Feasts From the Middle East

Peel the quinces and cut them in half. Rub them with the half lemon, squeezing a little juice over them so the flesh doesn’t turn brown. Put them in a large saucepan and add the figs, apricots, prunes and sultanas, followed by the dates, cinnamon sticks, star anise and orange rind. Next pour in the orange juice, honey, caster sugar and water.

Cover the pan with a lid and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for 40–50 minutes or until the quinces have softened and turned pink.

Lift the quinces out, allowing any syrup to drip back into the pan. Put them on a plate. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a low-to-medium heat and, as soon as it has stopped foaming, lay each quince half in the pan cut-side down and cook for a couple of minutes until caramelised. The quince syrup will become quite dark; make sure it doesn’t burn or it will taste bitter.

Spoon the labneh into a large bowl and add the orange zest and orange blossom water, then swirl everything together and divide among six shallow bowls. Arrange the poached fruit around the sides and spoon a quince half into the middle of each dish, drizzling a little extra juice over the fruit so it oozes into the yoghurt. Finally, scatter over the sesame seeds and serve.

This sweet brioche bread stuffed with dates can be found anywhere in the Middle East and is a particular favourite as my mum used to make it for us. It would be sliced, warm from the oven, for when we got home from school to eat with café crème (just like a latte). If I ever had a craving for it but couldn’t make it I’d squash dates into bread to make a sandwich. Not quite the same, but you get the idea.

I like to be really generous with the dates, so there’s a good balance between the soft brioche-style dough and the orange-scented dates within. This makes four loaves; I often serve it to friends, then give them half or a whole one to take away with them. (see here (#litres_trial_promo) for photo.)

When you’re cutting the dough before proving, make sure you slice all the way through to the middle and down the sides to reveal the date mixture. Once baked, I like to pull off these outer sections as an individual slice, then you’re left with the middle to cut up.

DATE BRIOCHE (#ulink_10f01a86-38f2-5809-a144-30683cfdae9d)

KAAK BIL TAMAR

MAKES 4

1kg white bread flour, plus extra for rolling

2 tsp baking powder

300ml lukewarm water

100g granulated sugar

4 tsp dried yeast

3 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp salt

200ml sunflower oil

zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange

FOR THE STUFFING & GLAZE

600g Medjool dates, pitted

3 tbsp orange blossom water

1 large egg, beaten

25g sesame seeds

Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the water into the middle, followed by the sugar, yeast and eggs.

Allow the yeast to activate – the mixture will become frothy after about 3–4 minutes – then pour into the flour mixture and mix well to make a soft dough.

Add the salt to the dough, along with the oil and lemon zest, and continue to mix and knead until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Transfer to a board when you feel it’s ready to knead and work it until it’s smooth.

Put into a clean bowl and cover, and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until it doubles in size.

Whizz the dates and orange blossom water together in a food processor to make a paste for the stuffing.

Divide the dough into four 450g pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured board until it’s a rough round measuring about 18cm across. Put a quarter of the date mixture in the middle and spread it out a little, leaving a border around the edges, then wrap the dough around the date mixture. Turn over so the seam is underneath. Repeat with the other three dough pieces, then set them aside to prove for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.

Flatten each loaf slightly and cut the edges to reveal the mixture inside, leaving a large ball in the middle.

Brush with some of the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, then transfer to two lightly floured baking sheets and bake for about 35–40 minutes until the bread is dark golden. After about 20 minutes, glaze the loaves with the egg wash again and return to the oven to finish cooking.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then slice and serve.

TONY’S TIP

This is perfect to have alongside your afternoon coffee, or even served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for pudding. If I’m feeling really indulgent I’ll eat it with feta cheese, as the combination of salty feta and sweet dates is an absolute winner for me.

Man’eesh or man’ousha is to the Lebanese what pizza is to the Italians. You’ll find it everywhere in the Middle East. Stuff it with mint, tomatoes, cucumber and pickles, then roll up into a sandwich, if you like. This recipe also works with gluten-free flour. (see here (#litres_trial_promo) for photo.)

SPICED TOMATO FLATBREADS (#ulink_557d69d2-7b97-5012-89c9-fb5b2ae26883)

MAN’OUSHA BANADORA BIL ZA’ATAR

SERVES 6

FOR THE DOUGH

1 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

100ml water

250g white bread flour

1 tbsp vegetable oil

50ml milk

½ tsp salt

FOR THE TOPPING

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil