A taste of Eastern promise

IN RECENT years I have become increasingly fascinated by the Muslim culture and am eager to learn more about the way of life and of course the food. I have enjoyed delicious Syrian and Lebanese food in several London restaurants, most notably Le Mignon in Delancey Street and Yalla Yalla Restaurant just off Brewer Street in Soho.

Syria is an intriguing country located between Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. Almost 90% of the population are Muslim and about 10% Christian yet Syria is a secular state with no official religion.

Agriculture accounts for 60% Syria’s (GNP) Gross National Product and is the mainstay of the economy. About 65% of the country is not considered arable, yet the country is self-sufficient in food with lots of lovely fresh vegetables grown on its rich productive steppe land. An enviable situation and a not insignificant consideration in a country where sanctions are a perennial possibility.

Wheat, sugar beet, olives, lentils, cotton, tobacco, tomatoes, oranges and grapes are all grown organically. The main meats come from sheep, goats, chicken, and cattle, but I came across several camel butchers in the souk in Damascus. Camel meat is supposed to increase men’s virility – and one butcher who seemed to be proof of the pudding proudly showed me photos of his two wives and 16 children.

In Damascus the arcaded souks line either sides of the cobbled streets and alleyways. Stalls selling the same products tend to be grouped together so to find a whole street of spice merchants head for souk al-Bezuriife. I was particularly interested in the different types of za’atar and sumac and other unfamiliar ingredients like dried limes, dried rosebuds, okra and aubergines.

The chef at Four Seasons Hotel had kindly lent me a young English speaking chef called Roget to escort us around and answer my zillion questions. We found fresh pistachios still in their soft pink shells, slim Syrian pine nuts and a myriad of walnuts. Young men press fresh pomegranate and mulberry juice at every corner, another sells handbag shaped bread.

Meat is freshly butchered and virtually still warm when sold, they seem to be particularly fond of the unmentionable bits – particularly the testicles – and of course not a scrap is wasted. Many butchers have a little open fireplace in their stalls where a variety of kebabs are cooked to order. Little bakeries are dotted here and there cooking bread to order as people wait.

There is a long tradition of street food in Syria. Lots of falafel stalls – chickpea balls stuffed into pita bread with salad and tahina or rolled in a wrap sandwich. Others specialise in shawarma, thinly sliced lamb or chicken from a revolving spit like the Turkish doner kebab stuffed into Arab bread. All are freshly cooked and inexpensive. Every meal starts with mezze, a selection of starters to be shared, some hot, some cold. A typical selection might include some houmous, tabouleh, baba ghanoosh, moutabal, klibbeh, moussaka and a thyme salad.

For main course there seem to be a myriad of kebabs, mostly chicken and lamb made with cubes of meat, others with mince either in balls or shaped around the skewer. Sometimes chunks of vegetables were interspersed between the meat. In Aleppo we had a particularly delicious aubergine and lamb kebab and a cherry kebab – specialities of that city. Fattoush, consisting of stale Arab bread, tahina and chickpeas or meat was comfort food at its best. Dessert was either gorgeous ripe seasonal fruit, figs, kaki and pomegranates or sticky sweet pastries similar to baklava stuffed with gorgeous fresh pistachio and dates, and of course the ubiquitous crème caramel.

Pistachio Biscuits (Graybeh)

Fresh pistachios were in season when we were in Syria in late October. These little biscuits can be shaped in several different ways, little 5cm or 2 inch rounds, 2 inch diamonds with a pistachio nut in the centre or in little rings as described below.

Makes 35 approximately

100g (3½oz) butter preferably unsalted

125g (4½oz) icing sugar

1½ tbsp orange blossom water

1½ tbsp rose blossom water

250g (9oz) fine semolina

50g (2oz) pistachios

Preheat the oven to 170C/ 350F /Reg 3.

Cream the butter, add the icing sugar and beat until soft and creamy. Add the flour and blossom waters and stir until well mixed. Knead until smooth. Pinch off walnut sized pieces and roll each into a 4-inch rope about 1.5 cm thick. Pinch the ends together and press a little pistachio nut or even two into each where they join. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12–15 minutes or until pale golden. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.

There is a rich baking tradition and many third and fourth generation patissiers are still turning out a dazzling array of beautiful biscuits.

Falafel

Makes 6

7 ozs/200g chickpeas

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 ozs/110g onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped

2 tbsp flat parsley, roughly chopped

¾ tsp freshly roasted and ground cumin

½ tsp freshly roasted and ground coriander

½ tsp salt

Lots of freshly ground pepper

Good pinch of cayenne

¼ tsp baking soda

Oil for frying

Day before: Cover the chickpeas in lots of cold water and allow to soak overnight.

Next day, discard the water. Drain well. Put the chickpeas into a food processor with the other ingredients. Purée until as smooth as possible.

Cook a little blob in hot oil to check seasoning. Correct if necessary. Shape mixture into 2” rounds. Heat one inch of oil in a frying pan (or use a deep fry). Cook 3 or 4 falafel at a time, turning occasionally until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Falafel Sandwich

Serves 4

4 Arab bread or flour tortillas

16 freshly cooked falafel

4 ripe tomatoes sliced

Pickled cucumber

Shredded lettuce

Fresh mint leaves, very finely sliced

Fresh lemon, cut into tiny triangles

Tahina mixed with natural yoghurt

Lay the Arab bread on the work top. Squish three freshly cooked falafel in a line over the top side of the bread.

Lay a line of thinly sliced tomatoes on top, then some pickled cucumber, fresh mint leaves, sliced onions and fresh lemon including rind.

Drizzle with tahina mixed with natural yoghurt. Roll into a Swiss roll. Tuck in the ends to eat on the spot. Roll in grease proof paper and eat like a wrap.

If you would like to serve as a starter, cut in half and arrange on a plate with one piece propped against the other with extra tahina sauce and a little tomato salad.

Fattoush

There have always been delicious ways of using up bread, particularly in the Asian, South American, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. Sumac flakes give this Syrian bread salad a characteristic slightly sour taste. If you can’t get Sumac, the salad will still taste delicious but not so authentic.

Serves 6

2 stale pita bread or 2-3 thick slices of stale sour dough or good country bread

A little bunch of rocket or purslane

2-3 tsp Sumac, if available

1 mild sweet red pepper, optional

½ cucumber, coarsely chopped

4 ripe, vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into quarters and then into halved crosswise

3 spring onions, sliced at an angle

2-3 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped

tbsp fresh coriander leaves

2-3 tbsp fresh mint

Dressing:

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic crushed

Salt and freshly ground pepper, maybe even a pinch of sugar or a dash of Balsamic vinegar

If the bread isn’t stale toast the bread until crisp. Cut into uneven sized pieces.

Chop the rocket or purslane coarsely. Cut the sweet red pepper into or rounds or dice. Put both into a salad bowl with the tomato, cucumbers and spring onions, herbs and bread.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Spoon over the salad, toss gently, taste.

Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes, better still an hour before serving, so the bread soaks up lots of yummy dressing and juice.

Thyme Salad

This salad was featured on virtually every menu in Damascus but I was intrigued to find that it was made not with thyme as we know it but with fresh summer savoury. This salad was quite a find, because even though I grow lots of savoury every summer I’ve only ever used to enhance the flavour of broad beans.

Serves 4

110g (4oz) fresh summer savoury

4 medium tomatoes diced

110g (4oz) haloumi cheese diced 1/3-inch cubes

Thinly sliced onions

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Extra virgin olive

Chop the savoury, including the soft stalk into roughly one inch in length. Drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil toss to coat. Transfer to a plate, garnish with the alternating diced tomato and cubes of cheese, lay three of each. Sprinkle with sumac and serve.

Fresh Lemon Juice with Mint (Syrian Laymoun bi-na na)

Freshly squeezed juices were widely available, lots of orange of course, but we particularly enjoyed this refreshing lemon and mint drink.

Serves 6

Juice of six lemons

300ml/10fl oz/ (½ pint) stock syrup

300ml/10fl oz/ (½ pint) cold water

2 fistfuls of fresh mint leaves

Squeeze the lemons juice, pour the juice into a liquidiser, add syrup, fresh mint leaves and iced water leaves. Whizz until mint is fine and the drink is frothy. Pour into a tall glass, drink through a straw while still fresh.

Stock Syrup

Makes 28 fl ozs (825 ml)

1 lb (450 g) sugar

1 pint (600 ml) water

To make the stock syrup, dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil. Boil for two minutes then allow it to cool. Store in the fridge until needed.

A Gorgeous Gluten-free Christmas Pudding

A delicious pudding suitable for everyone including coeliacs and those who would rather not eat suet.

Serves 10-12

200g (7oz) sultanas

125g (4½oz) raisins

125g (4½oz) currants

50g (2oz) homemade candied peel

50g (2oz) cherries

50g (2oz) almonds, peeled and chopped

4 tbsp brandy

110ml (4fl oz) dark Jamaica Rum

125g (4½oz) butter

175g (6oz) soft brown sugar

2 organic eggs

110g (4oz) ground almonds

1 tsp mixed spice

½-tsp cinnamon

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon preferably organic

1 Bramley seedling apple, peeled and grated

1 x 1.2 litre (2 pint) delph or plastic bowl

Put the dried fruit, glace peel, cherries, almonds, brandy and rum into a stainless steel saucepan. Warm gently, turn off the heat and allow the fruit to plump up in the boozy liquid.

Meanwhile cream the butter in a bowl, add the sugar and heat until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one by one beating well between each addition, add the ground almonds, spices and baking powder, grated orange and lemon zest and Bramley apple, then add the plump dried fruit and the booze.

Stir well, better still, get all the family to stir and make a wish.

Put a little circle of greaseproof paper on the base of the bowl. Fill with the mixture, smooth off the top, cover the bowl with a double thickness of greaseproof paper, tie securely with string or clip on the lid if you are using a plastic bowl.

Put into a deep saucepan, cover with boiling water, it should come two thirds of the way up the bowl.

Bring to the boil and cover, simmer for 4½ hours. Keep an eye on the water level and top up every now and then as necessary. This pudding is succulent and delicious eaten on the day, but can be stored on the day.

Turn out onto a hot plate and serve on individual hot plates with rum-flavoured cream or brandy butter.

Alternatively allow to cool, re-cover with silicone paper and store in a cool dry cupboard until Christmas. Re-boil for one hour and serve as before.

hottip

- If you plan a trip to Syria be aware that Syrian airlines cancel and change the time of flights on a regular basis, without prior notice – no refunds – but you can use your ticket any where within Syria over a 12-month period if you are back.

- Noreen and Martin Conroy of Woodside Farm in east Cork – who produce delicious sausages and bacon from their free range pigs – have a new website. Visit them at www.woodsidefarm.ie

- O’Doherty’s in Enniskillen produces the most delicious Black Bacon that follows an ancient style of curing, a process that can take up to three months or more by combining two methods. It was voted best Irish Food Product by the Ballygowan Irish Food Writers. Visit their website www.blackbacon.com