Part 11 (1/2)

MAKES ABOUT 20 SMALL PIZZAS FOR THE DOUGHabout 1 cup warm yogurt2 teaspoons dried yeastpinch of sugar cup warm water31/3 cups strong white bread flour1 teaspoon salt cup extra virgin olive oilFOR THE MEAT AND TOMATO TOPPING1 large onion1 pounds ground lamb3 large garlic cloves, crushed teaspoon ground allspicesalt and black pepper2 tablespoons pomegranate mola.s.ses1 pound tomatoes, unpeeled, finely chopped cup pine nuts (optional) To warm the yogurt, put the pot in a bowl or pan of hot, not boiling, water for about 1 hour. Dissolve the yeast with the sugar in the cup of warm water and leave for about 10 minutes, until it froths. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt and oil, then add the yeast mixture and just enough of the yogurt to make the dough hold together in a ball. Begin by mixing with a fork, then work with your hands. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Pour a drop of oil in the bowl and roll the dough around in it to grease it all over and prevent a dry skin from forming. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 hours, until it has doubled in bulk.

For the topping, finely chop the onion in the food processor and drain it of its juices. Put the meat, onion, garlic, allspice, salt, pepper, and pomegranate mola.s.ses in a bowl. Mix well and work into a soft paste with your hands. Then work in the tomato and the pine nuts, if using.

Punch down the risen dough and knead for 1 minute. Take lumps the size of a large walnut if making mini pizzas, or the size of an egg if making large ones, and roll out on a clean surface with a rolling pin. Do not flour these as the dough is very greasy and will not stick. Roll out thinly into rounds about 1/8 inch thick and place on oiled sheets of foil on baking trays.

Take lumps of the topping mixture and spread thickly over each round of dough- go right up to the edges as the topping tends to shrink while the dough expands as it cooks.

Bake one tray at a time in an oven preheated to 400F for 15 minutes, placing each on the top shelf. Serve the pizzas hot.

VARIATION For a Meat and Yogurt Topping: Mix 1 pounds ground lamb, 1 large onion (finely chopped in the food processor and drained of its juices), cup plain whole-milk yogurt, the juice of lemon, salt and pepper, teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/3 cup pine nuts.

For Meat and Tomato with Chili: Work together to a paste 1 large onion (very finely chopped in the food processor and drained of its juices), to 1 finely chopped chili pepper, 1 pounds ground lamb, 4 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste, 2 tablespoons pomegranate mola.s.ses, salt, and pepper.

RED LENTIL and and RICE SOUP RICE SOUP Makhlouta Serve this creamy soup with thin Lebanese flat bread cut into triangles, opened out, brushed with olive oil, and toasted in the oven until crisp.

SERVES 6 TO 8 2 large onions, sliced3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil7 cups chicken stock (made with 2 bouillon cubes)1 cup red lentils cup short-grain or risotto riceblack pepper2 teaspoons ground coriandersalt1 teaspoon ground c.u.min2 lemons Fry the onions in the oil. Cover the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Then cook over high heat, stirring often, until they are very brown and caramelized. Drain on paper towels and keep them aside.

Bring the stock to the boil then put in the lentils and rice. Add the black pepper and the ground coriander, and simmer for about 35 to 45 minutes, until the lentils and rice fall apart and the soup has a creamy texture. Add a little salt toward the end of the cooking time, taking into account the saltiness of the bouillon cubes, and a little water, if necessary, to thin the soup to a light creamy consistency.

Serve, sprinkling each bowlful with a pinch of c.u.min and garnis.h.i.+ng each with a topping of fried onions. Pa.s.s around lemon quarters.

GREEN VEGETABLE SOUP This spring soup is green and aromatic. It becomes more substantial if served over rice. Other vegetables such as artichoke bottoms (frozen ones will do; see page 8 8 ) cut into pieces, peas, and broad beans can also be added. ) cut into pieces, peas, and broad beans can also be added.

SERVES 6 TO 8 1 cup long-grain or washed basmati rice8 cups chicken or vegetable stock (made with 2 bouillon cubes)2 leeks1 small head of celery with leavessalt and white pepper3 to 4 garlic cloves, crushedjuice of 1 lemon1 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste7 ounces zucchini2 tablespoons dried mint To cook the rice, add it to plenty of boiling, salted water and simmer for 10 to 18 minutes (the time varies depending on the type of rice), or until tender, then drain quickly. Keep it aside until you are ready to serve.

Heat the stock in a large pan. Cut the leeks crosswise and the celery into slices about 1/3 inch thick and add them to the pan. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until they are tender. Add salt (taking into account the saltiness of the stock), white pepper, garlic, lemon juice, and sugar.

Trim the zucchini of their ends and cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Add them to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then add the mint and cook 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the flavorings.

Serve in soup bowls over the rice.

Main Courses Everyone in Lebanon appreciates the old traditional dishes that now make up the national cuisine. The repertoire is mainly represented by the refined, sophisticated dishes of the old Greek Orthodox and Sunni grande bourgeoisie grande bourgeoisie of Beirut and those of the Maronite of Beirut and those of the Maronite grands seigneurs grands seigneurs of the mountains, combined with simple rural dishes and with the festive dishes a.s.sociated with religious holidays. There are traditionalists, modernizers who may simply lighten the cooking and present the food in a novel way, and there are those who allow themselves to be creative. of the mountains, combined with simple rural dishes and with the festive dishes a.s.sociated with religious holidays. There are traditionalists, modernizers who may simply lighten the cooking and present the food in a novel way, and there are those who allow themselves to be creative.

SEA BREAM with with SAFFRON RICE SAFFRON RICE Samak Wal Roz Bil Zafaran Ask the fishmonger to clean and scale the fish, and remove the fins and gills, but ask him to leave the heads on. The rice, which is cooked with olive oil instead of the usual b.u.t.ter, is the traditional rice to accompany fish in Lebanon. Turmeric is sometimes used instead of saffron. Start cooking the rice first.

SERVES 4 FOR THE RICE6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil teaspoon saffron powder or threads1 cups long-grain rice21/3 cups boiling watersalt and black pepper2 medium onions, sliced cup pine nuts4 sea bream (weighing about 14 ounces each)salt and black pepper2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilTo serve: 1 lemon For the rice, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Stir in the saffron and add the rice. Stir well, until the rice acquires a transparent yellow glow. Add the boiling water, stir in the salt and pepper, and simmer over low heat, covered and undisturbed, for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Then stir in another 2 tablespoons oil.

Fry the onions in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, stirring occasionally, until brown. Add the pine nuts, and stir until they are lightly colored.

Make 3 to 4 slashes about 1/3 inch deep in the thickest part of the fish so that they cook evenly. Put them side by side in a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and rub them generously with olive oil. Bake in an oven preheated to 425F for about 15 minutes.

Serve the fish with lemon quarters, and the rice separately, shaped in a mound and garnished with the pine nuts and onions.

PAN - FRIED RED MULLET with with TAHINI SAUCE TAHINI SAUCE Sultan Ibrahim Makli Bi Tehine The most popular item on the menu in the fish restaurants along the long Lebanese coast are the deep-fried red mullet that come accompanied by a tahini sauce and very thin crisp deep-fried bread. They are fried whole, coated with flour, but at home I find it easier to pan-fry red mullet fillets.

SERVES 4 FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE1/3 cup tahinijuice of 1 lemonabout 1/3 cup cold watersalt to 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)8 red mullet fillets (weighing about 3 ounces each), skin onsalt and black pepper2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 lemon, cut in wedges First, make the sauce. Stir the tahini in the jar before using. With a fork, beat the tahini with the lemon juice. It will thicken to a stiff paste. Add the water, beating vigorously until you get the consistency of a pale, runny cream. Then add a little salt and the garlic, if using, and pour into a serving bowl.

Season the red mullet fillets with salt and pepper and fry in the oil over medium-high heat, preferably in a nonstick frying pan, for about 2 minutes on the skin side. Turn and cook the other side for half a minute more.

Serve the fish at once, with the lemon wedges, and let people pour the tahini sauce on the side.

VARIATION Season 4 fish fillets (5 to 7 ounces each), such as cod or haddock, with salt and white pepper and teaspoon ground c.u.min. Dip the fillets in flour to coat them all over, and shallow-fry in sizzling olive oil, turning over once. Drain on paper towels and serve with the tahini sauce.

FISH with with PINE NUT SAUCE PINE NUT SAUCE Samak Bil Tarator Bi Sen.o.bar This is a dish that is served cold and is especially good for a buffet party. It is beautiful and dramatic. Get a large white fish-sea ba.s.s would be great but is expensive; cod or haddock will do very well. (Although salmon is not a fish used in Lebanon, and not a fish of the Mediterranean regions, it is good to serve in this way.) Have the fish skinned and also filleted, if you like, and ask for the head and tail. Cooked in foil, the fish steams in its own juice and the flesh remains moist. The pine nut sauce, tarator bi sen.o.bar, has a very delicate flavor. has a very delicate flavor.

SERVES 8 serves 8 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 whole cod (weighing about 5 pounds)salt1 lemon, cut into thin slicesTo garnish: 3 tablespoons pine nuts or 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, and 2 lemons, slicedFOR THE PINE NUT SAUCEAND2 slices good white bread, inch thick12/3 cups pine nutsjuice of 2 lemons2 garlic cloves, crushedsalt Brush a large sheet of foil with a little of the olive oil. Place the fish in the middle, sprinkle lightly with salt and rub with the remaining oil. Sprinkle the cavity of the fish with a little salt and put in the lemon slices. Wrap in a loose parcel, twisting the foil edges together to seal it. Wrap the head and tail separately in another piece of foil.

Bake the fish in an oven preheated to 400F for 45 minutes, or until done. To test for doneness, cut into the thickest part and check that the flesh flakes and has turned white right through. The head and tail should come out of the oven after 20 minutes.

For the sauce, cut away the crusts from the bread (it should now weigh about 3 ounces) and soak the slices in water. Blend the pine nuts to a paste in the food processor. Then add the bread, squeezed dry, lemon juice, and garlic and blend well. Add a little salt and about 3 to 4 tablespoons of cold water-just enough to blend to the consistency of thick cream.

Serve the fish cold, covered with the sauce, and with the head and tail in place. Decorate with a pattern using pine nuts that have been fried gently in a drop of oil until slightly colored, or with parsley, and with lemon slices cut into half-moon shapes.

FISH with with RICE RICE and and ONION SAUCE ONION SAUCE Sayyadieh The distinctive feature of this famous Arab fish and rice dish is the flavor of caramelized onions in the brown broth that suffuses the rice and colors it a pale brown. Use skinned fillets of white fish such as bream, turbot, haddock, or cod.

SERVES 4 About 1 pounds onions, sliced4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 fish or chicken bouillon cubessalt and black pepper teaspoon ground c.u.min teaspoon ground allspice1 cups long-grain or washed basmati rice4 fish fillets (each weighing 5 to 7 ounces) to 1 lemon2/3 cup pine nuts In a large saucepan, fry the onions in 2 tablespoons oil over low heat, with the lid on until they are soft and transparent, stirring occasionally. Then take off the lid and let them get very dark brown and caramelized. Blend them to a cream in the food processor and return this to the pan.

Add about 4 cups boiling water and the crumbled bouillon cubes; season with salt, pepper, c.u.min, and allspice, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour out the onion stock to measure the quant.i.ty you need for cooking the rice. Return 2 cups to the pan, and put the rest aside to use as the sauce. Add the rice and some salt, stir well, and cook, covered, over a low heat, for about 10 to 18 minutes, until the rice is tender. (Some brands that claim not to be parboiled or precooked now take as little as 8 to 10 minutes, so read the information on the package.) Set it aside until you are ready to serve.

Pan-fry the fish fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper, in the remaining oil, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the flesh just begins to flake. Squeeze a little lemon juice over them. Fry the pine nuts in a drop of oil until lightly browned. Reheat the onion sauce, adding a little lemon juice to taste.

Serve the rice heaped in a mound with the sauce poured over. Arrange the pieces of fish on top or around the rice and sprinkle with the pine nuts.

VARIATION A way of preparing the dish in advance is to layer it in a deep baking dish-pine nuts first, then fish, then rice-and heat it through in the oven. Turn it out upside down just before serving, and serve the sauce separately.

You can accompany the dish with the tahini sauce on page 290 as well as its brown sauce.

For a ”white” version of the same dish, the onions should be meltingly soft, but should not be allowed to brown.

CHICKEN PIE with with ONIONS ONIONS and and SUMAC SUMAC Musakhan This pie with a beguilingly flavorsome filling is a refined interpretation of musakhan, musakhan, which is of Bedouin origin and is baked in thin Arab bread. It is delicious, and you must try it. It can be made in advance and reheated before serving. Use the large-size sheets of fillo (about which is of Bedouin origin and is baked in thin Arab bread. It is delicious, and you must try it. It can be made in advance and reheated before serving. Use the large-size sheets of fillo (about 19 19 inches inches [.dotmath] [.dotmath] 12 12 inches) that are sold frozen, and defrost for inches) that are sold frozen, and defrost for 2 2 to to 3 3 hours; see page hours; see page 9 9 for information about using fillo. for information about using fillo.

SERVES 6 1 pounds onions, sliced2 tablespoons sunflower oil6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 tablespoons sumac (see page 7)1 teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground cardamomjuice of to 1 lemonsalt and black pepper7 sheets fillo pastry (about 7 ounces) stick (4 tablespoons) b.u.t.ter, melted For the filling, fry the onions in the oil until soft and beginning to color. Cook on low heat, with the lid on to start with, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Remove the lid and cook over medium-high heat. Cut the chicken into - to 1-inch pieces and add them to the onions. Cook, turning the pieces, until they are lightly colored all over. Add the sumac, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and mix well.