Oren, page 2
Serves 6 as starters (appetisers)
2 aubergines (eggplant), cut into 2 cm (¾ in)-thick slices
sea salt
500 ml (17 fl oz) vegetable oil, for frying
100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) red wine vinegar
1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and cut into 5 cm (2 in) batons
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 mild red chilli, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper
20 g (¾ oz) spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
Lay the slices of aubergine on a flat tray, spread out in a single layer. Sprinkle with some salt and leave for 20 minutes until the aubergine have released some of their liquid. Wipe off the excess liquid.
Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan over a medium-high heat until it reaches 180°C (360°F). Fry the aubergine slices in the oil, one small batch at the time (to avoid the oil cooling down too much) for about 3 minutes on each side (use tongs to flip them) until brown. Drain on paper towel.
Place the aubergines in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the vinegar and add the pepper, garlic and chilli. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well with your hands. Serve at room temperature with sliced spring onions sprinkled on top. The dish will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
BURNT CHILLI HARISSA WITH GARLIC AND OLIVE OIL
This is my version of a traditional harissa, which is usually made with dried chillies ground to a paste with oil and garlic. We’ve been making it in the restaurant since we opened. There are no extra spices added – it’s just charred fresh chillies, garlic and oil. It makes a great condiment that works with so many of the dishes in this book, adding a kick and a touch of smokiness that is really special.
Makes 300 g (10½ oz)
300 g (10½ oz) mild red chillies
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Burn the chillies over an open flame (either on the hob or on a barbecue) for roughly 4–5 minutes, turning them until the skin has blackened all over. Set aside to cool and peel once they are cool enough to handle. Cut off the stem and finely chop the chillies. Mix the chillies in a bowl with the chopped garlic, oil and salt. The harissa will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Filled pitas are, of course, a classic food in Israel. A few of the recipes in this chapter are traditionally associated with street food, such as falafel and sabich, but others are my own interpretation of dishes that just lend themselves perfectly to being stuffed into bread; the pita absorbs the juices from the food and becomes saturated with flavour.
As a kid, I used to love eating chargrilled pork neck in pita with hummus – the restaurant would cut the outer meat and continue to grill the remaining meat on the bone once they’d served the pita, then they would bring it out to you halfway through to eat the remaining meat from it.
Source the freshest, fluffiest pita you can, as it will make all the difference.
FALAFEL, TAHINI AND SALAD
A classic street food and perhaps the most ubiquitous of filled pitas. I developed this recipe when I was consulting on the deli offering of a popular food store in London; a good falafel is crunchy on the outside and very soft on the inside. It has a certain density but should still have a lightness to it – it just has so much texture in one bite. Falafel is one of the first things I eat when I go home.
Makes 2
2 pitas
300 g (10½ oz) Green Falafel
6 tablespoons Chopped Salad
6 tablespoons Classic Tahini or shop-bought
Make the falafel according to the recipe. Make a slit in the top of the pitas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Layer the pitas with some falafel balls, chopped salad and tahini and repeat until the pitas are full. Enjoy.
SABICH
This has been a staple street food in Israel since the 1960s, when it was made popular by Iraqi Jewish immigrants. There are big debates on the origin of this dish, and many iterations and interpretations. One such thought is that sabich originates from the word ‘subeh’, which means ‘morning’ in Arabic – it was something that you’d usually eat at the beginning of the day, often serving it with eggs and other breakfast items, but someone had the idea of serving it in a pita – and the rest is history.
Serves 2
2 eggs
1 large aubergine (eggplant), skin removed and cut in half widthwise, then cut into 1 cm (½ in)-thick slices
sea salt
about 500 ml (17 fl oz) vegetable oil
2 pitas
6 tablespoons Classic Tahini or shop-bought
6 tablespoons Chopped Salad
2 tablespoons amba (see recipe introduction)
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Place the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, then bring to the boil and simmer for 8–10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the heat and cool under cold running water. Make sure the eggs are cooled down thoroughly otherwise you won’t be able to peel them easily.
Lay the slices of aubergine on a tray in a single layer, then sprinkle with fine sea salt. Let sit for 30 minutes until the slices have released some of their liquid. Pat the aubergine dry with paper towel.
Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat to 180°C (360°F), then fry the aubergine slices for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden brown. (The aubergine slices should fry in one layer, so you might need to fry them in batches.) Remove from the heat.
Now you can assemble the pita. Make a slit in the top of the pitas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Start with 2 tablespoons of tahini spread evenly inside. Slice the hard-boiled eggs and spread the slices out inside the pita. Follow with a couple of slices of aubergine and some salad and continue until the pita is full. Top with the remaining tahini and drizzle with amba. Finish with the chopped parsley.
GRILLED MACKEREL WITH TZATZIKI AND SPICY TOMATO SALAD
Mackerel works so well in a pita because it’s quite a fatty fish – you need to cook it skin-side down to get that lovely crispy skin, which creates a great textural contrast with the softness of the pita. Be sure to strain the tomatoes so your pita doesn’t go soggy.
Serves 2
olive oil, for frying
2 mackerel fillets, about 160 g (5½ oz) each (skin on)
4 tablespoons Tzatziki
2 pitas
For the spicy tomato salad
2 large tomatoes, diced and strained of excess water
¼ small red onion, finely chopped
1 small, mild red chilli, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and some stalks
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the spicy tomato salad, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Heat a little olive oil a heavy frying pan (skillet) over a high heat, add the mackerel skin side down and fry for 3–4 minutes until the skin is crisp. Flip the fillets over and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.
Make a slit in the top of the pitas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Spread 2 tablespoons of tzatziki evenly inside each pita. Cut each fillet in half and place in the pita and add the spicy tomato salad.
GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH PILPELCHUMA, TAHINI AND WATERCRESS
This is truly delicious, offering such a great combination of flavours. In this recipe I use chicken thighs rather than breast, as they’re much juicier and have more flavour. Try to get that skin good and crispy: cook them skin-side down to begin with, then flip over just to finish. The spicy pilpelchuma works perfectly with the chicken, and is nicely finished with the peppery watercress and rich tahini.
Serves 2
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 chicken thigh, deboned with skin on
2 tablespoons Pilpelchuma
2 pitas
2 handfuls of watercress
a squeeze of lemon juice
6 tablespoons Classic Tahini or shop-bought
Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan (skillet) and cook the chicken thighs skin-side down for 3–5 minutes, until golden brown and the skin is crisp. Turn and cook for a further 3–5 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
Make a slit in the top of the pitas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Spread the pipelchuma evenly inside the pita pockets. Insert the chicken thighs. Season the watercress with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper, and stuff it inside the pita. Pour 3 tablespoons of tahini into each pita and serve.
LAMB AND BEEF ARAYES
This is a real eat-with-your-hands dish. The stuffed pita is usually cooked over charcoal, and you still get the absorbent effect of the pita – the bread inside soaks up all the meaty flavour and the outside is charred, smoky and crisp.
Serves 2–4 as a starter
2 pitas
150 g (5½ oz) minced (ground) beef
100 g (3½ oz) minced (ground) lamb
½ white onion, diced
25 g (1 oz) parsley, leaves, finely chopped
25 g (1 oz) coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon sea salt
50 g (1¾ oz) lamb fat, melted
Classic Tahini or shop-bought, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).
Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat a griddle pan over a medium heat.
Make a slit in the top of the pitas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Don’t make the hole bigger as the recipe won’t work. Mix all the ingredients (except the lamb fat and tahini) together in a bowl with your hands until well incorporated. Fill up the pitas with the mixture and, when full, press on the pitas to flatten them. Brush with lamb fat on both sides and grill over charcoal or fry on the hot griddle pan for about 5 minutes on each side, then place in the oven for 6–8 minutes. Remove the pita from the oven and cut into quarters. Serve with tahini on the side.
PULLED LAMB SHAWARMA WITH TAHINI AND YOGHURT DRESSING AND HERB SALAD
This is such a great way to use the soft and juicy Slow-roast Leg of Lamb, Shawarma Style: you can just tuck it into a pita with a fragrant salad and dressing and enjoy. Here, the tahini and Greek yoghurt works really well together and add to the already robust flavour of the lamb, while the herb salad brings a hit of freshness.
Serves 2
100 g (3½ oz) Classic Tahini (or shop-bought)
100 g (3½ oz) Greek yoghurt
2 pitas
300 g (10½ oz) Slow-roast Leg of Lamb, Shawarma Style
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the herb salad
5 g (¼ oz) picked coriander (cilantro) leaves
5 g (¼ oz) flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 g mint
½ small red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
To make the herb salad, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Reheat the pulled lamb shawarma in a saucepan over a medium heat until heated through.
Mix the tahini and yoghurt together in a bowl to make the dressing.
Make a slit in the top of the pitas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Fill the pitas with the warmed lamb shawarma, tahini yoghurt dressing and the herb salad.
JERUSALEM MIX GRILL WITH TAHINI AND AMBA
Although it’s not as common as something like falafel, this kind of mixed grill is a street-food staple in the Machne Yehuda market in Jerusalem. The traditional dish would usually be made with chicken hearts, liver and spleen; spleen isn’t really available in the UK, so I’ve left it out and opted for duck hearts, which are plumper and have a gamier flavour that adds depth to the dish. Before opening Oren, I made this for a while at pop-ups and residencies, and it’s now become a permanent fixture on the restaurant menu as it’s so popular. Amba is a fermented mango condiment spiced with fenugreek, turmeric and chilli. It originated in Iraq and was brought to Israel by Jewish Iraqis. You can find it online or in specialist stores. You only need a little, as it can be overpowering.
Serves 4
200 g (7 oz) boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 cm (½ in) cubes
200 g (7 oz) duck (or chicken) hearts, halved and excess fat and blood removed
100 g (3½ oz) chicken liver, cleaned, trimmed to remove connective tissues and cut into 1 cm (½ in) cubes
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2½ teaspoons ground cumin
vegetable oil, for frying
2 medium onions, cut into 2 mm (1/16 in)-thick slices
sea salt
To serve
4 pita breads
12 tablespoons Classic Tahini or shop-bought
4 tablespoons amba
Combine all the meat and offal in a mixing bowl, add the ground spices and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
Take the meat out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before cooking. Heat a cast-iron flat griddle pan (skillet) over a high heat until it smokes, then add a drizzle of vegetable oil followed by the sliced onions. Cook the onions for 3–5 minutes until golden brown, transfer to a plate and heat the pan again until smoking. Add some oil, followed by some of the meat and offal, and spread it out evenly (do not try to cook all the meat at once – it is essential that meat is cooked evenly in a single layer). Cook the meat for 6–7 minutes until the chicken thigh is no longer pink and all the meat is cooked through. Season with salt and then add the onions.
Cut open the edge of a pita to create a pocket, fill with 2 tablespoons of tahini and fill with some of the meats. Add another tablespoon of the tahini on top and a tablespoon of the amba. Eat immediately, preferably standing.
Tahini is so much a part of the way I cook and eat. Whether it’s drizzled on salads, meats or vegetable dishes, or generously scooped into pieces of warm pita, to me there aren’t many things that aren’t improved by it. I can eat it by the spoonful, and everyone in the kitchen at Oren from the head chef to the kitchen porter is addicted too.
Good tahini is sweet, with a mellow roast on the sesame seeds; we use Har Bracha tahini, which comes from a village called Nablus that is known for making one of the best tahinis. It’s stoneground in small batches by a local Samaritan family who have dedicated themselves to making the best tahini possible. If you can source tahini from the town of Nablus, then you know you’re getting great stuff.
CLASSIC TAHINI
You don’t want to hide the tahini under too much garlic, lemon or salt. Sometimes I don’t even add salt because it isn’t needed. Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Some people add much more lemon and garlic to their tahini than I do, but I think that’s because they’re using an inferior brand. If you have a good-quality tahini, you barely need to add anything. It should be delicious as it is.
Makes about 450 g (1 lb)
240g (8½ oz) tahini, shop-bought
about 200 ml (7 fl oz/⅔ cups) cold water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ garlic clove, crushed
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Put the tahini into a mixing bowl and start adding the cold water, a third at a time, while mixing with a whisk or spoon. When it has a smooth creamy consistency, add the lemon juice, garlic and salt. The tahini sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, but starts to lose depth of flavour after a day, so always make it fresh.
HUMMUS
Don’t be tempted to cut corners here – it’s worth it to follow every step, just as I’ve laid out. You might think using tinned chickpeas (garbanzos) is quicker, but you won’t get the same result. Try to choose smaller chickpeas if you can; they are more suitable for hummus and give a creamier finish. You really do need a food processor for this one, and it will be working hard.
Makes about 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz)
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) dried chickpeas (garbanzos), soaked in plenty of water for 24 hours
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
75 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) lemon juice
200 g (7 oz) Classic Tahini or shop-bought
Rinse the chickpeas for a few minutes, then drain and place in a stockpot with enough water to cover. Add the bicarbonate of soda, bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the chickpeas are soft enough to yield easily when pinched. Drain, saving 125 ml (4¼ fl oz/generous ½ cup) of the cooking liquid. Leave the chickpeas to cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and blitz for 3–4 minutes. Add the cooking liquid and blitz for a further 2 minutes. Add the salt, lemon juice and tahini and blitz for another 2 minutes. Store in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3 days.
