Feasts From the Middle East

Since I was little it has always been the same. I ate so much so that my mum used to hide food because otherwise it would be gone! Always, always eating. I learned about the joys of food from my mum, Zohra. She is my inspiration, my motivation in everything I do and my biggest influence. She taught me the joy of eating, of feeding people and of learning about new foods. My mother was the heart of the home, cooking for hours every day. She was very creative when meat or fish were scarce or there were lots of people to feed (I’m the oldest of seven). I also came to realise that no matter how simple, food can always be delicious when it’s made with love and with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

As food was such a big part of everyday life when I was growing up, it wasn’t long before I started to think, dream and talk about food. I was brought up in both a Berber and Arab culture and have embraced both my whole life. The Middle East and North Africa are lands of generous hospitality, and people often don’t see the inclusive nature of Arab culture, with eating at the heart of it. Food is an integral part of my roots; food is everything because you give it and share it and you make it with love. Eating it offers a chance to be with friends and family, to talk and laugh and celebrate and share the latest news. Food brings us together.

As a child I was spoilt by my grandma, who would cook all the things I liked. My grandparents kept chickens, and sometimes I’d go there in my lunch break and run down the garden to see if there were any eggs. I would collect the eggs and take them to the kitchen where grandma would cook them simply by frying them in some extra-virgin olive oil, with a little garlic and some coriander – there might be some aubergines or potatoes, too. I’d pick plums, pomegranates and figs straight from the tree, plump and juicy and ripened by the hot sun.

I started earning my own money at a young age. We lived across the street from the big football ground. I would get up early to buy tickets for a match and sell them later to visitors from out of town – at a slightly inflated price! My mum would help me make lemonade or merguez sandwiches, which I’d sell on the street. My father never knew as he wouldn’t have approved of his son selling things on the street. This was my street life and a big part of my education. Working on the streets of Tizi Ouzou taught me that you could make opportunities for yourself.

By the time I was nine I was hitch-hiking up to the coast, about half an hour away, during the summer holidays, where I helped the fishermen with their catches – emptying the nets, cleaning the fish – not for money, but because I liked to do it. My parents thought I was staying with friends, but really I was exploring and looking for the next adventure.

As I grew older, my desire to see and experience more took me further afield. At 15 I used my savings to visit Tunisia, at 16 I ventured to Spain and at 17, it was France. Every year I worked a little harder, saved a little more and travelled a little further. I had just turned 18 when my friend Nasser and I decided that we would travel to London. I arrived with £70 in my pocket (£50 of which was borrowed from my uncle). We spent our first night in Victoria Station, unsure where to go and needing to make our little money last. I fell in love with the city over that summer and ended up living in a squat in Manor House, working wherever I could.

I returned home the day before I was due to start university. I made it through half an hour of my first engineering lecture before I walked out, knowing it wasn’t for me. I’d had a taste of something else and I wanted more. My parents didn’t want me to go – it was unusual for the first-born son to leave the family like this. They roped in uncles, cousins and family friends to talk me out of it, although this just made me more determined to go. But I couldn’t leave without a letter from my father stamped by the police, as I was only 18. And, most importantly, I wanted to go with their blessings.

In the end, he gave me that letter, despite the reservations he must still have had about his eldest son leaving to live in London, with no job or home and only basic English. This was an incredibly difficult decision for him and I thank him for it every day, even though he is no longer with us.

I left as soon as I could. But I hadn’t expected the huge weight of responsibility that I felt the minute I passed through the doors of Heathrow. I realised that I had to make this choice count. I had to make my family proud and make something of myself if I wasn’t going to university. Within four years I needed to have a restaurant. I had to start working hard – and quickly!

For the next few years I worked two full-time jobs every day in pubs, bars and restaurants from 6 a.m. until late. I returned to the squat to live initially but then I was offered a live-in job at a small hotel. Hot running water, my own bed and breakfast every day! I stayed focused on my goal of having my own restaurant for the next four years.

I was working in a restaurant on Wigmore Street when one day I turned up to find it closed. The rent hadn’t been paid and the landlord had taken back the property. This was my chance. I had enough money in the bank for a deposit and a few months’ rent. I set up a meeting and bought myself a suit and tie, ready to impress.

It went well, and it was agreed that I could take on the restaurant, but one clause in the lease worried my lawyer and so he advised against it. 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 (#u071aaa94-501d-5f9d-9879-fdd569c2e436)), 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 (#litres_trial_promo)) has a huge place in my heart.

One of my favourite recipes is the Slow-cooked Shoulder of Lamb (see here (#litres_trial_promo)), 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 (#litres_trial_promo)) 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 (#litres_trial_promo)). Soups can be eaten on their own or enjoyed alongside recipes such as Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) 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 (#litres_trial_promo)) 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 STORE CUPBOARD (#ulink_ecd6f4e9-1265-5a25-bbc7-6a8318865cd4)

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 (#litres_trial_promo)).

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 (#litres_trial_promo)), but you can also use the other varieties to give texture to a dish such as Potato & Spiced Minced Lamb Pie (see here (#litres_trial_promo)).

CARAWAY

I use ground caraway in the flavoursome chicken recipe, Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). 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 (#litres_trial_promo)).

CHICKPEAS

These are a must, must, must in my cupboard! Dried chickpeas are best for making Hommos (see here (#u85ba820a-6aa1-5b50-8dfd-27b61e63e33e)), 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 (#litres_trial_promo)). 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 (#litres_trial_promo)) 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 (#litres_trial_promo)).

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 a little sweetness to the taste, too.

CINNAMON

This spice is often used in both sweet and savoury recipes. I pop cinnamon sticks into Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here (#litres_trial_promo)) and sweet recipes (see Labneh with Caramelised Poached Quinces & Spiced Dried Fruit, see here (#u05b97937-d304-5125-878c-3995986347f5)), in which the stick can withstand long periods of simmering. Use ground cinnamon when blending this spice with other ingredients, for example in the Sweet Potato & Tahina Pudding (see here (#litres_trial_promo)).

CORIANDER

We don’t use the spice coriander in our cooking nearly as much as we do the fresh herb or even cumin, but it still serves a purpose. The slightly lemony flavour of the spice will soften and complement other ingredients, such as the cumin in the Feta & Nigella Seed Falafel (see here (#litres_trial_promo)).

COUSCOUS

When I was young, I remember my mum buying couscous in very large bags – they’d be either 25kg or 50kg – as we used to eat so much of it. Gone are the days when it was always steamed in a couscoussier (the traditional steamer used in the Middle East to cook couscous). This method does make the texture really light, but it’s quicker to pour hot water or stock over the grains and leave them to soak for 10–15 minutes to rehydrate them. Couscous needs lots of flavouring – oil and lemon juice, and you can also melt a knob of butter in the hot liquid – and then it’s ready to serve with rich stews. A lighter recipe, and very delicious, is my favourite Roasted Chicken & Couscous Salad (see here (#litres_trial_promo)).

CUMIN

This spice infuses any recipe with a distinctive musky flavour. It’s often used with coriander, which complements it perfectly, with its lemony character. It’s a must in My Mum Zohra’s Fried Sardines (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Buy cumin seeds if you have a good spice grinder, or use ground cumin if you need to save time.

FREEKEH