We served this as a side with a barbecue but it would also make a nice dinner for 2.
Couscous & chickpeas in ras el hanut spice – serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main
½ a small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ras el hanut spice mix
100g cooked chickpeas (from a tin)
1 tomato, diced
60g couscous
180ml boiling water
15-20g coriander, chopped
Heat the oil in a pan, then fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat until softened and starting to colour. Add the salt and ras el hanut and mix for about 20 seconds. Add the chickpeas and diced tomato and cook for another minute. Stir in the couscous and boiling water, bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and cover.
Leave the couscous aside for 10 minutes to absorb the liquid, then remove the lid and use a fork to separate the grains and mix in the chopped coriander. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. Food from the Middle East, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
The flavours in this little Middle Eastern pie are stunning. You can make the filling up to a couple of days ahead and keep it in the fridge, the problem with this is trying to resist eating it. If your filo pastry is frozen you should defrost it in the fridge overnight, defrosting in haste causes the sheets to stick together. You can also re-freeze any sheets that you don’t use. Sarit and Itamar suggest serving with a rocket and orange salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. We had a green salad which worked fine too.
Wine Suggestion: we chose the Manciat-Poncet Pouilly Vinzelles which is a classic Chardonnay with good weight and a delightful balance of perfectly ripe fruit, vibrant freshness and judiciously handled oak. Aromatically broad and rich to counter the rich chicken flavours and natural minerality giving it all lift and vitality.
Chicken pastilla – serves 4-6
6 chicken thighs (about 800g)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
100g pitted dates
3 onions (about 300g), sliced thinly
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried chilli
2 tbsp ras el hanout
240ml water
1 packet of filo pastry (250g-270g)
60g melted butter
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Put a large frying pan over a medium heat. Put the chicken thighs into the pan, skin-side down, then season with 1 tsp of the salt and the pepper. After about 10-15 minutes the skin should be crisp and nicely coloured. Turn the thighs over and cook on the other side for about 5 minutes, then transfer to an oven-proof pan that can fit them all in one layer. Add the dates.
Add the sliced onions to the fat in the frying pan and add another tsp of salt. Cook until soft and starting to turn golden, then add the cinnamon stick, dried chilli and ras el hanout. Mix well together and cook for 30 seconds, then add the water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, pour over the chicken thighs, then cover the pan and put in the centre of the oven for 1 hour.
Check that the chicken is cooked, it should just fall off the bone. If not, return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Set the chicken aside until cool enough to handle.
Pour the contents of the pan into a sieve over a bowl, keep the cooking liquid. Pull the chicken from the bones and discard the skin, bones and any gristly bits. Remove the chilli and cinnamon stick. Mix the chicken with the cooked dates and onions, then add just enough of the liquid to bind it all together. You can prepare this part up to 2 days in advance and keep in the fridge until needed. Keep the extra liquid too and serve as a sauce on the side.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 6.
Open the filo pastry packet and lay it out on a surface.
Carefully peel off the first sheet and brush with the melted butter, then fold into four and set aside (this will form the base of the pastilla).
Peel of the next sheet and butter it, then cover with another sheet and set aside. Repeat with two more sheets, so you have two sheets of double thickness.
Place one doubled sheet lengthways on the table, put the folded square in the centre of it, then lay the other doubled sheet on top at 90° to the first sheet, so you have a cross shape that is thickest in the middle.
Carefully lift the pastry and place in a 22-24cm ovenproof frying pan letting the sides hang over the edge. Fill with the chicken mixture and fold the corners over to cover it. It looks nice if its a bit crumpled so no need to be to neat about it. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the melted butter and put into the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the pan around so it all crisps evenly, then cook for another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, heat the cooking liquid in a small pan.
Serve immediately with a jug of the sauce to pour over and a salad on the side.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
Totally different flavours going on in this meatball recipe from Honey & Co at Home, but deliciously tasty. Such a good use for broad beans and anything full of dill is always a hit with us.
Wine Suggestion: try to find a fresh Mediterranean inspired white with a bit of zip. Tonight a Carricante from Gulfi on the southern slopes of Mt Etna in Sicily; a mineral undertone, hints of herbs, fresh grapefruit and almonds. We could almost taste the sunshine.
Spring lamb meatballs with broad beans and courgettes – serves 4
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
250g lamb mince
250g beef mince
1 tbsp of ground fenugreek
1 tbsp of ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp table salt
a pinch of black pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
about 10g of dill, chopped
about 10g of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
½ tsp baking powder
FOR THE COOKING LIQUID:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, trimmed and roughly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 courgettes, diced
½ tsp table salt
200g broad beans (we used frozen broad beans)
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
about 10g of dill, chopped
about 10g of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
Mix all of the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Hands are good for this but you might want to wear gloves to avoid yellow nails. Shape into ping-ball sized meatballs, you should get 12-14. Put the meatballs on a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil for the cooking liquid in a large pot and sweat the leeks, garlic and courgettes for 5-6 minutes, then sprinkle with salt and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the broad beans, bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Tip in the seared meatballs with any juices from the tray. Add 500ml of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low, add the chopped herbs and cover the pan. Simmer for 40 minutes, then serve.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. At Home by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Pavillion, 2018.)
We started these kebabs from the Falastin cookbook on the barbecue and then finished in the oven. Oh my goodness, they’re delicious. This is the best cookbook we’ve bought in ages!! You can make the parsley oil and marinade the salmon well in advance.
Wine Suggestion: to avoid fighting the spices we opened a La Source de Chateau Vignelaure Blanc from Provence. A blend of Vermentino, Semillon and Sauvignon it was uncomplicated joy in a glass; pure freshness with light fruits and a textured core.
Spiced salmon skewers with parsley oil – serves 4
800g salmon fillet (no skin & bones), cut into 4cm chunks
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp sumac
3½ tbsp olive oil
2 onions, halved lengthways, then each half quartered into 4 chunks
12 cherry tomatoes
1 lemon, quartered into wedges, to serve
PARSLEY OIL:
40g parsley
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
90ml olive oil
1 lemon, cut off the ends, then remove the skin and cut between the membranes to release the segments
Put the chunks of salmon into a large bowl with the cardamom, cumin, paprika, turmeric, sumac, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, ¾ tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Mix to coat the fish, then leave in the fridge for at least an hour but it will be fine made earlier in the day and cooked when you need.
Put 1½ tbsp of olive oil into a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured, they’ll fall apart and that’s fine. Scoop them out of the pan and set aside.
To make the parsley oil whizz the parsley, garlic, oil, ¼ tsp of salt and plenty of pepper in the small bowl of a food processor for about a minute, or until, smooth. Add the lemon segments and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 230ºC and get your barbecue going (if you don’t want to barbecue you can use a well-greased griddle pan).
Put a tomato onto 4 long metal skewers, then alternate chunks of salmon with pieces of onion. Finish with another tomato at the end.
When the barbecue (or griddle) is smoking hot, add the skewers and grill for 3-4 minutes, turning so they’re charred on all sides. Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment and put into the preheated oven for 6-7 minutes, or until the salmon is just cooked.
Drizzle over the parsley oil and serve the lemon wedges on the side.
(Original recipe from Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley, Ebury Press, 2020)
This is a bit like a Middle-Eastern shepherd’s pie but lighter and spicier. It’s also very quick and easy to make. Serve with pickled chillies, a tomato salad and some flatbreads if you like (we had pickled chillies alone and it was perfect). We can’t recommend the books by Honey & Co highly enough, everything works.
Wine Suggestion: Another lockdown cellar raid unearthed our last bottle of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 from the famed La Crau vineyard. At a very good point in its develeopment with beautiful, pure red fruits and layers of subtle spicing. Lots of power still but with so much elegance and refinement.
If you don’t have this wine to hand we most successfully match middle eastern dishes containing warm spices with southern Rhône and other Grenache dominant Mediterranean reds.
Lamb siniya – serves 4 to 6
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
FOR THE LAMB:
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500g lamb mince
1 tsp coarsely ground fennel seeds
2 tbsp baharat spice mix
1 tbsp tomato purée
FOR THE TOPPING:
200g natural yoghurt
200g tahini paste
2 eggs
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp chopped parsley, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Put the cauliflower into a large saucepan, add about a litre of water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until soft. Drain and spread over the base of a shallow casserole dish (about 22cm).
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions with half a teaspoon of salt until starting to turn golden. Add the lamb mince, turn the heat up to hight and break it up with a wooden spoon. When the lamb starts to brown, sprinkle over the ground fennel and baharat spice and continue to cook for another few minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook, stirring, for another few minutes, then spread over the cauliflower. You can do up to this stage a day in advance if you like.
Mix all the ingredients together for the topping, except the pine nuts. If the mixture is very thick you can add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it slightly – it should be like thick yoghurt. Spread the topping over the cauliflower and lamb, then sprinkle the pine nuts over the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes or until set and slightly golden. Sprinkle with the parsley to serve.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co: Food from the Middle East by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
There is a recipe for fish in tahini sauce in almost every Middle Eastern cookbook, and for good reason. The caramelised onions really complement the slightly sour tahini sauce. Serve with rice and salad.
Wine Suggestion: Not having had tahini with fish before we weren’t sure what to open, so went with our classic standby for seafood – Muscadet. The Domaine de la Chauviniere worked a treat and we would highly recommend this as a match.
Fish in Tahini (Samak bi Tahina) – serves 2
For the fish:
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground Aleppo pepper
½ tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 fillets of white fish
For the sauce:
80ml tahini
50ml lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt, to taste
80ml water
For the topping:
2 medium onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
a handful of coriander, chopped
vegetable oil, for frying
a handful of toasted pine nuts
Mix the spices and oil and rub over the fish, then leave to marinate in the fridge for half an hour.
Caramelise the onions by frying them over a very low heat until soft and browned – about half an hour.
Make the tahini sauce by mixing the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and water in a pan. Don’t worry if it curdles just keep stirring vigorously until it becomes smooth. Warm the sauce over a very low heat.
Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan and fry the marinated fish for a few minutes on each side, then remove from the heat and place in a warm dish.
Fry the garlic and coriander in a pan with a little oil for a minute.
Pour the warm tahini sauce over the fish, then sprinkle over the onions, followed by the coriander, garlic and pine nuts. Serve with bulgar wheat or rice and a salad or vegetables if you like.
(Original recipe from Syria: Recipes from Home by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi, Trapeze, 2017.)
This Iranian salad works really well with rich, spicy stews and middle eastern dishes. Try and cut everything the same size so that you get a bit of everything in each bite.
Salad Shirazi – serves 4 as a side dish
300g Middle Eastern or regular cucumber
300g tomatoes, halved and seeds removed
½ red onion
4 radishes
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 tsp dried mint
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
If you are using small Middle Eastern (Lebanese) cucumbers, then half them lengthways. If using a regular cucumber, peel, half and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.
Finely dice the cucumber and tomato into ½ cm cubes. Cut the red onion and radishes into similar sized pieces and tip everything into a large salad bowl.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together, then pour over the salad and mix well. Serve immediately.
(Original recipe from The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2016.)
500g young spinach, washed and dried (in a salad spinner ideally)
200g good-quality feta cheese, crumbled
1 dessertspoon fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
75g pinenuts, very lightly toasted
25g butter
2 pitta breads
½ garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
1 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar
2 tsp sumac
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Melt the butter. Split the pitta in half lengthways and brush the melted butter on both sides. Put the pittas on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool.
Whisk the garlic, red wine vinegar, sumac, olive oil together to make a dressing. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Put the spinach, roughly broken crispbread, half the feta cheese, the oregano/marjoram and pinenuts into a large bowl. Pour over most of the dressing and toss together. Serve with the rest of the feta and dressing on top.
(Original recipe from Moro: the cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark, Ebury Press, 2001.)
These were so easy and would make a great weeknight supper or lunch at the weekend. A great way to use up Turkish red pepper paste!
Wine Suggestion: we’d suggest a light red wine or dry rosé to compliment these. For a splash out we drank the Felton Rd Vin Gris from Central Otago. This is made from Pinot Noir juice, only in selected vintages and is very dry and textural with summer fruit flavours and aromas with hints of chervil, fennel and an earthy spice we can’t put our finger on. Together with the pizza it all came together to make us feel like we were on holidays, even though we aren’t!
Middle Eastern Veggie Pizzas – makes 5
5-10 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (you could always use tomato paste)
pack of 5 large pitta breads or Middle Eastern flatbreads
½ a bag of frozen spinach, defrosted
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 balls mozzarella, patted dry and torn
5 eggs
freshly grated nutmeg
small bunch basil
shaved Parmesan, to serve
Preheat your oven to the highest setting.
Put the flatbreads onto baking trays and spread 1-2 tbsp red pepper paste over each one.
Squeeze the spinach with your hands to get as much water out as possible, then scatter on top, leaving a little space in the centre (to crack an egg into). Divide the garlic & mozzarella between the pizzas and season generously.
Carefully crack an egg into the middle of each pizza, into the space you made with the spinach, and season with nutmeg and some of the basil. Bake for 7 mins until the cheese has melted and the egg is cooked as you like it (you will probably have to cook them in batches).
Serve with a little more basil and some Parmesan shavings.
Another delicious Middle-Eastern dish from Honey & Co. This is really unusual and tastes delicious. It serves 4 as a main course but you could also serve smaller portions as a side with lamb.
Wine suggestion: perfect with a lighter, fruity red from Spain or Italy. Our choice was the Rocca delle Macie Chianti Vernaiolo which is a very youthful, easy-drinking Sangiovese with less extraction (tannins and colour) than a full-blown Chianti Classico or other Tuscan greats. By being lighter it was charming with the courgettes and the low tannins didn’t fight the spices. If you were having them as a side alongside lamb we would have stepped up to a richer Primitivo from Puglia, a Nero d’Avola from Sicily or maybe a good Lebanese red like Ch Musar or Massaya.
Halve the courgettes lengthways and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Lay the scooped out halves in a baking tray with sides that come up a bit higher than the courgettes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then gently fry the onion, cinnamon stick and ½ tsp salt to soften the onion without colouring. Then mix in the turmeric, allspice and cayenne. Cook for 30 seconds before adding the risotto rice and stir to coat. Add another ½ tsp salt and the currants and pour over the lemon juice and water. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for 1 minute, then drain through a colander over a bowl to catch the liquid.
Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and stir into the rice along with the chopped parsley and dill (reserve a little parsley to garnish). Divide the rice mixture between the courgettes – don’t overfill as the rice will swell as it cooks. Pour the reserved liquid into the tray so the courgettes are half-submerged (top up with a bit of water if needed).
Put a sheet of greaseproof paper directly on top of the courgettes and cover the tin with tinfoil to entirely seal.
Cook in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, then open and baste the courgettes with the liquid. Recover and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Pierce the courgettes with a small knife to check they are very soft.
Baste again and sprinkle with the reserved parsley and another pinch of cayenne pepper.
Serve with a green salad and some fresh goats’ yogurt if you like.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co.: Food from the Middle East by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 