Feast

by Anissa Helou

  5. Just before serving, heat the olive oil in a small skillet, add the dried mint, and let sizzle for a couple of minutes, or until fragrant.

  6. Transfer the soup to a tureen. Drizzle the mint-flavored oil over the top and serve hot.

  Ali Farboud

  Ful Medammes

  EGYPT | SYRIA

  Ful medammes is the Egyptian breakfast par excellence, enjoyed by poor and rich alike, on the street or at home. Often, people take a pot to their local street ful medammes vendor to have him fill it with ful to eat in the comfort of their home. I give here both the classic Egyptian version and a Syrian one I used to have in Aleppo at Hajj Abdo’s simple corner café in the heart of the city’s Christian quarter. His remains the best I have ever had.

  SERVES 4

  FOR THE FUL

  2 cups (400 g) dried large fava beans, soaked overnight in plenty of water with 1 teaspoon baking soda

  Sea salt

  FOR EGYPTIAN-STYLE FUL

  3 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste

  Sea salt

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  1 medium firm-ripe tomato (3½ ounces/100 g), cut into small cubes

  2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced, to taste

  A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped

  ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  Lemon wedges

  Pita bread, for serving

  FOR SYRIAN-STYLE FUL

  ½ cup (125 ml) tahini

  1 clove garlic, minced to a fine paste

  Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

  2 tablespoons Aleppo or Turkish red pepper paste, diluted with 3 tablespoons water (optional)

  Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  Pita bread, for serving

  Sliced tomatoes and scallions, for serving

  1. To start the ful: Drain and rinse the favas under cold water. Put in a large pot and add 4 cups (1 liter) water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2½ to 3 hours, until the beans are very tender and the cooking water has thickened. Check after 1 hour or so to make sure the beans are not drying out. If they are, add a little boiling water. Don’t add too much as you will not be draining the cooked beans at the end. Once done, add salt to taste—you do not want to do this until the very end, otherwise the skins will harden.

  2. To serve the ful Egyptian style: Mash the beans coarsely inside the pot, then spoon them into a large serving bowl. Mix in the garlic and more salt if needed. Wipe the sides of the bowl clean, then drizzle all over with olive oil. Pile the diced tomato in the center, then the scallions, then the parsley. Sprinkle the cumin all around the edges over the beans and serve with the lemon wedges and pita bread.

  3. To serve the ful Syrian style (like Hajj Abdo): Mix the tahini, garlic, and lemon juice, then gradually add ¾ cup (180 ml) water until the tarator is like heavy cream. You will notice the tahini thickening at first but don’t worry, it will loosen as you go. Pour the tarator into a large serving bowl. Add the hot beans. If desired, spoon a little diluted pepper paste all over the top. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately with pita bread, tomatoes, and scallions.

  Nigerian Breakfast Fritters

  AKARA

  NIGERIA

  Akara are interesting Nigerian fritters made with peeled black-eyed peas and are a typical breakfast, served with hot bread or a kind of savory jelly made with cornstarch called agidi. Serve the fritters on their own or with hot bread.

  SERVES 4 TO 6

  2 cups (400 g) dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight in cold water and peeled (see Note)

  ½ red bell pepper, cut into chunks

  1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), coarsely chopped

  1 habanero chili

  1 organic vegetable bouillon cube

  Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

  Sea salt (optional)

  1. Put the peeled black-eyed peas, the bell pepper, the onion, habanero, the bouillon cube, and ¼ cup (60 ml) water in a food processor and process until you have a thick, coarse batter. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

  2. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) oil into a medium deep skillet to deep fry the fritters and heat over medium-low heat. You don’t want the oil to be too hot, otherwise the fritters will not cook through. Test the oil by dropping a little batter in it; if the oil immediately bubbles around it, then it’s ready. Using a large tablespoon, drop as many tablespoons of batter into the hot oil as will fit comfortably in the pan. Fry on both sides until golden all over. Transfer to a sieve lined with paper towels.

  3. Serve hot with sea salt for those who would like the fritters saltier.

  NOTE: To easily peel the black-eyed peas, bash them lightly and put them in bowl full of water; rub with your hands to loosen the skins, which you can then skim as they float to the surface.

  Lentil Kibbeh

  MERCIMEKLI KOFTE

  TURKEY

  When one mentions kibbeh, people immediately think about the meat version, but there are many vegetarian versions, in Turkey, Syria, and South Lebanon to name but a few. The following recipe comes from a wonderful Turkish home cook, Belgin, who does cookery demonstrations for my culinary groups in her kitchen before she serves them her exquisite dishes in her dining room. Because I love to snack on them while waiting for the other dishes to be ready, I always ask her to start with this kofte. (Confusingly, the Turks call kibbeh kofte whereas the Lebanese use the word kofte to describe a ground meat, herb, and onion mixture that can be either grilled, stewed, or baked.)

  SERVES 4 TO 6

  1 cup (200 g) red lentils

  Heaping ¾ cup (175 g) fine bulgur

  ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  2 medium onions (10½ ounces/300 g total), very finely chopped

  ½ cup (100 g) Turkish red pepper paste

  ½ cup (100 g) tomato paste

  1 teaspoon ground cumin

  Sea salt

  TO FINISH

  4 Little Gem lettuces, for serving

  Olive oil, for drizzling

  A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

  1. Rinse the lentils under cold water, then put in a medium pot. Add 2 cups (500 ml) water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and mushy and the water almost evaporated. Add the bulgur and mix well. Cover the pot.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is very soft and golden. Add the pepper paste and tomato paste and mix well.

  3. Transfer the lentil/bulgur mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the fried onions and with your hand (wear a glove as the mixture will turn your hand red) mix to a smooth paste. Add the cumin and season with salt to taste and mix again, adding a little water if the mixture is too stiff to shape easily. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

  4. To finish, arrange lettuce leaves in a rosette on a round platter. Pinch off one piece of kibbeh mixture the size of a large walnut and shape it into an oval patty. Press your fingers into it to leave indents and place inside one lettuce leaf. Continue shaping the kibbeh in the same way and placing each on a lettuce leaf. Drizzle each kibbeh with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little parsley. Serve immediately.

  Cannellini Beans, Dill, and Eggs

  BAGHALI GHATOG

  IRAN

  I like to use Rancho Gordo cannellini beans for this recipe as they are quite similar to those I saw being used in Iran, which are larger than regular cannellini. Also they peel easily, that is if you have the patience to spend the time peeling the beans one by one. I remember one particular stall in the market in Rasht, in Gilan in northern Iran, where they cooked baghali ghatog. The wife was slaving over the large pan stirring the eggs into the bean and dill mixture while the husband was peeling the beans one by one for the next batch. They were both quite old and I marveled at their dedication and energy makin
g batch after batch of this wonderful vegetarian dish for people to eat there and then or for them to take home to eat with their families. Serve hot with barbari or lavash bread, or even plain rice.

  SERVES 4

  1 cup (200 g) dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in plenty of water with ½ teaspoon baking soda

  7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter

  4 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste

  ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  4 cups (200 g) chopped fresh dill

  Good pinch of saffron threads

  Sea salt and finely ground black pepper

  4 organic eggs

  1. Drain and rinse the beans. Peel them one by one by nicking one corner to break the skin before peeling or squeezing it off.

  2. Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and when it starts sizzling and is fragrant, stir in the turmeric.

  3. Add three-quarters of the dill and the beans and sauté for a minute or two. Add 2 cups (500 ml) water along with the saffron and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the remaining dill and continue simmering until the beans are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and reduce the sauce if it is still too thin. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Make 4 shallow depressions in the beans for the eggs. Break an egg into each depression and season the eggs with salt and pepper. Cook until the eggs are done to your liking. Serve hot.

  The Chicken That Flew

  D’JAJA TARAT

  MOROCCO

  The rather amusing name of this Moroccan vegetarian dish refers to a chicken having flown out of the pot. The cooking time for the chickpeas varies depending on how old they are, and more important whether they have been soaked with baking soda in the water or not. If the chickpeas are not soft enough after you have cooked them for the time given below, add more boiling water (about half the amount given) and cook for another 15 minutes, or until tender.

  SERVES 4

  5 ounces (150 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water with ½ teaspoon baking soda

  Pinch of saffron threads

  1 large sweet potato (14 ounces/400 g), peeled and cut into medium chunks

  1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), halved lengthwise and cut into thin wedges

  ¼ bunch cilantro (2 ounces/50 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  Sea salt and finely ground black pepper

  1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas well and put in a medium pot. Add the saffron and 3 cups (750 ml) water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming the froth from the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chickpeas are tender but not mushy.

  2. Add the sweet potato, onions, cilantro, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the water is completely evaporated. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

  Chickpea Flour Fritters

  KABAB HOMMUS

  QATAR | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

  “Kabab” immediately conjures up grilled meat or Syrian meatballs, so when a Qatari friend was telling me about kabab hommus being essential Iftar food, I wondered how you could grill chickpeas (hommus in Arabic). She then explained them to me and I asked my friend Aisha al-Tamimi, Qatar’s foremost celebrity TV chef, to show me how to make them. They are basically fritters made with chickpea flour and with pureed tomatoes for a more intense flavor, not to mention the herbs and seasonings. They are simple and quick to make, and scrumptious for Iftar or any other time.

  SERVES 6

  FOR THE TAMARIND SAUCE

  ⅓ cup (60 g) seedless tamarind paste

  1 small green chili, thinly sliced

  A handful of mint leaves, finely chopped

  1 tablespoon white vinegar

  FOR THE FRITTERS

  2 cups (250 g) chickpea flour

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon ground coriander

  1 teaspoon ground cumin

  1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  ½ teaspoon ground fennel

  ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  ½ teaspoon dried mint

  1 organic egg

  4 scallions, thinly sliced

  ½ inch (1 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste

  1 green chili, thinly sliced

  ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped

  ½ bunch cilantro (3½ ounces/100 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped

  2 or 3 sprigs fresh dill, bottom stems discarded, finely chopped

  1 cup (50 g) chopped chives or fresh green garlic

  4 large tomatoes (1¾ pounds/800 g total), pureed

  Sea salt

  Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

  1. To make the tamarind sauce: Put the tamarind paste in a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 cup (250 ml) water and whisk until the paste is completely dissolved. Stir in the chili, mint, and vinegar.

  2. To prepare the fritters: Mix together the chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground spices, pepper flakes, dried mint, the egg, scallions, ginger, chili, fresh herbs, pureed tomatoes, and salt to taste, to make the batter. If the batter is too thick, add a little water.

  3. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) of oil into a deep skillet and heat over medium heat until hot (if you drop a piece of bread in the oil, the oil should immediately bubble around it). Use a large ice cream scoop or ¼-cup (60 ml) measure to drop the batter into the hot oil. Drop as many as will fit comfortably and fry until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the rack to let the excess oil drain off. Serve hot with the tamarind sauce.

  The Sea

  EATING FISH

  * * *

  I USE MY FINGER-TIPS

  TO PRY OPEN,

  FEEL, AND SENSE

  THE HIDDEN TASTE

  OF FISH—

  ITS FLESH AND SCALES,

  ITS COARSENESS

  AND GLOSS,

  ITS GEOMETRY,

  ITS MUSCLE-BONE

  AND TONE—

  GENTLY, I RELISH IT ALL.

  —SUDEEP SEN

  In Arabic, fish is known as samak (plural of samaka), but in Morocco, fish is known as hût, also an Arabic word, which in classical Arabic-speaking countries (Moroccan is a mix of Arabic and Berber) generally refers to whales and other large fish. Another little-known Arabic word for fish is nûn, from the Accadian nunu. What is interesting though is that there is no mention of fish in the Qur’an, probably because the first Muslims were desert people living in land-locked Mecca, and later in Medina—until they set off on their conquests and started contending with Christians, for nearly eight centuries, for primacy in the Mediterranean. From there, Muslims sailed to conquer further lands, many of which were coastal. As they settled in these coastal regions, the fruit of the sea became as important to them as meat and dairy were to early Muslims.

  In the Arabian Gulf, where the first Muslim conquests took place, no meal is considered complete without fish on the table. Fish markets are plentiful, both covered and by the waterside where fishermen offload their freshly caught fish to sell directly to customers. In many of the markets, there is a special section where you can have your fish scaled, gutted, and cut the way you want. Some markets even have a kitchen area where you can take your newly purchased fish to be cooked to either eat there and then or take home to share with your family or friends.

  The most prized fish in the Arabian Gulf is hamour (reef cod), which you can find in all sizes. In the Levant, sea bass and red mullet are king, whereas in North Africa, people like both freshwater and saltwater fish. Trout is plentiful in Morocco to the point that it was once shunned by the Berbers as not worth having. And shad, another fish fa
vored by Moroccans, is fished in lakes, rivers, and the sea. In fact, Moroccans are fortunate to have both the Mediterranean to the north and the Atlantic to the west to provide them with all kinds of different fish. Even then, you will not find as much of a variety in their fish recipes as you do in either their meat or vegetable recipes.

  This applies to the rest of the Muslim world. Nowhere do you find a large number of fish recipes, mainly because fish is so prized that often cooks simply fry or grill it to serve with a dipping sauce or a condiment and, of course, rice or bread depending on the country. The fish is often marinated before frying or grilling, or simply rubbed with salt and lemon and sometimes a spice mixture. The marinades obviously vary from one country to the other. In Libya, the fish is marinated in a strongly flavored cumin and garlic marinade whereas in the Arabian Gulf, it is rubbed with a heady mix of spices, known as b’zar, which is mixed differently for fish from that used for meat and vegetable dishes. North Africans use a marinade known as chermoula, which is made with fresh herbs, while Indonesians use a variety of sambals.

  This is not to say there are no elaborate fish dishes. The Iranian mâhi tu-por (Baked Stuffed Fish) is served at weddings, while the Lebanese samkeh harrah (bil-Kuzbarah and bil-Tahineh) is considered a splendid dish; and in Senegal, the main family dish is a stew of fish and vegetables, served on rice cooked in the same sauce the fish and vegetables were cooked in. Regardless, the treatment of fish is on the whole kept simple.

  Baked Stuffed Fish

  MHI TU-POR

  IRAN

  This is probably Iran’s most festive fish dish, which comes from the north of the country. In this recipe, the fish is stuffed with a dried fruit and nut mixture and bathed in a lemony saffron sauce before being baked. It is one of my favorite party dishes, and I usually serve it as the Iranians do, with Polow, the plain Iranian rice speckled with saffron. Sometimes, I use individual fish, but the wow factor is lost with small fish, so I always try to source a beautiful large fish as indicated below. Let the fish come to room temperature before baking it so that you can time it to cook perfectly.