Lebanon's mezze culture runs all the way through: small plates, generous oils, abundant herbs. Hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, fattoush, kibbeh, sambousek and kafta share the table; man'oushe (za'atar flatbread) starts the day; mahalabia and baklava end it. Olive oil, lemon, garlic, parsley, mint and the seven-spice blend (allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, fenugreek) shape the kitchen; charcoal grilling, slow simmers and patient meze building define the table.
Mince combines with grated onion, very-finely chopped parsley, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, salt and a pinch of cayenne. The mixture rests for 30 minutes to firm up. Wet hands shape portions around flat metal skewers into long sausage-like cylinders pressed firmly so they don't drop. Grilled hot, turned once, 4-5 minutes per side. Sliced or pulled off the skewers; wrapped in warm bread with the trimmings.
Fine bulgur soaks until soft. The shell mixture combines bulgur, raw minced lamb, finely-grated onion, salt and spices, then blitzes (or pounds) into a dense, smooth, almost claylike paste. The filling is a separate cooked mince of lamb, onion, pine nuts, allspice and cinnamon. Each kibbeh shell is shaped over a finger; filling stuffs in; the lot pinches closed into a pointed oval. Deep-fries for 5 minutes.
Lebanese kofta, sometimes spelled kafta, is minced lamb (often with a little beef) seasoned with grated onion, parsley and the warm spice blend known variously as baharat, sabaa baharat or seven-spice: allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cumin and coriander. Traditionally it is moulded around flat metal skewers and grilled over charcoal at a mangal, where it sears fast and stays juicy. Shaping the same mince into a patty for a flatbread sandwich is a natural extension and one you will find in Beirut bakeries and Levantine takeaways from Sydney to Detroit. What makes this burger taste authentic and not just a "Middle-Eastern-spiced lamb burger" is the grated onion: pulled across a box grater so it dissolves into the mince and seasons every gram from the inside, releasing moisture as it cooks. Squeezing out the excess liquid first keeps the patty from falling apart. The sauce is a loosened tahini-yoghurt, tart with lemon and garlic, and the contrast comes from sumac-dusted onions whose sharp, almost berry-like sourness cuts through the lamb's richness. Wrap it in toasted khobz or a soft brioche, depending on the occasion. Difficulty is low. The only skill is restraint with the mince: knead just enough to bind, no more.
Cornflour mixes with cold milk to a slurry; the rest of the milk warms with cream and sugar; the slurry pours in and the mixture thickens to a thin custard in 4-5 minutes. Off the heat, rosewater and orange blossom water perfume; the lot pours into glasses. Cold; topped at the table with sugar syrup and pistachios.
A whole chicken poaches with onion, cinnamon, cardamom and bay 45 minutes; chicken comes out, stock is strained. Mince (lamb or beef) browns hard with onion, baharat, cinnamon and allspice. Basmati rice toasts in ghee with the mince, then cooks absorption-style in the chicken stock for 18 minutes. Plated with the rice on the bottom, the mince mixed through, shredded poached chicken on top, and toasted pine nuts, almonds and raisins scattered over.
Vine leaves blanch briefly to soften; veins are trimmed. A filling of short-grain rice, lamb mince, finely chopped tomato, parsley, mint, allspice, cinnamon, salt, pepper and olive oil mixes raw. Each leaf rolls around a teaspoon of filling into a 7 cm cylinder. Packed tight in a wide pot lined with sliced potato and lamb bones, weighted with a plate, cooked in a lemon-and-stock liquid for 75 minutes on the lowest heat. Inverted onto a platter at the end.
