Feasts From the Middle East. Tony Kitous
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), 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) has a huge place in my heart.
One of my favourite recipes is the Slow-cooked Shoulder of Lamb (see here), 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) 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). Soups can be eaten on their own or enjoyed alongside recipes such as Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here) 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) is one of those special recipes that is truly unique. Dipping pastries into café crème, 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 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).
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), but you can also use the other varieties to give texture to a dish such as Potato & Spiced Minced Lamb Pie (see here).
CARAWAY
I use ground caraway in the flavoursome chicken recipe, Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here). 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 Café Blanc (see here).
CHICKPEAS
These are a must, must, must in my cupboard! Dried chickpeas are best for making Hommos (see here), 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). 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) 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).
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