I am in the attic of this grocery store in the village of Deir el-Qamar and using their wireless internet; I mention out loud that I am thinking of spending a week in Greece later this summer; a boy of about 10 (at the most) turns around and tells me (in English)  ”  go to Cyprus, they have better beaches than Greece”; then Andrew my English cousin says ” Go to Napflion, and stay at the Palace Hotel there”.

Tonight is the Germany/England game and everybody in town is cheering for Germany; through a local friend, I got my cousin’s boys (22 and 24) choice seating at the café in the townsquare; they are going to be so overwhelmed by the loud and boisterous support for Germany, but being quintessential English and very cool, they will bear it very well.

The most popular cookbook these days in Lebanon is by an Armenian lady by the name of Anaheed; this recipe is extracted from her book and prepared by darling Eva. We have a robust basil bush growing outside by the kitchen and Eva got inspired.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds of chicken breasts
• salt, white pepper, allspice to taste
• 1/2 bunch of fresh basil
• 2 cloves of garlic, preferably mashed with a bit of salt in a mortar
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• 10 ounces of mozzarella, shredded

METHOD:

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor (without the cheese) and process till pasty.
2. Mix in the mozzarella; heat some oil in a saucepan; form the meatballs and fry until cooked, about 5 minutes.
3. Serve with spaghetti al-pesto.

I have a brother in San Fransisco, another brother in Singapore and my parents live in Beirut; we are used to being very far apart from each other, but when something important strikes, we are quick to connect; well,  it happened this weekend when my brother Jean, who lives in Singapore, got my attention by telling me I had  to try this salad! Jean was wrapping up a visit to Japan and he had it in a restaurant there; he liked it so much he managed to retrieve the recipe.

My brother is a gourmet cook, who used to make us venison stew, risottos and fig tarts. When we lived in France, he would  go to the outdoor marché and finger-pinch the geese at the market stalls to see if they were  meaty enough, under the incredulous look of the French butcher.

The recipe is from the Ottolenghi’s cookbook and from a  Japanese blog  that made Ottolenghi’s recipe.

I was dying to make Ottolenghi’s recipe for a reason that is deep to my heart: the success story of the restaurants in the UK and the cookbook is a perfect example of what can happen when an Israeli and a Palestinian collaborate and  work together. It is one of my dreams that this partnership will become the norm, someday.

INGREDIENTS: 8 to 10 servings

• 1 roasting chicken or 4 cups of baked chicken chunks
• 3  large onions
• olive oil, as needed
• 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup of olive oil (for dressing)
• 2 Tablespoons of roasted sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon of Thai fish sauce
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, leaves chopped fine
• 1/2 bunch of fresh mint, leaves chopped fine
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped fine
• 3  jalapeños or other chilis, seeded and diced
• 1/2  cup of Basmati rice
• 1/2 cup of brown Basmati rice
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 1 box of baby arugula

METHOD:

1. Clean the chicken by rubbing it with a cut lemon; sprinkle with salt and pepper all over and rub it all over with some olive oil; roast in a 375F oven till golden all over and cooked through.

1. While the chicken is roasting, cook the Basmati in about 1 1/2 cups of water and  a dash of salt; or use a rice cooker if you’ve got one. Do the same for the brown Basmati and the wild rice, cooking them together in 2  cups of water.
2. While the rice is cooking, heat some olive oil and fry the onions for about 45 minutes over low heat until browned all over and nicely caramelized; to speed this process you can throw in a dash of  sugar in the frying pan.
3. When the chicken is done, cool and cut into  chunks; use a couple of  tablespoons of the chicken roasting juices to moisten the rice mixture.
4. Make a dressing with the lemon juice, sesame oil, fish sauce and olive oil; pour over the chicken chunks and mix a bit.
5. Mix all  of the chicken chunks, caramelized onions, rice mixture,  chopped cilantro, mint, green onions, chopped jalapeños and baby arugula. Serve.

I love Mexican telenovelas! I mean what could be better than watching    Fernando Colunga riding his horse, getting in sword fights and saving his damsel in distress? In Lebanon,  they  are dubbed in Arabic  which spoils the fun, but in the US, you get them in the original version; so,  if you are trying to learn Spanish, park yourself in front of Latino TV; of course, the males in your entourage will pooh-pooh this! (don’t pay attention).

I discovered poblano cream through my Mexican friend Conchis  De la Fuentes; Conchis made a pasta dish with poblano cream: heavenly! One of those things that you taste once and never forget!  Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Dallas  do not have dishes with poblano cream  on the menu for some reason, but it is a classic of Mexican cuisine and usually used as a topping for baked chicken.  Here I incorporated the poblano cream in a  risotto, instead of the pasta that Conchis uses; and since in Mexico poblano cream is served with chicken, I made Lebanese chicken wings instead.

What is poblano cream anyway?

Poblanos roasted, seeded and pureed with chicken broth and cream.

The arborio is courtesy of a Texas rice grower and of excellent quality.

INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

• 300 g of arborio rice (1 and 3/4 cups)
• 2 small onions, one for the risotto and one for the poblano  cream
• olive oil
• 3/4 cup of grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup of mascarpone or any creamy white  cheese (I used fromage blanc); you could use a white cheese spread
• chicken broth, as needed
• 1 cup of white wine
• 8 ounces of boneless chicken wings
• 4 large  poblano peppers
• scant cup of whipping cream
• cilantro pesto for the wings (optional): use some garlic, cilantro and olive oil

METHOD:

I made this dish in three steps, over several days, a little bit each time; everything can be done ahead, including the risotto!

First Step: Making the poblano cream (can be made ahead and frozen)

1. Place the poblanos on a foil-lined cookie sheet and broil them, turning them till the skins are totally blistered and black.
2. Immediately drop them in a plastic bag in which you have poured a couple of tablespoons of oil. Close the bag tightly and wrap in a kitchen towel and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so.
3. Open the bag and take each pepper and skin it and deseed it over the sink  and running tap water. Drop the peppers in a blender or food processor.
4. In a small skillet, heat a bit of oil, add an onion cut in quarters and fry till golden. Add the chicken broth and cook for 20 minutes. Add the cream, salt and pepper. Drop the mixture in the blender and puree the poblanos with this mixture. Taste. Add more cream if you like it creamier, adjusting the seasoning as you go.  Cook the poblano sauce in the saucepan for 15 minutes or so; either use right away or freeze.

Second Step: Making the chicken wings:

1. Heat some olive oil, drop the mashed garlic and chopped cilantro, fry for 15 seconds; throw in the wings, brown them a bit and add some chicken broth or water.
2. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes on low simmer. Set aside.

Third Step: Making the risotto:

1. Set all the ingredients close by: risotto, onion,white wine, chicken broth, poblano cream, white cheese, parmesan, salt & pepper, olive oil. Heat some olive oil in a pot, add the onion and fry till  light golden; add the risotto and stir-fry till translucent. Add the white wine and cook for a few minutes, stirring till almost evaporated; add the chicken broth one ladle at a time till the risotto is halfway cooked, but still hard in the middle (taste a couple of grains).
2. Add the poblano cream and keep stirring, adding more chicken broth, if needed, until the risotto is compact and cooked through but al dente, still firm.
3. Finally, incorporate the white cheese or mascarpone keeping the risotto on the stove over very low heat, to melt the cheese, and add the parmesan at the end; taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with the chicken wings.

NOTE: How can you tell if the risotto is ready? Take a wooden spoon and stir big waves of risotto in the pot; the rice should pull easily and follow the movement of the spoon; of course, taste it often!

The poblano cream will be fine in the fridge for a couple of days, otherwise, freeze it.

The risotto can be cooked half-way one day and all the way the next day; don’t believe people who say you have to cook it standing on the stove for the entire time: you can cook it 15 minutes, cool it and refrigerate it; the next day, continue the operation till it is done.

A faster  and easier  version of the famous Palestinian dish called musakhan (meaning : to be heated in Arabic). Two essential features of this dish: sumac, and lots of it; caramelized onions, lots of them; chicken is presented encased in a thin Arabic bread, all juicy inside and  piping hot from the oven.

If you are not up to the challenge of baking the extra-thin, lavash-style bread needed for this dish, you can use flour tortillas or thin pita bread or as I did, frozen Turkish thin bread dough. It comes  pre-cut in triangles and can be found in the freezer section at the middle-eastern grocer.

This dish, while simple, really showcases the tangy and delicate flavor of sumac and caramelized onions; toasted pine nuts are often sprinkled on top and it can be served with a yogurt and cucumber salad.

What is sumac? It is a spice derived from a bush with red berries; it grows  in North America and in other parts of the world. Native Americans used to smoke it! In the middle-east, it is  used to flavor  foods; it has a  lemony taste and a reddish color.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of chicken thighs, deboned (or debone them yourself)
• 1 1/2 pounds of red or yellow onions, sliced in rings
• dash of sugar, salt and white pepper, allspice and cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of sumac, plus one more for the onions
• 1 scant cup of chicken broth
• 12 small flour tortillas or Turkish pastry leaves or 6 pita breads, split in half
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted or fried in a dab of butter or oil till golden
• olive oil, as needed

METHOD:

1. Cut the chicken thighs in small even-sized bits. Sprinkle salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice and the sumac on the chicken.
2. Slice the onions and fry in some olive oil till caramelized, adding a dash of sugar to help the process.
3. Remove the onions and set aside, add more oil and fry the chicken for 10 minutes, stirring every so often; add some chicken broth and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Place a large piece of foil on a cookie sheet. Pour some melted butter and oil in a small bowl and set a brush on the bowl. (or use only olive oil if you want)

1. Take one wrap and brush it entirely with butter or oil on one side; flip it to the other side and place a couple of tablespoons of chicken bits, plus some sliced onions, a sprinkle of sumac and a few pine nuts on the lower edge of the wrap; fold it and place in on the cookie sheet; continue until all the chicken is used up.
2. Place the cookie sheet in a preheated 350F oven for 15 minutes or longer until the wraps are nicely toasted; halfway through, brush them with some chicken broth to keep them moistened; at the end of cooking the wraps are going to be crisp and browned on the edges; remove from the oven and serve right away with some yogurt salad if desired.

This is an Iranian recipe. I am an admirer of Persian culture as well as its cuisine. I hope that someday I can  visit Iran and see first hand the

Revenons à nos moutons, like the French say. (let’s get back to the topic at hand)

This chicken dish is ideal for a party because it tastes better the next day. So, it is best prepared in advance. The rice, however, needs to be cooked about two hours before serving (its fragrance will envelop the room) and it does require your attention! All in all, this is a special  meal that will enchant your guests. It is also the title of Marjane Satrapi’s book Chicken with plums (Poulet aux prunes) in which she tells (graphically)  the tale of the last days of  her famous uncle, a musician, who loved that dish.

I consulted Linda Chirinian’s Secrets of Cooking for the chicken recipe and Najmieh Batmanglij’s New Food of Life for the rice.

INGREDIENTS: This quantity will yield 6 servings

• 1.5 pounds chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 medium onion (about 5 ounces), chopped fine
• 1 pound of carrots, peeled and sliced in rounds or matchsticks
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
• 1 large orange, juiced or 1/4 cup orange juice
• 12 (or more) pitted prunes
• 2 cups chicken broth or water
• 4 (or more) tablespoons clarified butter or oil
• 1/2 cup (or more) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron, crushed and steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water

METHOD:

1. Rinse the chicken or rub with a cut lemon. Pat dry and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper all around.
2. Dip the chicken in flour.
3. Heat the oil or clarified butter in a large skillet and brown the chicken all over, which will take about 25 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken pieces into a large pot. Add the chicken broth or water to the skillet and scrape the browned bits from the skillet to release and incorporate into the broth. Add the broth with the browned bits to the pot with the chicken.
5. Add more clarified butter to the skillet and drop the onion in the skillet and fry till translucent. Add the carrots and the brown sugar and stir to coat the carrots. Fry for about 10 or 15 minutes to soften the carrots and let them caramelize a bit.
6. Add the carrots and onions to the pot.
7. Strain the saffron and add to the pot with the chicken and carrots and onions. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. At this point, you can collect the broth from the pot by straining it and let it sit in the freezer for a couple of hours to collect the fat that congeals on the surface. Place the broth back in the pot with the chicken and vegetables.
8. Add the orange juice and the prunes to the pot. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
9. Serve the chicken with Basmati rice.

TO MAKE THE RICE:

• 2 cups of Basmati rice
• 4 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt (can be replaced by 2 egg yolks)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water or pounded in  mortar with a pinch of sugar
• 1/2 cup of clarified butter or oil

METHOD:

1. Place the rice in a large bowl and pour some lukewarm water over it. Agitate the rice and water gently with your hand, then pour the water off. Repeat this 5 times until the rice is clean.
2. Soak the rice in 4 cups of  water with one tablespoon of salt for 2 hours (up to 24 hours)
3. Bring 4 cups of water with 2 teaspoons of salt to the boil in a non-stick pot. Drain the rice and place it in the pot. Boil the rice for 6 minutes. Stir the pot a couple of times during the cooking to make sure no rice is stuck at the bottom of the pot. Grab a couple of grains with the spoon and bite them. If they are soft, the rice is ready. If not, let boil one minute longer.
4. Immediately drain the rice in a colander, pouring a few cups of water over the drained rice to rinse it.
5. Place the yoghurt in a small bowl. Add to the yoghurt about 1/3 cup of clarified butter, 1/4 cup of water and  the saffron water and mix well. Add three spatulas of the drained rice to this mixture and place the yoghurt/rice mixture in the bottom of the non-stick pot, packing it down with the spatula all over the bottom of the pot. This is the trick to create a golden crust or tah dig (hasseera) which will be displayed when the rice is cooked.
6. Taking one spatula of rice at a time, gently place it on top of the rice and yoghurt layer, forming a pyramid. Poke two holes in the rice pyramid with the handle of a spatula or wooden spoon.
7. Cover the pot and cook the rice for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat to form  the golden crust. This is the tricky part, because you want the crust to be golden not black or brown!
8. Mix the remaining butter with 1/2 cup of hot water and pour over the rice pyramid. Place a cleaned dish towel (or you can use some sturdy paper towels) over the pot, cover with the lid and cook for another 30 minutes and up to 40 minutes longer, on low heat.
9. Remove the pot from the heat. Place the rice on a damp surface for 5 minutes to free the crust. I use a trick which is to place the pot on a cookie sheet  on which I scattered a few ice cubes.
10. Invert the rice on a platter (holding the platter tight over the uncovered pot, then flip!)
11. Serve the rice in wedges.

I have been thinking about the universal appeal of such a dish. You can serve it in any country or community, you will always have a captured audience. And yet it is so simple. In Lebanon, you will find holes-in-the-wall in the most remote villages that serve roasted chicken with a side of garlic mayonnaise.

I remember when the French chef Joel Robuchon opened his restaurant in Paris and everybody was talking about his ” pommes de terre purée” (mashed potatoes). Imagine that! Well, there are mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes. It is true! There is a huge difference between a dish of mashed potatoes out of dried potato flakes and one made with farm potatoes. I for one, adore the potatoes I eat when I am in Lebanon. They have TASTE. When I hear my kids raving about McDonalds French fries, which taste like fried cardboard to me, I really feel alienated!

Never mind! This is a plain roast chicken, stuffed with a bunch of herbs from my patio  and served with potatoes, pearl onions and garlic, with a garlic sauce on the side. I made the garlic sauce in the blender while the chicken was roasting. The last half hour of baking the chicken I basted it with the garlic sauce. I cooked the vegetables on the stove because I feel like I have more control this way, but you can just as easily throw them in with the chicken and shake them from time to time as they roast.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 3 1/2 pound chicken, preferably free-range and organic
• a handful of fresh herbs ( such as tarragon, parsley, sage, oregano, basil)
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt, pepper
• vegetables: 1 pound of white potatoes, peeled and cut in slices , a handful of pearl onions, a handful of garlic (at least 15 cloves, keep 5 to roast whole with the potatoes, the rest for the sauce)
• 2 lemons, cut in halves
• 1/3 cup of olive oil (for the garlic sauce)

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven at 400F.
2. Rub the chicken with a cut lemon all over. Pat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Throw a lemon half in the chicken cavity and tie the chicken with a string (if you have it), so that the wings and legs are nicely tied.
3. Place the chicken on a roasting rack or in a baking pan, previously covered in foil. Cut the herbs with kitchen scissors. Loosen the skin on the breast side and stuff it underneath with all the herbs, reaching as far back as possible (so they don’t bulge up too much).
4. Melt the butter and mix with the olive oil. Pour one half of the butter mixture in a skillet and use the other half to brush on the chicken. Place the chicken in the oven.
5. Now heat the skillet and place all the vegetables in it, stirring from time to time as they fry gently in the butter mixture.
6. After 20 minutes of baking, reduce the oven temperature to 350F and start basting the chicken.
7. Make the garlic sauce: Place all the garlic cloves (minus the ones frying whole with the potatoes and onions) and a pinch of salt in a mortar or mini-processor and process with a tablespoon of oil for a few minutes, adding more oil gradually until the mixture is creamy. Squeeze half a lemon on the mixture (or a tablespoon) and  process a few minutes longer.
8. Start basting the chicken with the garlic sauce. At this point, the vegetables should be done and can be placed in the dish alongside the chicken. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with the vegetables and the extra garlic sauce on the side.

NOTE:

It is hard to give exact time for baking the chicken; it should take about 45 minutes, depending on the oven. When the chicken flesh is pierced and the juices are clear, it is done.

Before Lebanese folks were introduced to rice and adopted it wholeheartedly, roasted green wheat or freekeh was the main staple. It is basically wheat harvested while still green and smoked  in the fields. The farmers would then crack it (or keep it whole)  and store it  to eat throughout the year. It is available at middle-eastern stores under the name freekeh or frikeh, either in boxes or bags or in bulk. It is extremely nutritious. If you thought brown rice was the most nutritious, think again! Freekeh ( pronounced free-ka) has 4 times more iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, than brown rice!! When you cook it, its smoky flavor fills the kitchen and when you eat it you feel closer to the earth!

Freekeh can be used in so many ways: as a side dish, like rice; in a pilaf, with meat or veggies; in salads or soups. I found an Australian company that is planning to market bars similar to oatmeal bars using freekeh instead..

INGREDIENTS: Quantity will yield 4 generous servings.

• 1 3-pound chicken ( I used 2 cornish hens)
• 1 cup of freekeh
• 12 small onions
• 1 cup of chicken broth ( can substitute a chicken cube)
• Spices consisting of :   1 cinnamon stick, a few sprigs of parsley, a carrot, a rib of celery ( for the chicken broth),  2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ground allspice, salt ( to taste) and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.

• 1/3 cup of olive oil

METHOD:

1. Clean the freekeh by  placing it in a sieve and running cold water on it and watching for stones or debris ( if you buy it in bulk)
2. Clean the chicken by rubbing a cut lemon all over it (optional) or running cold water on it and drying it with a paper towel. Sprinkle all the spices on it and set aside.
3. Peel the onions.
4. Heat the olive oil and brown the chicken all over. Set it aside.
5. Brown the onions in the oil or some additional oil. Set aside.
6. Place the chickens in a large pot and add the broth (or water and a cube) to make the broth needed to cook the freekeh in and finish cooking the chicken. About 1 1/2 quarts of liquid should be sufficient. Add the cinnamon stick, sprigs of parsley, carrot, bay leaf, etc. Cover the pot and let it come to a boil.
7. Lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through.
8. In the skillet ( in which you have previously browned the onions) place the freekeh and stir-fry gently until all the grains are coated in oil.  At this point, use a ladle and pour 3 cups of the chicken broth on the freekeh and cover the skillet. Let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed. The freekeh needs to be moist and tender, if it is not, add more broth and cook a bit longer.
9. When it is ready, serve with the chicken and onions on a large serving platter. The extra broth can be either serve on the side (make a sauce with a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch) or frozen for a soup at a later date.
10. Present plain yoghurt at the table with it if you wish. Sahteyn!

I was driving around Dallas and stumbled on a tiny bakery with the name Phoenicia Bakery. I immediately got out of the car to investigate and met a sweet lady inside who told me she was from West Bekaa, in Lebanon; she and her husband are making traditional Lebanese bread like this markook that is used for the mussakhan. Also called lavash bread, it is paper-thin and very large. In Lebanon, it is prepared by hand by women, crouching and using a pillow to rest the bread on before it is thrown inside the wall cavity of a stone oven. Very dramatic to watch, fascinating. I don’t know how Fadia and her husband are making it here in Dallas, but the result is delicious and very authentic. If you are not fortunate enough to access some markook, you can substitute pita or even phyllo dough that is sold in all the supermarkets now.

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken weight about 3 lbs, skinned and deboned OR 2 lbs of boneless chicken thighs

1 1/2 lbs of yellow onions, sliced in thin rings or chopped coarsely

2 heaping tablespoons of sumak

salt, pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of allspice (optional)

2 cups of homemade chicken stock (preferably)

3 pieces of markook bread, or 2 large pita breads or 6 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator

1/2 cup of light olive oil

METHOD:

• Sprinkle the sumak on the onions
• If you are using a whole chicken: debone the chicken and throw all the bones, wings, etc in a pot. Brown them in a tablespoon of oil all over , then add 4 cups of water, some flavoring (whatever you have on hand, onion, bay leaf, sprig of parsley, clove of garlic, whole peppercorns) and let it simmer for a couple of hours until the broth is fragrant and thickened and reduced to about 2 cups.
• With the remaining chicken, sprinkle spices on it (salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice) and brown it in 1/4 cup of oil till golden. Cook it only halfway, in order to  finish cooking it later in the bread. Cut the bird in bite size pieces.
• If you are using boneless thighs, cut them in small bitesize pieces and brown them briefly in a couple tablespoons of oil till golden but not cooked through.
• Remove the chicken from the frying pan, set it aside in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan and throw in the onions (minus the onion juice). Fry till the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
• Spread 2 pieces of  bread in a greased flat pan. Brush the chicken broth (not defatted) on the bread lightly. Spoon half the onion mixture on the bread and then put the chicken pieces on top of the onion. Place the remaining half of the onions on top of the chicken. Enclose the chicken and onions by folding the bread, brushing it as you proceed with more chicken broth all over to keep it moist and malleable.
• Take one pice of bread and cover the chicken with it and fold the rest underneath using a spatula to help you in that operation, continuing to moisten the bread with the chicken broth.

Place in a moderate oven (about 350F) for about 30 to 45 minutes. If the bread starts to burn, cover it with a piece of foil.

NOTE:

If you are unable to find markook, then you can use phyllo dough. Defrost it in the refrigerator and use about 6 leaves, brushing them with melted butter or a pray, so that they get some flavor. Or, use a couple large pitas, brushing them as well with butter or the fatty chicken broth. Freeze the remaining broth.