Part 12 (1/2)

About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, bake the pies in an oven preheated to 400F for about 25 minutes, until golden.

For the sauce, beat the yogurt with a little salt and the garlic, if using. For the garnish, mix the olive oil and the dried mint.

Serve the pies as they come out of the oven. Pour about 3 tablespoons yogurt over each, and drizzle a little of the minty olive oil (about a teaspoon) over the top.

VARIATION For Kamal's vegetarian filling, fry 4 large sliced onions in 4 tablespoons oil until brown. Add 1 cup pine nuts, salt, pepper, 3 teaspoons of ground mixed spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, c.u.min), and 1 tablespoons pomegranate mola.s.ses.

GROUND MEAT KEBAB Kafta Meshwiyeh The ground meat for this kebab-I usually buy shoulder of lamb-should have a good amount of fat so that it remains moist and juicy. Most of it will melt away in the heat of the grill. You will need skewers with a thick, wide blade to hold the meat and prevent it from rolling around. Alternatively, it is easier and equally good to shape the meat into burgers. Serve them with Arab flat breads or the very thin, Lebanese markouk markouk (see page (see page 245 245 ), and accompany them with a salad and a choice of ), and accompany them with a salad and a choice of mezze. mezze.

SERVES 4 2 medium onions to 2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley1 pounds lamb, taken from the shoulder with some fatsalt and black pepper Grate or finely chop the onion in the food processor, drain, and turn it into a bowl. Add the chopped parsley to the onion. Cut the meat into chunks, then blend it in the food processor to a soft paste, adding salt and pepper. Mix the meat paste with the parsley and onion, and knead with your hand until well blended.

Divide the meat into 8 b.a.l.l.s and wrap each one around a skewer, pressing it firmly so that it holds together in a long, flat, sausage shape. Alternatively, flatten the b.a.l.l.s into burgers. Place the skewers, or burgers, on the oiled grill of a barbecue, over the embers of a charcoal fire or on a rack under the broiler, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, turning them over once, until browned outside but still pink inside.

Kafta Yogurtliya Using the recipe above, roll the meat into little b.a.l.l.s the size of a large walnut. Saute in batches in a little oil in a large frying pan, turning them until they are browned all over but still a little pink inside. You can do this in advance, if you wish, and heat them through, covered with foil, in the oven when you are ready to serve.

Open out a pita, toast it under the broiler, and break it into small pieces at the bottom of a serving dish. Just before serving, pour 4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, which should be at room temperature, over the toast and drop the meatb.a.l.l.s on top. Fry 3 tablespoons pine nuts very briefly in stick (2 tablespoons) b.u.t.ter and sprinkle them over the dish with their b.u.t.ter.

MEATb.a.l.l.s with with PINE NUTS PINE NUTS in in TOMATO SAUCE TOMATO SAUCE Daoud Basha The dish takes its name from the governor who administered Mount Lebanon between 1861 1861 and and 1868 1868 in Ottoman times. Serve it with plain or Vermicelli Rice (page in Ottoman times. Serve it with plain or Vermicelli Rice (page 304 304 ). ).

SERVES 6 2 medium onions1 pounds lean ground lambsalt and pepper1 teaspoons ground cinnamon teaspoon ground allspice2/3 cup pine nutsvegetable oil2 pounds tomatoes, peeled or not2 teaspoons sugar3 garlic cloves, crushed (optional) Grate or finely chop the onions in the food processor, drain, and turn them into a bowl. Add the ground lamb with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice, and work into a paste with your hands. Roll the paste into small walnut-size b.a.l.l.s. Make a hole in each ball with your finger, stuff the cavity with a few pine nuts, and close the hole. Alternatively, and more easily, work the pine nuts into the meat paste, then roll it into b.a.l.l.s.

Put a little oil in a soup plate and roll the meatb.a.l.l.s in it. Put them in a baking dish and bake in an oven preheated to 400F for 15 to 20 minutes, until their color changes.

For the sauce, cut up the tomatoes and liquefy them in the food processor or blender. Add a little salt and pepper, the sugar, and garlic, if using, and pour over the meatb.a.l.l.s. Bake them for another 35 minutes, turning the meatb.a.l.l.s over once.

VARIATION Add the juice of 1 lemon and a good pinch of chili flakes to the sauce.

BAKED KIBBEH with KIBBEH with ONION ONION and and PINE NUT TOPPING PINE NUT TOPPING Kibbeh Saniyeh Kibbeh forms a major part of the national dishes of Lebanon. There are countless versions, from a raw meat paste to little, oval sh.e.l.ls stuffed with a ground meat filling and deep-fried or cooked in yogurt or bitter orange juice, as well as vegetarian forms a major part of the national dishes of Lebanon. There are countless versions, from a raw meat paste to little, oval sh.e.l.ls stuffed with a ground meat filling and deep-fried or cooked in yogurt or bitter orange juice, as well as vegetarian kibbeh kibbeh with pumpkin or potato, and one with fish-each version having a number of regional variations. One thing they all have in common is bulgur with pumpkin or potato, and one with fish-each version having a number of regional variations. One thing they all have in common is bulgur (burghul (burghul in Lebanon). Since most are labor-intensive and require skill and application, they are not the kind of thing you undertake if you are not part of the culture. in Lebanon). Since most are labor-intensive and require skill and application, they are not the kind of thing you undertake if you are not part of the culture.So I was very happy to discover a traditional kibbeh kibbeh that was truly delightful and relatively easy, with only one layer of that was truly delightful and relatively easy, with only one layer of kibbeh kibbeh and a flavorsome onion and pine nut topping. I found it in a little restaurant in Beirut called Kibbet Zaman (Yesterday's Kibbeh). It can be served hot or cold (I prefer it hot) as a main dish or cut up small as a and a flavorsome onion and pine nut topping. I found it in a little restaurant in Beirut called Kibbet Zaman (Yesterday's Kibbeh). It can be served hot or cold (I prefer it hot) as a main dish or cut up small as a mezze. mezze. It is really worth doing-I guarantee you will surprise your guests. Accompany it with It is really worth doing-I guarantee you will surprise your guests. Accompany it with baba ghanouj baba ghanouj (page (page 248 248 ) ), hummus (page (page 249 249 ), and a salad. ), and a salad.

SERVES 6 FOR THE KIBBEH KIBBEH base base2/3 cup fine-ground bulgur1 medium onion, cut in quarters1 pound lean, boneless leg of lamb teaspoon saltblack pepper1 teaspoon cinnamon2 tablespoons vegetable oilFOR THE TOPPING1 pound onions, sliced3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to 1/3 cup pine nutssalt and black pepper teaspoon ground cinnamonpinch of ground allspice to 1 tablespoon pomegranate mola.s.ses (optional) For the kibbeh kibbeh base, rinse the bulgur in a fine sieve under cold running water and drain well. Puree the onion in the food processor. Add the meat, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and blend to a paste. Add the bulgur and blend to a smooth, soft paste. base, rinse the bulgur in a fine sieve under cold running water and drain well. Puree the onion in the food processor. Add the meat, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and blend to a paste. Add the bulgur and blend to a smooth, soft paste.

With your hand, press the paste into the bottom of an oiled, round, shallow baking dish or tart dish, about 11 inches in diameter. Flatten and smooth the top and rub with 2 tablespoons oil. With a pointed knife, cut the contents into 6 wedges through the center, and run the knife round the edges of the dish. Bake in an oven preheated to 375F for about 30 minutes, until browned.

While the kibbeh kibbeh base is baking, prepare the topping. Fry the sliced onions in the olive oil until they are golden brown, stirring often. Add the pine nuts and stir until lightly colored. Add a little salt and pepper, the cinnamon, and allspice and, if you like a slightly sweet-and-sour flavor (I do), the pomegranate mola.s.ses. Cook, stirring for a minute or so. base is baking, prepare the topping. Fry the sliced onions in the olive oil until they are golden brown, stirring often. Add the pine nuts and stir until lightly colored. Add a little salt and pepper, the cinnamon, and allspice and, if you like a slightly sweet-and-sour flavor (I do), the pomegranate mola.s.ses. Cook, stirring for a minute or so.

Serve the kibbeh kibbeh with the topping spread over the top. with the topping spread over the top.

VARIATION Instead of pine nuts, use 2/3 cup sh.e.l.led walnuts, broken into pieces and, if you like, 2 tablespoons raisins soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained. (If you are using raisins, omit the pomegranate mola.s.ses.) Add 1 tablespoon sumac (see page 7) to the onion topping and omit the pomegranate mola.s.ses.

LAMB STEW with with VINEGAR VINEGAR and and EGGPLANTS EGGPLANTS Lahma Bi Khal This dish does not look very nice-it is a muddy brown-but the flavors are deliciously rich and strong, and the meat is meltingly tender. Serve it with plain or Vermicelli Rice (page 304 304 ). ).

SERVES 6 TO 8 1 pound baby onions or shallots2 pounds boned shoulder of lambsunflower oil8 whole garlic clovessalt and pepper1 teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground allspice1 teaspoon sugar3 medium eggplants4 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar1 tablespoon crushed, dried mint To peel the baby onions or shallots, drop them in boiling water and poach for 5 minutes to loosen the skins. Drain and peel them while still warm.

Cut the meat into 8 large pieces and trim off only some of the fat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan, put in the meat, and turn to brown it all over, then lift it out. It will have released quite a bit of fat. Fry the baby onions or shallots and the whole cloves of garlic in the fat, stirring until golden. Lift them out and set aside.

Pour off the fat, and return the meat to the pan. Cover with water bring to the boil, and remove the sc.u.m. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and sugar. Simmer, covered, for about 1 hours, until the meat is very tender, adding water, as necessary, to keep it covered.

Cut the eggplants into -inch-thick rounds. Brush them with oil and cook them under the preheated broiler or in a grill pan, turning them over once, until browned; they do not need to be cooked through.

Put the onions in with the meat, add the vinegar and mint, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the eggplants and cook for a further 20 minutes.

LAMB SHANKS COOKED in in YOGURT YOGURT Laban Ummo The name of this dish, which means ”his mother's milk,” implies that the meat of a young animal is cooked in its own mother's milk. It can be made with small lamb shanks or with knuckle of veal (os...o...b..co (os...o...b..co ) or slightly fatty, cubed meat. I have used lamb shanks. Serve it with plain or Vermicelli Rice (page ) or slightly fatty, cubed meat. I have used lamb shanks. Serve it with plain or Vermicelli Rice (page 304 304 ). The yogurt makes a wonderful, soupy sauce-so provide spoons, too. ). The yogurt makes a wonderful, soupy sauce-so provide spoons, too.

SERVES 6 6 lamb shanks (each weighing 11 to 14 ounces)salt and white pepper1 pound shallots or baby onions8 cups plain whole-milk yogurt2 tablespoons cornstarch3 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)To serve: crushed, dried mint Put the lamb shanks in a large pan and cover them with water. Bring to the boil, remove any sc.u.m, and add salt and pepper. Cook them with the lid on for 2 hours, adding water to keep them covered. Peel the shallots or baby onions: drop them in boiling water and blanch them for 5 minutes to loosen the skins, then drain and peel them while still warm. Add them to the meat and cook for 30 minutes more, until they are soft and the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone.

You need to prepare or stabilize the yogurt to prevent it from curdling during cooking. Pour it into a large saucepan and beat well until it is liquid. Mix the cornstarch to a light paste with 3 to 4 tablespoons water and add this to the yogurt, beating vigorously until well mixed. Now bring the yogurt to the boil slowly, stirring constantly in one direction only in one direction only, and then reduce the heat to as low as possible and let it barely simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Do not cover the pan with a lid: they say that a drop of steam falling back into the yogurt could ruin it. I am not sure that is true.

Drain the cooked shanks-you can remove the bones or not, as you wish-and the onions and add them to the yogurt. Stir in a little salt and the garlic, if using, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

When serving, pa.s.s around a little bowl of dried mint so people can stir a teaspoonful or so into their sauce, if they wish.

ROAST LAMB with with RICE, GROUND MEAT, RICE, GROUND MEAT, and and NUTS NUTS Ouzi A central part of every grand Arab feast is lamb-shoulder or leg-cooked a la cuillere a la cuillere (to such tenderness that you can eat it ”with a spoon”), accompanied by rice with ground meat and nuts. (to such tenderness that you can eat it ”with a spoon”), accompanied by rice with ground meat and nuts.This recipe comes from the caterer n.a.z.ira Bitar, who is the queen of wedding cakes all over the Arab world. She prepared a banquet in Stockholm that was hosted by the King of Jordan for King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia.

SERVES 6 TO 8 1 leg of lamb (weighing about 5 pounds) or 2 shoulders1 teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground allspice teaspoon ground c.u.min teaspoon ground cardamomsalt and black pepper2 tablespoons sunflower oil1 onion, cut in quarters1 head of garlic, cut in halfFOR THE RICE2 cups basmati or long-grain rice1 large onion, chopped3 tablespoons sunflower oil pound ground beefsalt and black pepper1 teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground allspice teaspoon ground nutmeg teaspoon ground cloves4 cups lamb or chicken stock (use 2 bouillon cubes)1/3 cup sliced almonds1/3 cup pistachios1/3 cup pine nuts Rub the leg of lamb all over with the spices, salt, pepper, and oil. Place it in a large roasting pan and put it into an oven preheated to 425F. After 20 minutes, take the pan out of the oven, pour in 4 cups water, and add the onion and garlic. Cover the meat with a large sheet of foil and put it back in the oven. Lower the heat to 300F, and cook for 3 hours.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the rice. If using basmati, wash the rice in cold water, rinse in a strainer under cold running water, and drain. In a large pan, fry the onion in 2 tablespoons oil until it is soft and beginning to color. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, turning it over and crus.h.i.+ng it with a fork to break up any lumps, until it has changed color. Add salt and pepper and all the spices: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir well and add the rice, then stir again.

Pour in the boiling stock, mix well, and simmer, covered, for about 10 to 20 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.) Add a little stock or water if it becomes too dry. Drain and keep it on the side until you are ready to serve.

Fry the almonds, pistachios, and pine nuts separately in the remaining oil until they just begin to color. When the leg of lamb is ready, place it on a serving dish with the rice. You can cut the meat off the bone into slices, if you wish. Sprinkle the fried nuts all over the rice. Serve the flavorsome meat broth produced at the bottom of the roasting pan as a sauce. Heat it through and serve it in a jug, first pouring off as much of the fat from the top as you can.

Desserts In Beirut and other cities in Lebanon, people do not make any of their pastries at home- they buy them-apart from those attached to religious festivals, and even then, they make them only during those festivals. Pastry making is one of the legendary trades of the country and the great pastry capital of Lebanon is the city of Tripoli. I was allowed into the kitchens of one of the celebrated pastry-makers there, Abdul Rahman Hallab and Sons, where I saw dozens of different types of pastries being made. I was also taken by a local man, Abdel Karim al Chaar (a friend of the friends who took me to Tripoli) around the souk souks of the old city to taste yet more pastries made by small artisans. Abdel Karim is a famous singer, who sings verses from the Koran in mosques and holds concerts of the cla.s.sic Arab-Andalusian mode called tarab. tarab. He came with his daughter Ranine, who was, at that moment, a finalist in the inter-Arab singing compet.i.tion He came with his daughter Ranine, who was, at that moment, a finalist in the inter-Arab singing compet.i.tion Superstar Superstar on Future TV. Abdel Karim was greeted by all the old men in the on Future TV. Abdel Karim was greeted by all the old men in the souk souk while young girls with headscarves cl.u.s.tered around Ranine and a.s.sured her that they would be voting for her. And we got special treatment in the pastry shops. while young girls with headscarves cl.u.s.tered around Ranine and a.s.sured her that they would be voting for her. And we got special treatment in the pastry shops.

In the center of the khan khan that specialized in perfumed soaps we saw rose water, that specialized in perfumed soaps we saw rose water, mai ward mai ward, and orange blossom water, mai zahr mai zahr, being made in a row of primitive alembics (see pages 6 and 7). The waters lend a delicate perfume to many Lebanese puddings and pastries. Here, even out in the open, the perfume was intoxicating.

In Beirut, I went to see a pastry-maker called n.a.z.ira Bitar whose wedding cakes are famous all over the Arab world. She showed me photograph alb.u.ms of her fantastically elaborate cakes with edible flowers, birds, b.u.t.terflies, fruits, sh.e.l.ls, and jewels. Her latest are chandeliers that reach from the ceiling to the floor.

MILK PUDDING Muhallabiya Muhallabiya is the most popular Lebanese dessert. In restaurants it is usually made with cornstarch. At home, ground rice or a mixture of both is used. It is a special refinement to pour a little honey syrup over the top and to garnish it with a large amount of chopped nuts. It is very easy to make, but it needs attention and patience during the long stirring. is the most popular Lebanese dessert. In restaurants it is usually made with cornstarch. At home, ground rice or a mixture of both is used. It is a special refinement to pour a little honey syrup over the top and to garnish it with a large amount of chopped nuts. It is very easy to make, but it needs attention and patience during the long stirring.

SERVES 6 2 tablespoons cornstarch cup ground rice4 cups milk cup sugar, or more to taste 1 tablespoon orange blossom water (see page 6)1 tablespoons rose water (see page 7)3 tablespoons clear honey1/3 cup blanched almonds, coa.r.s.ely chopped1/3 cup pistachio nuts, coa.r.s.ely chopped Mix the cornstarch and ground rice with about cup cold milk and beat well, making sure that you break up any small lumps. Bring the rest of the milk to the boil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan. Add the cornstarch and ground rice mixture, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Keep over low heat, and stir constantly, until you feel a slight resistance. Continue to cook gently over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cream thickens further, stirring occasionally. Be very careful not to sc.r.a.pe the bottom of the pan; the cream burns slightly at the bottom, and if it is sc.r.a.ped it will give a burnt taste to the pudding. Add the sugar toward the end.

Stir in the orange blossom water and 1 tablespoon rose water, and cook a few moments more. Let the cream cool a little before pouring into a gla.s.s serving bowl. Let it cool, then chill in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.

When the pudding is cold, prepare a honey syrup in a small pan by bringing to the boil the honey with about cup water. Stir well and add the remaining tablespoon of rose water. Let it cool and pour over the cold, firmed cream; it will seep in a little.