93338f)). EGGS Hard-boiled eggs, halved, some sprinkled with za’atar and sumac, are the easiest to serve to a crowd. But if you fancy whipping up some scrambled eggs, serve them with feta and za’atar. If you’re making fried eggs, do as I do and serve them out of the pan with a sprinkle of sumac on top. CHEESE Grill slices of halloumi and serve with figs in rose syrup or roasted tomatoes (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) or serve one or two of the Feta 4 Ways ideas on see here (#u44b4df39-a24f-5479-9757-ae8243479fa3). And, finally, just to please some of my family, who love croissants for breakfast, I also like to serve a plate of the mini ones with my own Middle Eastern twist. I take half of them and split them, then drizzle over a little extra-virgin olive oil and za’atar. The other half I split and fill with salty feta and slices of juicy ripe tomatoes. Originally from Egypt and made from beans in a simple vegetable sauce, this used to be known as the poor man’s breakfast, but how times have changed. It’s now seen as one of the healthiest ways to start the day and, in fact, I eat it particularly when I’m on a strict diet, training for a marathon. It has to be made with fava beans, known as broad beans here, which have been dried then rehydrated. The onion and tomato sauce comes with a kick of garlic and spice, then is simmered with the beans until it forms a stew. If you stir the mixture a lot, the beans cook down and become very soft. I like it both ways – when the beans stay whole and have more texture or when they are more stewed, especially when served with a fried egg on top. Then I’ll always add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil before tucking in. BROAD BEANS IN A TOMATO SAUCE (#ulink_01ca391e-ba64-5d07-8f07-64e09b58099c) FUL MEDAMES SERVES 4–6 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle ? onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp cumin 2 large tomatoes, chopped, plus extra to garnish ? tsp salt 400g tin ful medames (fava beans), drained 100–150ml water small handful of coriander, chopped 1 spring onion, thinly sliced bread, to serve Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and stir in the onion. Saut? over a low-to-medium heat for 8–10 minutes until it has softened and turned golden. Stir in the garlic and cumin, and cook for 1–2 minutes until you can smell the aroma as they cook in the heat of the pan. Add the tomatoes, salt and beans with the water, then stir everything again. Simmer for a further 10 minutes, over a low-to-medium heat, until everything has cooked down and thickened, and the mixture looks like a stew. Stir in most of the coriander and cook for a minute or two more to allow the herb to cook into the sauce. Check the seasoning. Spoon into a bowl and scatter over the remaining coriander, some chopped fresh tomatoes, the spring onions and a drizzle of olive oil over the top. Serve with bread. This is from my mum’s very good Syrian friend, Soha (who we called Um Hassan), who came to our home town, Tizi Ouzou, to teach Arabic. She loved Algerian food, so my mum would invite her and her husband to eat with us. In return she also cooked for us, and this was one of her star dishes. Of course I ensured that my mum learnt how to make it, too. Now, our Syrian chef, Wassim, makes it in just the same way. I know some of you won’t perhaps have tried lamb for breakfast, but it really works. Small pieces of lamb are seasoned with some of our favourite Middle Eastern spices, then cooked with courgettes and eggs. It’s worth looking out for baby courgettes to use here, rather than their full-blown cousins, as they stay lovely and tender to the end. SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH LAMB & COURGETTES (#ulink_5933a566-4cac-5b30-b8ab-fe06a06a601a) MOUFARAKET KOUSSA SERVES 4–6 100ml vegetable oil or 100g ghee 1 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, sliced 150–200g lean lamb, chopped into very small pieces 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp Lebanese seven-spice mix 1 tsp allspice 1kg baby courgettes, chopped 125ml water 4 large eggs, beaten 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper TO SERVE pinch of paprika extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle Heat the oil or ghee in a large saucepan and saut? the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until starting to soften. Stir the lamb into the onion mixture and cook for about 1 minute, until starting to colour a little. Stir in the spices and cook for about 1 minute, then add the chopped courgette and the water, and mix everything together. Cook, uncovered, over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the water has all been absorbed into the courgettes and they are tender. Use a spoon to make a large hole in the middle of the courgettes. Add the eggs and the seasoning, and mix everything together. Cover the pan with a lid and leave on the heat for about 1 minute until the eggs are cooked. Sprinkle with paprika and serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Here’s a really great wrap that’s quick to make and delicious. It’s great for breakfast or brunch and has the added bonus that you can wrap it up and take it anywhere. Creamy labneh is spread over a flatbread, then topped with caramelised bananas. If you’re going to take it with you, I’d skip that stage and just top it with some fresh fruit – my favourites are figs and strawberries or, of course, fresh banana. But the one ingredient I always make sure to add to the honey is plenty of orange blossom water or rose water, then I sprinkle the wrap with toasted sesame seeds at the end. LABNEH & CARAMELISED BANANA WRAP (#ulink_32d1ad08-a4f1-51d2-8de5-23994aa282dc) SERVES 6 50g butter 3 tbsp caster sugar 4 large bananas, sliced 6 flatbreads 200g labneh 6 tbsp runny honey, plus extra to drizzle 1–2 tbsp orange blossom water or rose water plenty of toasted sesame seeds, to sprinkle Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and put the butter in the pan to melt. As soon as it has completely melted and stopped foaming, sprinkle over the caster sugar. Carefully lay the pieces of sliced banana over the base of the pan and cook until golden on each side, turning them after 1–2 minutes. Lay the flatbreads on a board. Spread each one with an equal amount of labneh, leaving about 1cm border from the edge. Top with the caramelised slices of banana. Keep a few to one side (two or three per wrap is plenty) to garnish at the end. Mix the honey with orange blossom water, then drizzle over each flatbread. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds, roll up and pop a couple of slices of banana on top of each to serve. I like it with an extra drizzle of honey and more sesame seeds over the top. I now realise how lucky I was as a little boy, being able to pick fruit straight from the tree. Quinces were one of the many fruits – along with pomegranates and figs – that I loved to gather then eat as soon as I got home. Although quinces are often cooked, they can be eaten raw in the Mediterranean and Middle East. We also cook them in a tagine, or roast halves until golden and tender, or poach them, as in this recipe. Make sure you buy dried figs, apricots and prunes, as opposed to the ready-to-eat fruit, as they’ll be too soft once they’ve been cooked in the syrup. This keeps well in the fridge for up to a week if you don’t eat it all at once. LABNEH WITH CARAMELISED POACHED QUINCES AND SPICED DRIED FRUIT (#ulink_00445bf5-6a1e-5913-b716-7b11a6704dbb) LABNEH BIL SAFARJAL MESHWY SERVES 6 3 medium quinces ? lemon 6 dried figs 6 dried apricots 6 dried prunes 40g sultanas 6 fresh or dried dates 2 cinnamon sticks 2 star anise pared rind of 1 orange juice of 2 oranges 150ml runny honey 200g caster sugar 500ml water 15g butter TO SERVE 600g labneh or Greek yoghurt zest of 1 orange 1 tbsp orange blossom water 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds Peel the quinces and cut them in half. Rub them with the half lemon, squeezing a little juice over them so the flesh doesn’t turn brown. Put them in a large saucepan and add the figs, apricots, prunes and sultanas, followed by the dates, cinnamon sticks, star anise and orange rind. Next pour in the orange juice, honey, caster sugar and water. Cover the pan with a lid and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for 40–50 minutes or until the quinces have softened and turned pink. Lift the quinces out, allowing any syrup to drip back into the pan. Put them on a plate. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a low-to-medium heat and, as soon as it has stopped foaming, lay each quince half in the pan cut-side down and cook for a couple of minutes until caramelised. The quince syrup will become quite dark; make sure it doesn’t burn or it will taste bitter. Spoon the labneh into a large bowl and add the orange zest and orange blossom water, then swirl everything together and divide among six shallow bowls. Arrange the poached fruit around the sides and spoon a quince half into the middle of each dish, drizzling a little extra juice over the fruit so it oozes into the yoghurt. Finally, scatter over the sesame seeds and serve. This sweet brioche bread stuffed with dates can be found anywhere in the Middle East and is a particular favourite as my mum used to make it for us. It would be sliced, warm from the oven, for when we got home from school to eat with caf? cr?me (just like a latte). If I ever had a craving for it but couldn’t make it I’d squash dates into bread to make a sandwich. Not quite the same, but you get the idea. I like to be really generous with the dates, so there’s a good balance between the soft brioche-style dough and the orange-scented dates within. This makes four loaves; I often serve it to friends, then give them half or a whole one to take away with them. (see here (#litres_trial_promo) for photo.) When you’re cutting the dough before proving, make sure you slice all the way through to the middle and down the sides to reveal the date mixture. Once baked, I like to pull off these outer sections as an individual slice, then you’re left with the middle to cut up. DATE BRIOCHE (#ulink_10f01a86-38f2-5809-a144-30683cfdae9d) KAAK BIL TAMAR MAKES 4 1kg white bread flour, plus extra for rolling 2 tsp baking powder 300ml lukewarm water 100g granulated sugar 4 tsp dried yeast 3 large eggs, beaten 2 tsp salt 200ml sunflower oil zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange FOR THE STUFFING & GLAZE 600g Medjool dates, pitted 3 tbsp orange blossom water 1 large egg, beaten 25g sesame seeds Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the water into the middle, followed by the sugar, yeast and eggs. Allow the yeast to activate – the mixture will become frothy after about 3–4 minutes – then pour into the flour mixture and mix well to make a soft dough. Add the salt to the dough, along with the oil and lemon zest, and continue to mix and knead until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Transfer to a board when you feel it’s ready to knead and work it until it’s smooth. Put into a clean bowl and cover, and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until it doubles in size. Whizz the dates and orange blossom water together in a food processor to make a paste for the stuffing. Divide the dough into four 450g pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured board until it’s a rough round measuring about 18cm across. Put a quarter of the date mixture in the middle and spread it out a little, leaving a border around the edges, then wrap the dough around the date mixture. Turn over so the seam is underneath. Repeat with the other three dough pieces, then set them aside to prove for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Flatten each loaf slightly and cut the edges to reveal the mixture inside, leaving a large ball in the middle. Brush with some of the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, then transfer to two lightly floured baking sheets and bake for about 35–40 minutes until the bread is dark golden. After about 20 minutes, glaze the loaves with the egg wash again and return to the oven to finish cooking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then slice and serve. TONY’S TIP This is perfect to have alongside your afternoon coffee, or even served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for pudding. If I’m feeling really indulgent I’ll eat it with feta cheese, as the combination of salty feta and sweet dates is an absolute winner for me. Man’eesh or man’ousha is to the Lebanese what pizza is to the Italians. You’ll find it everywhere in the Middle East. Stuff it with mint, tomatoes, cucumber and pickles, then roll up into a sandwich, if you like. This recipe also works with gluten-free flour. (see here (#litres_trial_promo) for photo.) SPICED TOMATO FLATBREADS (#ulink_557d69d2-7b97-5012-89c9-fb5b2ae26883) MAN’OUSHA BANADORA BIL ZA’ATAR SERVES 6 FOR THE DOUGH 1 tsp dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar 100ml water 250g white bread flour 1 tbsp vegetable oil 50ml milk ? tsp salt FOR THE TOPPING 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tomatoes, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish 3 tbsp za’atar small bunch of thyme, finely chopped salt and black pepper TO SERVE 1 ripe tomato, finely chopped few sprigs of thyme toasted sesame seeds extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle Put the yeast in a bowl and add a pinch of the sugar. Pour in half the water and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. Sift the flour into another bowl, make a well in the middle, add the yeast mixture, then the remaining sugar, the rest of the water, the oil, milk and salt. Stir together to make a dough, then knead on a board until smooth. Put in a clean bowl, cover and set aside to rise for 20–30 minutes. To make the topping, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onions over a low heat for 10–15 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, season well and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until they have broken down and softened, and the mixture looks juicy. Add the za’atar and thyme, increase the heat a little and cook for 3–5 minutes to thicken slightly. Preheat the oven to its highest setting; it needs to be very hot. If you have a pizza stone, put it in now. Or use two large baking sheets. Next, shape the dough. Divide it into three pieces and roll each piece into a round. To create a pattern round the edge, crimp the dough using your thumb and forefinger, holding a little bit of the outside edge and pushing into the dough with the forefinger of the opposite hand to create a pattern. Do this all the way round, then crimp the edges on the two other rounds of dough. Once the pizza stone or baking sheets are hot, slide the dough on to them. Spoon the tomato mixture on top, spreading it out to the side, then bake in the oven for 7–10 minutes until the bread is golden. Once cooked, slide the flatbreads onto a board. Scatter over the chopped tomato, thyme and sesame seeds, and drizzle with olive oil. This man’ousha, topped with spinach and feta, is a recipe given to us by the mother of Firas, one of the Syrian chefs who bakes and makes patisserie for us. Once I tasted it, I just had to put it on the menu, so we added it the very next day. (see here (#litres_trial_promo) for photo.) FETA & SPINACH FLATBREADS (#ulink_a45469e3-5373-53c1-ac4d-af80ce8083cd) MAN’OUSHA SABANEGH WA JABNAT AL FETA SERVES 6 FOR THE DOUGH 1 tsp dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar 100ml lukewarm water 250g white bread flour 1 tbsp vegetable oil 50ml milk ? tsp salt FOR THE TOPPING 2 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed pinch of sumac, plus extra to sprinkle over at the end 400g spinach leaves 1 lemon, halved 75g feta, crumbled 30g pine nuts salt and black pepper TO SERVE small handful of fresh pomegranate seeds small handful of mint leaves pomegranate molasses, to drizzle extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle Put the yeast in a bowl and add a pinch of the sugar. Pour in half the water and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. Sift the flour into another bowl, make a well in the middle, add the yeast mixture, then the remaining sugar, the rest of the water, the oil, milk and salt. Stir together to make a dough, then knead on a board until smooth. Put in a clean bowl, cover and set aside to rise for 20–30 minutes. To make the topping, heat the oil in a medium frying pan and cook the onion over a low heat for 10–15 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, season well with salt, pepper and the sumac, and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Add the spinach to the pan and squeeze in the juice of half the lemon. Cook for a couple of minutes more, stirring the spinach around in the pan so that it wilts in the heat. Rest a sieve over a bowl, spoon the mixture into it and allow it to drain. This ensures that the man’ousha will not end up soggy. Preheat the oven to its highest setting; it needs to be very hot. If you have a pizza stone, put it in now. Or use two large baking sheets. Next, shape the dough. Divide the dough into three pieces and roll each piece into a round. Once the pizza stone or baking sheets are hot, slide the pieces of dough on to them. Spoon the spinach mixture on top, spreading it out to the side, then scatter over the feta and pine nuts. Bake in the oven for 7–10 minutes until the bread is golden. Once the flatbreads are cooked, slide them on to a board. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and mint, and sprinkle with sumac. Drizzle over the molasses and extra-virgin olive oil. Squeeze over a little more lemon juice and serve. ‘Kaak’ in Arabic means ‘bread’, and these, with their distinctive handbag shape, are at their best fresh from the oven. Topped with sesame seeds, they are thinner than other breads, but you can prise them open and fill them with anything – salty feta and slices of juicy ripe tomatoes are always good in my book. You can see the shape in the photo. SESAME SEED BREAD (#ulink_45d9fba1-4099-5a7d-885a-8baa56ca0456) KAAK BIL SEMSSOUM MAKES 6 150ml tepid water 12–15g dried yeast 50g sugar 500g white bread flour, plus extra for rolling 10g salt 1 medium egg 100ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing sesame seeds, to sprinkle FOR THE EGG WASH 2 medium eggs 1 tsp white wine vinegar Pour half the water into a bowl and sprinkle over the yeast. Add a pinch of the sugar and stir everything together. Set aside to allow the yeast to activate for 5 minutes. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the rest of the sugar and the salt. Make a well in the middle and add the egg and oil. Whisk the egg to break it down. Pour the yeast mixture into the middle, rinsing out the bowl with a little of the remaining water so that all the yeast goes in. Pour the rest of the water into the flour mixture. Mix all the ingredients together to make a rough dough, then tip it on to a board and knead well until it’s really smooth. This will take about 5–10 minutes,. Put into a clean bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about 40 minutes. Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Take each piece and roll it in the palm of your hand to make a ball. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out one piece until it measures about ?cm thick and about 15cm across. Use a 5-cm round cutter to cut out a circle at the top, near the edge on one side of the round. Pull this bit of dough out to make a handbag shape. Beat the eggs and white wine vinegar together in a bowl. Brush this all over the dough, then spread liberally with sesame seeds, pressing them down so that they stick to the egg wash. Slide on to a lightly oiled baking sheet (or lined with baking parchment). Do the same with the rest of the dough until you’ve made six breads in total. Put to one side at room temperature for 40–50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden. TONY’S TIP You can bake the small rounds of dough you’ve cut out to make little rolls. Brush with the egg wash, scatter over the sesame seeds and put them on a separate tray. Bake them for about 10–12 minutes. You’ll never see an Arabic table without bread on it. Bread means so much to people in the Middle East that if we don’t have any bread, we wonder how can we eat the food – there’s nothing to dip into the sauces or mop up any juices from a stew. Sometimes I have wondered whether the food that’s served is more important or the bread. That’s why I’m keen to share my pitta bread recipe so you, too, can always serve bread. This recipe has a particularly wholesome taste, thanks to the wholmeal flour, and is scattered with nigella seeds before baking for extra flavour. ARABIC BREAD (#ulink_296d287f-59ee-5d0c-aae5-ea42eda099ea) KHOBZ MAKES 12 1 tsp dried yeast 10g sugar 220ml lukewarm water 300g white bread flour 100g brown bread flour 5g salt 2 tsp olive oil nigella seeds, to sprinkle Put the yeast into a bowl with a good pinch of the sugar and half the water. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate and become frothy. Sieve the flours into a large bowl and stir in the salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the oil, the yeast mixture and the remaining sugar and water. Stir everything together to make a rough dough. Knead on a board until smooth. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover and leave to rise for about 30 minutes until doubled in size. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll them into rounds on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a few nigella seeds over the top of each piece before the final roll so they stick to the surface on the final roll. Put the pieces of rolled dough on to floured baking sheets and cover. Leave in a warm place for 45 minutes–1 hour to prove. Preheat the oven to its hottest temperature. Bake the pitta breads for 4–5 minutes until the dough has puffed up slightly and is cooked all the way through. (#ulink_9f6f1386-eb1c-5542-b655-1dabe3a314c8) HOMMOS 4 WAYS I love hommos with a creamy texture and packed with garlic and tahina. I’m even happier if it’s served drizzled with peppery olive oil and flatbread to dip in. (see here (#litres_trial_promo) for photo.) This recipe calls for dried chickpeas. When you cook them yourself, you can check when they are ready. I test by pressing one between finger and thumb – it should easily squash into a paste. Too hard and they won’t whizz into a smooth mixture; too soft and the texture won’t be right. And, yes, that’s right, there are ice cubes in the ingredients list! Don’t add water instead as it will make the finished texture too watery. CLASSIC HOMMOS (#ulink_34c8c48b-5cde-569e-a0ac-56cc19255107) SERVES 4–6 125g dried chickpeas ? tsp bicarbonate of soda 3–4 ice cubes 35–50g tahina juice of ? lemon 1 small garlic clove, crushed (optional) ? tsp salt The night before you want to make the hommos, put the chickpeas into a bowl and cover them with cold water. Set aside and leave to soak for at least 8–10 hours. The next day, drain the chickpeas and return to the bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda and cover with cold water. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain off the water again and put the chickpeas into a medium saucepan. Pour in enough cold water to cover them by a couple of centimetres, then put a lid on the pan and bring to the boil. Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/comptoir-libanais/feasts-from-the-middle-east/?lfrom=688855901) на ЛитРес. 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