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Posts Tagged ‘Za'atar’

Za’atar, Tomato, Olive & Feta Pastries

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 2 June 2023| 1 Comment »

We rarely make a proper starter but we do like nibbles that you can eat in your hand with a drink. These pastries are inspired by Sabrina Ghayour and are particularly tasty.

Wine Suggestion: At this time of year we look out for savoury and dry whites, and from Crete we chose an Assyrtiko from Nikos Karavitakis. His Nomas cuvee is crisp, dry, appley citrus with a stony salinity and savoury finish; just perfect for a salty, savoury, herby pastry like this. Sunshine on a plate, and in a glass.

Za’atar, tomato, olive & feta pastries – makes 9

  • 1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
  • 150g sunblush tomatoes in oil, drained and patted dry with kitchen paper, then roughly chopped
  • 200g feta cheese, crumbled
  • 75g pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp za’atar

Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Cut the pastry into 3 vertically and then horizontally to give 9 rectangles.

Mix the tomatoes, feta, olives and za’atar together in a mixing bowl and season generously with black pepper.

Divide the mixture between each pastry rectangle. Put spoonfuls in the centre and pat with your fingers to flatten it down.

Take 2 corners of the pastry and twist them together like a sweet wrapper. Repeat with the 2 remaining corners, leaving the filling exposed in the middle. Repeat with each piece of pastry.

Put the pastries onto the lined baking tray and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly, they are best served warm.

(Original recipe from Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)

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Za’atar, Paprika & Garlic Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 October 2022| 1 Comment »

So tasty and an absolute doddle to prepare. We served with some crusty bread and baked halloumi. Delicious!

Za’atar, paprika & garlic chicken – serves 3

  • 6 large chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 heaped tbsp za’atar
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic granules
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½

Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.

Line a baking tray with paper.

Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and add the spices, lemon zest and juice and lots of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to coat the chicken in the mixture.

Put the chicken onto the lined tray and roast for 1 hour or until well browned and cooked through (you can check at 45 minute if your thighs are small).

(Original recipe from Persian Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)

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Za’atar Salmon & Tahini

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 1 January 2022| 2 Comments »

We’ve made plenty of fish and tahini dishes before but particularly liked this one with the additions of zingy za’atar and fresh spinch.

Wine suggestion: this works brilliantly with a juicy, crisp Verdejo, especially those that come from Rueda in Spain. Crunchy, juicy apples, lemons and grapefuit. In our glass was Dominio la Granadilla which demonstrates a passionate family all working together and speaking of the place they grew up.

Za’atar salmon and tahini – serves 4

  • 4 salmon fillets (about 600g in total), skin on
  • 2 tbsp za’atar
  • 2 tsp sumac, plus and extra ½ tsp for sprinkling at the end
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g baby spinach
  • 90g tahini
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 3½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 1½ tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves

Heat the oven to 220C Fan.

Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and season.

Mix the za’atar and sumac together in a small bowl, then sprinkle this over the top of the salmon to form a crust.

Put a large ovenproof sauté pan over a medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of the oil. When the pan is hot, add the spinach with a little seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes or until just wilted.

Set the salmon fillets on top of the spinach, skin side down, then drizzle the top of the fish with 2 tbsp of oil. Bake in the hot oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whick the tahini, garlic, 2½ tbsp of lemon juice, a good pinch of salt and 100ml of water together until smooth. It will be quite runny.

Pour the tahini around the salmon (but not over the fish) and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through and the sauce is bubbling. Spoon over the rest of the lemon juice and oil and top with the coriander and extra sprinkle of sumac.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2021.)

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