CHICKEN WRAPS FROM PALESTINE

SERVES 4

Mousakhkhan is a popular dish in Palestine, where it is served in various shapes. Here, the sumac-flavored chicken has been rolled in flat bread.

1 CHICKEN (1 LB/450 G)

2 BAY LEAVES

1 CINNAMON STICK

1 LEEK

5 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

2 CUPS (300 G) THINLY SLICED YELLOW ONION

3 tablespoons sumac

2 MARKOUK BREADS, LIBA BREAD, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF FLAT BREAD

1. Place the chicken in a large pot and cover it with water. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and leek (that has been cut into pieces). Boil for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked. Skim off the skin. Chop chicken.

2. Remove the bones from the chicken and place the meat aside for now.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Allow it to get some color, then add the sumac. Stir well so that the onions will taste like sumac.

4. Cut the bread into ten triangles. Cut the chicken into small pieces and spread some chicken pieces and the onion mixture over each triangle, and roll them up. Place the rolls on the bottom of an ovenproof dish and brush with the remaining oil.

5. Place the dish in the oven at 400F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is crispy.

6. Eat with your hands.

FRIED CHICKPEA BALLS

12 PIECES

Falafel is a very popular fast food dish in Lebanon. It is often served in warm bread with fresh and pickled vegetables and with tahini dressing. Falafel is also very popular in Egypt, where the ingredients differ slightly.

ABOUT 2 CUPS (400 G) DRIED CHICKPEAS

3⅘ CUPS (950 G) DRIED FAVA BEANS

¾CUP (113 G) GRATED ONION

3 TABLESPOONS MINCED GARLIC ABOUT 1 CUP (30 G) FINELY CHOPPED CORIANDER

1 TABLESPOON FINELY CHOPPED RED CHILI

SALT

CUMIN, CINNAMON, AND SUMAC ACCORDING TO TASTE

FRYING OIL

ABOUT 2 CUPS (288 G) SESAME SEEDS

1.Rinse the chickpeas and fava beans, and soak them in cold water for at least 12 hours. Rinse well, and allow them to drain.

2.Mix the chickpeas and fava beans in a food processor. Add onion, garlic, coriander, and chili. Mix a little bit longer. Add salt and the remaining spices according to your own preference. Allow the mixture to stand and swell for 2 hours.

3.Heat plenty of oil in a fryer or heavy—based saucepan.

Shape small balls out of the falafel batter. Roll them in sesame seeds and fry in oil until they are golden brown. Dip a piece of bread in the oil to check if it is at the correct temperature.

4.Serve with tarator dressing (see recipe below) and fresh and pickled vegetables, preferably in pita bread.

 BEEF PATTIES WITH PINE NUTS

6 SERVINGS

This is one of my favorite dishes from the region of Aley, probably because I used to spend my summers there as a child. It contains a lot of pine nuts, but also mountain tomatoes, which are very common in this region.

5 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

3 CUPS (400 G) PINE NUTS

1 POUND (450 G) GROUND LAMB OR GROUND BEEF

3⅘CUPS (115 G) CHOPPED FLAT- LEAF PARSLEY

2 YELLOW ONIONS, FINELY CHOPPED SALT AND PEPPER 4 CUPS (600 G) SLICED ONION

3 CUPS (500 G) FREEKEH (ROASTED GREEN WHEAT, CAN BE REPLACED WITH WHEAT BERRIES), OR 6 POTATOES

CUMIN AND CARDAMOM SALT ABOUT 1½ CUPS (400 G) CRUSHED TOMATOES (OR 4 LARGE, FRESH AND PEELED TOMATOES)

1 TABLESPOON TOMATO PUREE

ABOUT 2 CUPS (473 ML) WATER

1.Heat the butter in a skillet, and saute the pine nuts until they get a little bit of color. Drain and set aside.

2.Mix ground beef, parsley, and onions with salt and pepper. Chop or mix everything one more time and mix again. Shape into small patties and fill them with pine nuts. Saute in the butter and set aside.

3.Heat up half of the used butter and pour it over the onions in a saucepan along with the freekeh, or peeled and sliced potatoes, cumin, cardamom, and salt.

4.Add the tomatoes.

5.Dilute the tomato paste with water and pour it into the skillet.

6.Bring to a boil and add the beef patties. Cook until the freekeh or potatoes are soft. If necessary, add more diluted tomatopaste.

 ROASTED GREEN WHEAT WITH CHICKEN

SERVES 4

Freekeh is roasted green wheat that looks sort of like greenrice. You can replace it with bulgur, brown rice, or wheat berries.

1 WHOLE CHICKEN

4¼ CUPS (1 L) CHICKEN STOCK

2 BAY LEAVES

2 PIECES OF MASTIC (RESIN, CAN BE OMITTED)

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

4½ CUPS (1 L) FREEKEH (ROASTED GREEN WHEAT), OR

WHEAT BERRIES, BROWN RICE, OR BULGUR

GROUND CARDAMOM CINNAMON CUMIN BLACK PEPPER

3 TABLESPOONS PINE NUTS

3 TABLESPOONS BLANCHED AND PEELED ALMONDS

3 TABLESPOONS PISTACHIOS

1.Let the chicken simmer in the chicken broth, bay leaves, and mastic until completely cooked. It takes about 1 hour. Then place the chicken on a baking tray and place it in the oven under the grill heater until it gets a nice color. Save the broth.

2.Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rinsed and drained wheat.

3.Add spices according to taste and stir for a few minutes.

4.Pour the broth over the wheat until it is completely covered.

5.Bring the broth to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat. Simmer until the wheat has softened but is still juicy.

 6-8 PORTIONS

This is one of Lebanon’s national dishes. During festive occasions, an entire lamb is cooked the same way, but that can be difficult to do at home.

LAMB SHANK WITH BONE, ABOUT 2.2 POUNDS (1 Kg)

6 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL ABOUT 10½ cups (2½ l) OF WATER 2 CARROTS, CUT INTO PIECES

2 STALKS CELERY, CUT INTO PIECES

1 LEEK, CUT INTO PIECES

5 WHOLE CLOVES

1 WHOLE ONION

3 TABLESPOONS FINELY CHOPPED YELLOW ONION

2 TEASPOONS MINCED GARLIC

14 OUNCES (400 G) FINELY GROUND BEEF

3⅘ CUPS (700 G) LONG-GRAIN RICE, RINSED AND DRAINED

SALT

A PINCH EACH OF GROUND CARDAMOM, NUTMEG, CINNAMON, AND CUMIN

2 TABLESPOONS BLANCHED, PEELED ALMONDS

3 TABLESPOONS PINE NUTS 3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

3 TABLESPOONS FLOUR 3 TABLESPOONS

PISTACHIOS

1.Rub the lamb shanks with half of the oil, and roast in the oven at 400°F (200°C), until they have a nice color.

2.Boil the meat in the water in a large pot once it has gotten a nice color on all sides. Occasionally, skim the surface. Add the carrots, celery, and leek. Stick whole cloves into a whole, peeled onion, and put it in the pot. Simmer until the lamb is tender, 1 to 2 hours. Save the broth.

3.Heat the remaining oil in another pan. Add the onion and garlic. Pour into the ground meat once the onion is golden brown.

4.Lightly brown the meat, then add the rice and stir for 5 minutes. Add the spices.

5.Pour the lamb broth into the pot so that it covers the rice and a little bit more. For added color, you can add some browned onions (see the recipe for siyyadiyyeh).

6.Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer over low heat, or in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until the rice is cooked.

7.Cut the almonds in half lengthwise and fry them together with pine nuts, until golden brown.

8.Give it a thick consistency by melting the butter and stirring in the flour. Add a little bit of the remaining broth, little by little, while stirring continuously, until the sauce has a nice consistency. Add salt and pepper.

9.Place the rice on a platter. Add the legs of lamb shank on top, whole or cut into slices. Garnish with almonds, pine nuts, and pistachios. Serve with a salad and the sauce on the side.