Levantine cooking from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Jordan: olive oil, lemon, garlic, parsley and the warming spices of cumin, coriander, allspice and sumac. Tahini, yogurt and pomegranate molasses cross from breakfast through dinner; chickpeas, lamb and wheat take centre stage. Mezze (the small-plates table), open-flame grilling, slow-cooked stuffed vegetables and hand-shaped breads anchor the table.
Boneless chicken thighs swim in a yogurt-spice marinade for at least 4 hours. They roast hard at high heat for char, then rest and slice thin. The standard accompaniments are toum (garlic sauce), pickled turnips, parsley and warm pita.
Two preparations: the bulgur-and-mince shell paste and the spiced cooked filling. The shell is shaped around a portion of filling into a football shape, then deep-fried until the outside is golden and the inside is hot and savoury. Served warm with yogurt or tahini.
Brown lentils boil until almost tender; long-grain rice and water join them along with cumin and a touch of cinnamon. While they finish cooking, sliced onions fry slow in olive oil until they're deep brown and crisp. The crisp onions and their dark oil go on top.
A pepper-and-onion sofrito is seasoned with cumin, paprika and chilli, then simmered down with chopped tomatoes into a thick sauce. Eggs are cracked into wells in the sauce, the pan is covered, and they poach gently in the steam until the whites are set and the yolks still runny.
