by Anissa Helou
1 to 2 tablespoons ground sumac, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Salt and finely ground black pepper
Soak the onions in 2 cups (475 ml) hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and spread to dry on a clean kitchen towel, then transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add the parsley, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Eggplant in Tomato Sauce
IMAM BAYILDI
TURKEY
The name of this dish is almost always wrongly translated as “the imam fainted,” but according to Nevin Halici, my guru for all things culinary in Turkey, it cannot be the right translation as no Turkish imam would faint when presented with a dish made with two of the most basic ingredients in Turkey. Whatever the name actually means, imam bayildi is one of the great Turkish dishes. You can make it using Japanese eggplants as suggested in the recipe below, or you can use larger eggplants (four for the quantities listed below), which you need to halve lengthwise and fry before filling and cooking as below. The large eggplants may take a little longer to fry.
SERVES 4 TO 6
FOR THE EGGPLANTS
12 Japanese eggplants (about 3 ounces/85 g each)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
FOR THE STUFFING
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium onions (1 pound 5 ounces/600 g total), halved lengthwise and cut into thin wedges
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes (7 ounces/200 g), halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
Sea salt
1. To prepare the eggplants: Trim off the stem and peel off the calyx (cap) at the top of the eggplants. Peel the eggplants lengthwise to create a striped effect.
2. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until hot (if you drop a piece of bread in the oil, the oil should immediately bubble around it). Working in batches, drop in as many eggplants as will fit comfortably in the pan and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them over every now and then, until they are soft and golden brown all over. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon onto several layers of paper towels to drain off the excess oil.
3. To make the stuffing: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or so. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened. Add ⅔ cup (160 ml) water, the parsley, and salt to taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
5. Make a lengthwise slit down each eggplant to make a pocket, taking care not to cut through to the other end. Gently prise each open and line them up in a shallow oven-to-table dish. Spoon as much onion/tomato filling as you can inside each eggplant, piling a little more on top to form a shallow mound.
6. Pour a little water to cover the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft. Let cool to room temperature and serve straight from the pan, or carefully transfer to a serving dish.
Moroccan Steamed Eggplant Salad
ZA’LUK
MOROCCO
Moroccan starters are made up of a dizzying array of what are described as salades variées (varied salads), most of which are more like side dishes than salads as we understand them. Many are cooked vegetable dishes, one of the most famous being za’luk. Some cooks use a lot more egg-plant than tomatoes and others a good balance of both, which is how this recipe is.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2 large eggplants (14 ounces/400 g total), peeled lengthwise in strips, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes
3 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Two 14-ounce (400 g) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained, seeded, and coarsely chopped
½ bunch cilantro (3½ ounces/100 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sea salt
1. Put the eggplant cubes and whole garlic in a steamer basket and steam for about 30 minutes, or until very soft.
2. Put the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin and mix well. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the juices have evaporated and the sauce looks fresh and chunky.
3. Mash the steamed eggplant and garlic with a fork or a potato masher—don’t use a food processor or else the eggplant will become too mushy. The salad should have a soft but chunky texture.
4. Add the mashed eggplant and garlic to the tomato sauce along with the lemon juice, paprika, and pepper flakes. Season with salt to taste and mix well. Let simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until there is no excess liquid in the pan. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve at room temperature.
Smoky Eggplant Dip
BABA GHANNUGE
LEBANON | SYRIA | JORDAN | PALESTINE
Together with hummus, this is the classic mezze dip that in Lebanon is called baba ghannuge and in Syria mutabbal. There is this rather puzzling habit in the Muslim world to switch names of dishes from one country to another: for example, the word tagine in Tunisia is a kind of frittata but in Morocco it is a stew. Mutabbal in Lebanon describes a grilled eggplant salad, which in Syria is called baba ghannuge, and at the beginning, when I was less aware of these quirks in naming dishes, I would get annoyed in Syrian restaurants thinking I had ordered one dish only to be presented with another.
SERVES 4 TO 6
FOR THE DIP
6 large eggplants (about 9 ounces/250 g each)
¼ cup (60 ml) tahini
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
Juice of 1½ lemons, or to taste
Sea salt
FOR SERVING
Fresh pomegranate seeds (ideally sour pomegranate)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flatbread
1. Position a rack as close to the heat as you can (without the eggplant touching the heating element) and preheat a broiler to very high.
2. Prick the eggplants in several places to stop them from bursting. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and broil for 20 to 25 minutes on each side. The skins should become somewhat charred—this will give the dip the smoky flavor that is so typical.
3. Remove the broiled eggplants to a large cutting board. Cut each in half and scoop out the flesh. Place the flesh in a sieve and let sit for 30 minutes or so to drain the excess liquid.
4. Mash the eggplant in a large wide bowl, using a fork or a potato masher—do not use a food processor; the dip should have some texture. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Transfer to a medium shallow serving bowl and make grooves here and there. Garnish the peaks with pomegranate seeds and drizzle a little olive oil in the grooves. Serve with good bread.
Mario Haddad’s Fattoush
LEBANON
As much as I like my mother’s fattoush, my favorite version is the one below, which I learned from Mario Haddad, a member of the Lebanese Academy of Gastronomy and the owner of the brilliant Falamanki, one of the coolest café/restaurants in Beirut. His recipe uses components of all the different variations and his seasoning mixes lemon juice with vinegar and sumac, pomegranate molasses, garlic, and even dried mint to produce a vibrant salad that is quite unique in flavor.
SERVES 6
FOR THE DRESSING
2 teaspoons sumac soaked for 15
minutes in 2 teaspoons warm water, plus more for tartness
1 small clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 small lemon (see Note)
4 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
½ teaspoon dried mint
Sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE SALAD
2 medium pita breads, split horizontally into disks, toasted in a hot oven until golden brown, and broken into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10½ ounces (300 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 mini cucumbers (4 ounces/120 g total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
4 Little Gem lettuces or 1 large romaine lettuce (1 pound/450 g), sliced crosswise into medium-thin strips
1 bunch scallions (2 ounces/50 g), thinly sliced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (7 ounces/200 g), leaves stripped off the stems
½ bunch mint (3½ ounces/100 g), leaves stripped off the stems
½ bunch purslane (3½ ounces/100 g), leaves stripped off the stems
1. To make the dressing: Put the sumac and its water, the garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and dried mint in a medium bowl. Mix well, then add salt to taste. Slowly add the olive oil until well blended. Taste and adjust the tartness to your taste.
2. To make the salad: Put the pieces of toasted bread in a large salad bowl and pour the olive oil over the bread. Toss together. (Coating the bread in olive oil makes it stay crisp longer by delaying the absorption of the moisture from the salad vegetables and the dressing.) Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, scallions, parsley, mint, and purslane. Add the dressing and mix well, taking care not to bruise the vegetables or herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If the fattoush is not tart enough, add a little more sumac.
NOTE: At Falamanki, the chef uses about 1 tablespoon verjuice instead of lemon juice.
Stuffed Grape Leaves Cooked on a Bed of Lamb Chops
MEHSHI WARAQ ‘ENAB MA’ KASTALETTAH
LEBANON | SYRIA | JORDAN | PALESTINE
This is the Lebanese/Syrian version of stuffed grape leaves cooked on a bed of lamb chops, and when done, the stuffed leaves are inverted onto a platter to form a cake with the lamb chops on top. It is one of the Levant’s most festive dishes, always prepared when people receive honored guests or for special celebrations. When unripe green gage plums come into season in April/May, the dish can also include these for an extra sour note, already provided by the lemon juice added to the cooking liquid. A word of advice: Allow plenty of time to prepare this dish as it is fairly time-consuming, especially if you are not familiar with rolling stuffed grape leaves. In Iran, the rice is cooked prior to using in the stuffing, whereas in Lebanon it is not, so when you are rolling the leaves, roll the leaf loosely around the stuffing to allow room for the rice to expand.
SERVES 4
FOR THE STUFFING
Scant ⅔ cup (125 g) Egyptian or Calasparra rice, rinsed
7 ounces (200 g) lean ground lamb
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Sea salt
FOR THE LAMB CHOPS
8 thin lamb chops (1 pound 7 ounces/650 g total), most of the fat trimmed
Sea salt
1 cinnamon stick
FOR THE STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
7 ounces (200 g) fresh or preserved medium grape leaves
Sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
1¾ cups (16 ounces/450 g) Greek yogurt, for serving
1. To make the stuffing: Put the rice in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground lamb and 2 tablespoons water. Season with the allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and salt to taste and mix well—we do it by hand to make sure the rice is well blended with the meat. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
2. To prepare the lamb chops: Put the lamb chops in a medium pot, and add water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming the froth from the surface. Add a little salt and the cinnamon stick. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes, until they are just done. Lift the chops out and reserve the broth for later. Choose a pot with straight sides that’s large enough to hold the chops in a tight, even layer over the bottom. Arrange the lamb in the pot.
3. To make the stuffed grape leaves: If you are using fresh grape leaves, put them in a colander and run boiling water over them. This will soften them and make them easier to roll. If you are using preserved leaves, rinse them under cold water, at least a couple of times, to get rid of the briny taste.
4. Take a grape leaf and cut away the stem, if any, then lay flat on your work surface, smooth side down with the stem end nearest to you. Arrange from ½ to 1½ teaspoons stuffing, depending on the size of the leaf, in a thin raised line across the stem end of the leaf, about ½ inch (1 cm) away from the edge and more or less the same distance from the sides. Fold the sides over the rice, in a line that slightly tapers toward the bottom, then fold and tuck the stem end over the stuffing and roll neatly but loosely, to leave enough space for the rice to expand during cooking.
5. Place the rolled grape leaf, with the loose end down, on the lamb chops, starting from the side of the pot. Continue filling, rolling, and arranging the grape leaves, side by side, doing layer after layer, and not packing them too tightly, until you have finished both leaves and stuffing. (If you have any leftover stuffing, cook it as a side dish: Put it in a small pan, add an equal amount of water, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.)
6. Pour enough reserved broth over the rolled leaves so it just barely covers them—if you do not have enough broth, add water. Add salt to taste and swirl the stock around to dilute the salt. Put an overturned heatproof plate over the leaves to stop them from unrolling during cooking and cover the pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let bubble gently for 45 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook for another 15 minutes. It is a good idea to test one grape leaf before you take them off the heat, to make sure that the rice is cooked.
7. Remove from the heat and let the stuffed grape leaves sit, covered, for about 15 minutes. Wearing heatproof gloves, hold the leaves back with the plate covering and pour off the cooking juices into a medium bowl. Remove the plate. Invert a big round flat serving platter over the top of the pot. Hold it firmly against the pot with the palm of one hand. Then, slide the pot slowly over the edge of the counter and support it with your other hand. Lift the pot up and quickly turn it upside down. Slide the platter back onto your kitchen counter and slowly lift the pot off to uncover a cake of grape leaves topped with juicy lamb chops. (If you find this operation too cumbersome, simply spoon the rolled leaves out, a few at a time and arrange them in neat layers on a serving platter. Arrange the lamb chops over the stuffed leaves or around them.)
8. Baste with some of the cooking juice and serve immediately with a bowl of yogurt on the side.
Iranian Stuffed Grape Leaves
DOLME-YE BARG-E MO
IRAN
Dolma in Turkish, dolme in Persian, and mehshi in Arabic are all names to describe stuffed vegetables, said to have originated in Persia. Mīrzā ‘Alī-Akbar Khan Āšpaz-bāšī, chef to the court of Nāṣ er-al-Dīn Shah (1264–1313/1848–95—the first set of dates are for the hijri or Muslim calendar), recorded dolma as a category of Persian cuisine and gave recipes for stuffing grape leaves, cabbage leaves, cucumbers, eggplants, apples, and quince. They are one of the crowning glories of Levantine and Iranian cooking and no menu for a special meal, either celebratory or casual, would be complete without at least one type present at the table.
This recipe is for the Iranian version of stuffed grape leaves, where the stuffing is heavy on herbs and the stuffed leaves are cooked in a tamarind sauce. You can also cook them with lemon juice or verjuice (see Variation), and in early sprin
g, consider layering a few green gage plums here and there between the rolled leaves for an extra special tartness.
SERVES 6 TO 8
FOR THE STUFFING
1 cup (200 g) short-grain rice, rinsed
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Sea salt
Heaping ¼ cup (60 g) yellow split peas
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions (14 ounces/400 g total)—1 grated and the other halved lengthwise and cut into thin wedges
1 pound 2 ounces (500 g) lean ground lamb
1¼ bunches flat-leaf parsley (9 ounces/250 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
A few sprigs tarragon, leaves stripped off the stems, finely chopped
A few sprigs marjoram, leaves stripped off the stems
A few sprigs dill, bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Sea salt and finely ground black pepper
FOR THE SAUCE
⅔ cup (120 g) seedless tamarind paste
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE GRAPE LEAVES
Vegetable oil
60 brine-packed grape leaves, soaked in hot water to get rid of the saltiness, plus a few extra for lining the pan
1. To make the stuffing: Put the rice in a medium pot and add water to cover by 1½ inches (3 cm). Add the turmeric and 1 tablespoon sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
2. Put the split peas in a small pot and add water to cover by 1½ inches (3 cm). Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let bubble gently for about 30 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and let sizzle, then reduce the heat and fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden. Add the ground lamb and stir, breaking up any lumps, until the meat is no longer pink. Mix in the boiled rice, split peas, chopped herbs, ground spices, and salt and pepper to taste.