Oren, page 8
Serves 2 as a starter (appetiser)
2 mackerel (about 350 g/12 oz each once butterflied)
25 g (1 oz) mint leaves, picked
25 g (1 oz) chervil leaves, picked
25 g (1 oz) flat-leaf parsley leaves, picked
25 g (1 oz) picked dill fronds
25 g (1 oz) Preserved Lemon, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat a charcoal grill to a high heat.
Cut off all the heads. Using a paring knife, cut a split of about 1 cm (½ in) in the belly of each mackerel and remove the insides while holding the mackerel under cold running water. Put both your thumbs into the now-cleaned belly and push down until you feel the spine with your thumbs and separate it from the flesh – repeat with the other mackerel. You will have butterflied the mackerel.
Place the mackerel skin-side down on the hot grill and cook for 4 minutes, then flip the mackerel and grill the other side for 2 minutes. When ready, transfer to a plate. Toss the herbs with preserved lemon in a bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Place the herb and lemon mix on top of the mackerel and enjoy.
BARBECUED LANGOUSTINES WITH BUTTER AND FRESH OREGANO
This is one of those recipes where a charcoal grill really is essential. When in season, langoustines are so sweet and delicious that you could enjoy them with just a drizzle of olive oil, but this seasoned butter, with lemon, garlic, pul biber and fresh oregano takes it to the next level.
Serves 4 as a starter (appetiser)
4 large live langoustines
For the seasoned butter
100 g (3½ oz) good-quality unsalted butter
15 g (½ oz) picked oregano leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sweet pul biber (or dried chilli flakes)
Preheat a charcoal grill to a high heat.
To make the seasoned butter, put all the butter ingredients in a small saucepan and heat for 3–4 minutes to infuse the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside.
The easiest way to kill and cut the langoustine is to get a sharp kitchen knife and pierce the top of its head and pull the knife straight down onto its body. Remove the intestinal tract by scraping it with the back of a spoon. Cut right through the shell without completely cutting through to the other side, so you can open and butterfly the langoustine. Grill over hot coals, shell-side down, for about 4 minutes. Flip the langoustines onto its flesh and cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove the langoustines from the grill and transfer to a plate. Spoon over a couple of spoons of the seasoned butter and serve immediately.
MONKFISH IN LIBYAN CHRAIME SAUCE
Spicy chraime sauce is a Libyan recipe that pairs perfectly with fish. It is usually served with larger fish, sliced into steaks on the bone as we’ve done here, as the gelatine in the bones further enriches the sauce. However, this isn’t essential, and the sauce is also delicious with fillets if that’s your preference. Here, I’ve given the same method we use in the restaurant: we grill the monkfish over charcoal and then serve it with the sauce, so that the smokiness of the fish imparts another layer of flavour. If you don’t have a charcoal grill, though, you can simply poach the fish in the sauce for 8–10 minutes, or until it’s pretty much falling off the bone, without grilling it first. It will still taste fantastic.
Serves 2
2 x 200 g (7 oz) monkfish steaks (on the bone)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Challah, to serve (optional)
For the chraime sauce
(makes about 450 ml/15 fl oz/
scant 2 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4–5 garlic cloves, crushed (½ teaspoon once crushed)
100 g (3½ oz) tomato purée (paste)
pinch of hot chilli powder
10 g sweet paprika
5 g (¼ oz) ground cumin
10 g ground caraway seeds
pinch of sea salt
350 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups) water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
To make the chraime sauce, heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add tomato purée. Stir and cook for a further 3 minutes, then add all the spices and the salt while constantly stirring. Add the water, stir with a whisk, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the lemon juice and remove from the heat.
Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a griddle pan over a high heat.
Season the monkfish steaks with salt and pepper. Grill the monkfish steaks for 4 minutes on each side, or until it flakes off the bone when touched. Reheat the chraime sauce. Place the fish in deep plates and pour the sauce over the fish. Serve with challah, if you would like.
SPICED CHOPPED POLLOCK SALAD WITH SILKY TOMATOES
This is a bold chopped salad with robust flavours, and with the toasted pine nuts, fresh green herbs and silky-smooth tomatoes, plus that all-important crispy fish skin, it’s a real textural feast. You can use pretty much any skin-on white fish, as long as it’s really fresh. It’s hearty but not heavy.
Serves 4
4 tablespoons olive oil
250 g (9 oz) pollock fillet (skin on)
sea salt
150 g (5½ oz) cucumber, finely diced
25 g (1 oz) shallot, diced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
50 g (1¾ oz) pine nuts, toasted
30 g (1 oz) coriander (cilantro) leaves, picked
1 tablespoon lemon juice
25 g (1 oz) Slow-roast Tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper
For the silky tomatoes
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
To prepare the silky tomatoes, cut the tomatoes into large chunks and blend in a blender with the olive oil until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside. Season with salt to taste.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Season the fish with salt on both sides. Cook the fish skin-side down for 4–5 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Flip to the other side and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Chop the pollock, with the skin on, into 2 cm (¾ in) squares and add to the bowl. Mix gently with a spoon. Put a couple of tablespoons of the silky tomatoes on a plate and pile the pollock mixture on top. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
GRILLED SQUID STUFFED WITH SPICED LAMB SAUSAGE
I hadn’t cooked this dish for a while, then my friend Roni reminded me of it when I was gathering recipes for this book, as it’s one of her favourites. The squid provides a fresh contrast to the spiced lamb mix with a subtle hint of the sea. Caraway seeds have an earthy flavour that goes perfectly with the meat. This is a very interesting and rewarding way of cooking squid, and I’ve been preparing it like this for 20 years.
Serves 4
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) whole squid (cleaned, and keep the tenacles)
vegetable oil, for brushing
sea salt
Classic Tahini or shop-bought, to serve
For the spiced lamb
sausage stuffing
150 g (5½ oz) stale sourdough
200 ml (7 fl oz) milk
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) lamb
15 g (½ oz) sweet paprika
12 g (½ oz) caraway seeds, finely ground
¼ teaspoon hot chilli powder
4 garlic, crushed
50 g (1¾ oz) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
8 g (¼ oz) sea salt
First, in a bowl, soak the sourdough in the milk for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).
Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread then add the remaining stuffing ingredients to the bowl and mix until well incorporated. Pan-fry a small quantity of the mixture to check the seasoning. If the seasoning is right, fill the squid tubes with the stuffing mixture until they are three-quarters full.
Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a griddle pan (skillet) over a high heat. If using a griddle pan, then brush it with a little olive oil.
Season the stuffed squid with a little of salt on the outside, then grill for 3–4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking tray, then finish cooking in the oven for 6 minutes. To serve, slice the squid and arrange on top of some tahini.
I’ve always been drawn to the more economical cuts of meat; the flavour and cooking process is much more rewarding. Ox cheek, onglet and lamb sweetbreads are perennially popular on the menu, and I love finding new ways to cook them to get the most flavour.
Lamb is more common where I come from, so a lot of my early cooking included it. Street food in Tel Aviv often uses lamb, as the terrain of the country is really suited to sheep, so they are reared in abundance.
This chapter, though, highlights the influences I’ve picked up from my early days in the kitchen to present day; you’ll find everything from street food-inspired kebabs and grilled meats to my twist on tartare and cuts that are more commonly associated with British cooking.
LAMB AND BEEF MINCE KEBABS WITH BURNT AUBERGINE
Here I’m using a mix of lamb and beef for a more subtly flavoured kebab, allowing the other flavours that are present to shine through. The burnt aubergine (eggplant) is completely incorporated into the meat mixture – you might not even be able to see it – but the smoky flavours are there. Because the kebabs can be fragile, letting them rest in the refrigerator before cooking will help them firm up and hold together. You might be surprised by the difference the aubergine makes here – it really adds an incredible flavour.
Makes about 10
1 medium aubergine (eggplants)
350 g (12 oz) coarsely minced (ground) beef
150 g (5½ oz) coarsely minced (ground) lamb
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Classic Tahini or shop-bought
Chopped Salad
steamed basmati rice
Burn the aubergine over an open flame (either directly on the hob or on a barbecue) on all sides until the aubergine is completely scorched on the outside and soft on the inside. This process takes about 10 minutes. Transfer the aubergines to a tray to cool slightly until you can handle them (the aubergines shouldn’t cool down completely as then they’ll be harder to peel). Peel off the charred skin, cut off the stems and place into a sieve until most of the liquid has drained away. Then chop into large chunks.
Place the aubergine in a bowl with the minced beef and lamb, and the garlic, season with salt and pepper and mix until combined, then form cylinder-shaped kebabs (about 50–60 g/1¾–2¼ oz each). Place the kebabs on a tray and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours until they become firm.
Remove the kebabs from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. They are best cooked over a hot charcoal grill but can also be cooked in a hot griddle pan (skillet). Cook for 4–5 minutes, turning a couple of times, until they are browned on the outside and hot through, but still pink in the middle. Serve with tahini, chopped salad and steamed basmati rice.
SLOW-ROAST LEG OF LAMB, SHAWARMA STYLE
I think this dish will please any meat-lover. In Israel, traditional shawarma is cooked on a spit, but here we’ve taken the shawarma seasoning and used it as a dry rub before the meat is slowly braised until it’s falling apart. This makes a great roast and is perfect to serve as a centrepiece at a family meal along with salads, sides and sauces, where everyone can dig in and assemble their own pitas.
Serves 4–6
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 whole bone-in leg of lamb (2–2.5 kg/4 lb 8 oz–5 lb 8 oz)
1 whole head of garlic, cut in half
4 bay leaves
pitas, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).
Mix all the spices and salt and pepper in a small bowl, then rub the mixture all over the lamb (using all of the spice mix). Place the lamb in a deep roasting tray (pan) with the garlic and the bay leaves and add enough water to come up to a third of the lamb leg. Cut lengths of baking parchment and aluminium foil large enough to cover the tray and seal tightly. Cook in the oven for 3–4 hours, or until the meat is falls easily off the bone. When the lamb is ready, take the tray out of the oven. As the meat will be very hot, use plastic gloves to take the meat off the bone and place on a serving platter. Keep the cooking juices and drizzle some of them on top of the meat. Serve with some pitas.
LAMB TARTARE WITH PICKLED CUCUMBERS AND AMBA
This is an unusual spin on a very classic dish: a tartare made with lamb instead of beef. The egg yolk you might usually expect to see in a tartare is missing: instead, the amba works as the binding agent, while also adding a lot of flavour. I recently started serving this with a grilled pita in the restaurant and it’s had a great response. The pickled cucumber is a vital component, cutting through the rich meat and adding to the complexity of the dish.
Serves 4–6
200 g (7 oz) lamb rump or lamb leg, trimmed of excess fat and tough connective tissue
30 g (1 oz) Pickled Cucumbers, finely chopped
1 small shallot, diced
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
½ teaspoon Aleppo chilli flakes
2 teaspoon amba
2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
2 toasted pitas, halved
Za’atar, for sprinkling
Cut the trimmed lamb into thin strips and then into small cubes about 2.5 mm (1/16 in) in size. Place in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and serve with toasted pita sprinkled with za’atar.
LAMB SHANKS WITH FREEKEH
This is a special occasion dish to make at home, perfect for a dinner party or a special meal. Using freekeh makes it even more special. This roasted green wheat works well with anything that has juices or a sauce, as it soaks them all up while adding its own delicious, smoky flavours. Try not to overcook the freekeh. It’s a very forgiving grain, unlike rice, and it won’t go mushy if you do overcook it, but it is nicer with a little bite.
Serves 4
For the shanks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 lamb shanks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions, cut into large chunks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 leek, cut into large chunks
5 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
½ garlic head
1 tablespoon tomato purée (paste)
4 tomatoes, chopped (or 400 g/14 oz tin of chopped tomatoes)
10 thyme sprigs
For the freekeh
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) freekeh wheat, rinsed
2 garlic cloves
5 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
25 g (1 oz) flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
25 g (1 oz) coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
30 g (1 oz) spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
25 ml (¾ fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
First, brown the lamb shanks. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a high heat, add the lamb shanks and brown on all sides for about 8 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper and set aside. Add the vegetables, along with the garlic head, to the pan you browned the shanks in and cook for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Add the tomato purée to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes, then tip in the tomatoes and return the lamb shanks to the pan. Add the thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cover with enough water to come up to about three-quarters of the lamb shanks. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 2–2½ hours or until the meat is tender. If you prefer, you can cook the lamb shanks in an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F/gas 4) in a roasting tray (pan) for 3 hours – just make sure the lamb is submerged in liquid, and tightly cover the roasting tray with a double layer of aluminium foil.
To cook the freekeh, place the freekeh in a deep pot. Add the garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Add enough water to sit 5 cm (2 in) above the freekeh, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the freekeh is tender to bite (do not overcook the freekeh as it will become starchy). When the freekeh is ready, drain it and transfer it to a bowl. Add the chopped herbs, chopped spring onions, olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve the lamb shanks on top of the freekeh, with some of the lamb cooking liquid.
GRILLED BARNSLEY CHOP WITH YOGHURT AND ZHOUG
