One of the first thing that grabbed my attention was the Lamb Sambousek.  According to LeClerc, Sambousek were discovered during the Crusades, and are supposed to have “later inspired the development of meat pies and Cornish pasties in Britain”. Whilst commonly deep-fried, LeClerc recommends oven-baking the Sambousek to avoid making the pastry so heavy.  I wholeheartedly agree – I’m not really into overly-fatty pastries, and I think that the oven-baked pastry really allows the filling to shine.

This was my first try at pastry crimping, too, so you mightn’t be surprised to learn that my first few Sambousek were a little wonky-looking! All in all, though, I really enjoyed cooking these little parcels of savoury goodness. The recipe didn’t specify the yoghurt dressing, but after the first batch came out of the oven, we really thought that a cool, flavoursome yoghurt would contrast nicely with the cinnamon-sweetened lamb and the texture of the pine nuts.  It was a perfect addition, and we enjoyed the Sambousek with tall glasses of iced cranberry juice – hopefully we’ll get to enjoy them with a glass of Middle Eastern Lemonade next time around.

Lamb Sambousek

Pastry

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup cold water
• extra flour for kneading and rolling
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water (to seal pastries)
• (Sunflower oil for deep-frying, if you prefer)

1. Sift flower and salt into a bowl. Add just enough water to form an elastic dough, mixing the dough with a knife.
2. Remove from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth.  Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest.
   NB: if you wanted to save some time, you could easily alternate pastry for pre-made shortcrust pastry sheets

Lamb Filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 375g lean lamb mince
• 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• Juice of 1 lemon

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, and cook onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until onion is softened and golden brown. Add lamb mince and cook until browned, breaking up the mince as it cooks.  Drain off any excess fat.
2. Add pine nuts, mint, spices and lemon juice and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cool mixture before using to fill pastry parcels.

To assemble Sambousek

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 3mm thick. Use a pastry-cutter to cut out 9cm circles.
2. Place a tablespoonful of lamb filling in the centre of each.  Dampen edges with the egg mixture, and fold the pastry in half, covering the filling to form a crescent shape.  Press edges together with your fingers to seal, and then crimp edges with a fork, or by making tight, overlapping folds.
3. To deep fry: Heat oil to 170°C or test temperature by adding a crust of bread – if it bubbles and gently turns golden brown the oil is the correct temperature.  Cook pastries in batches of 4 or 5 at a time, until golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
4. To bake: Line baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Preheat oven to 200°C and bake pastries for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  You can brush the pastry with egg first, if you want a nice glossy finish.
5. Serve with Mint & Garlic Yoghurt, and dress with sprigs of mint.

Mint & Garlic Yoghurt

Combine 1/4 cup freshly chopped mint, 1 clove finely chopped garlic, and 1 cup natural greek yoghurt.

(Makes 24)

Ingredients 

2 Roma Tomatoes, seeds removed, diced

1/2 red capsicum, diced

15cm cucumber, seeds removed, diced

1/4 red onion, finely diced

handful green beans, chopped, blanched and cooled

bunch asparagus, chopped, blanched and cooled

1 tsp black mustard seeds -

pinch crushed cummin seeds,

pinch coriander powder

Squirt Lemon juice

Orange flavoured olive oil

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method

Mix all together and serve with lebanese bread, felafel and yoghourt.

My old housemate, “Uncle” Darren, got me into Kamiil’s Kebabs several years ago, when he dragged me kicking and screaming at about 500m up Brunswick St at 1am, much to my protestations that we visit the more generic kebab store right near our apartment. “Kebabs are all the same grease, no matter where you go!” But as usual, Uncle Darren was right, and I was wrong, and Kamiil’s was in fact very good kebab.

Now I’m not going to be audacious enough to claim that a Kamiil’s Kebab will change your life.  All I’m saying is that as far as a bunch of meat, sauce and salads wrapped in pita goes, this stuff is good. Kamiil’s is just a whole lot fresher, and a lot less greasy, than your usual junky kebab shop.  Their wares are assembled with care, and you’re not left with kebab goo dripping out the bottom of the packaging, only to gum up your hands – not to mention the upholstery of your car.  

I had a chicken kebab, with yoghurt garlic sauce and tomato sauce (the favourite combo of the charming young man who served me), tabbouleh, salad and cheese (oh I love the cheese… please don’t judge me). The price range is fairly standard (coming in at around $8 each), but treat yourself to the extras: the Turkish Delight is amazingly soft and tender (I’m constantly surprised by how much tough, flavourless Turkish Delight there is in the world) with a container of 8 huge pieces only $5; and the baklava (handmade on premises) which is so sensationally crisp and sweet, is only a measley $3, and boy oh boy is it ever good. Like the “oh-I-was-watching-Glee-and-all-of-a-sudden-my-plate-was-clean” kinda good. I may or may not have lapped up the pistachio and honey dregs as well.  Just between you and me. 

So why the Fellowship of the Kebab? Because Kamiil’s is a bit of an institution to those in Brisbane who know of it. Each time I’m there, I’m always meeting people who’ve heard about it from someone, or go want to go that extra distance to get their fix.  At one of my more recent visits, I met a mother of 6 who uses it as her backup plan for her army of boys when she’s rushed for dinner, because it satisfies all her main criteria: healthy, tasty, filling and cheap. 

Kamiil’s: make the pilgrimage. 

Kamiil’s Kebabs
Shop 5, 660 Brunswick St
New Farm QLD 4005

For this bi-monthly theme, once we had decided on Middle Eastern food, I immediately started putting feelers out trying to find some tasty authentic recipes. I am very lucky to work with a bunch of great people of different nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. Lunch time at my workplace we quite often start talking about the foods we enjoy. So, it comes as no surprise to me that this recipe was passed onto me by a fellow at work. The surprise was that it originates from a Jaime Oliver recipe book. It didn’t matter where it originated from – it tasted fantastic! This recipe has been tweaked a bit – I can’t break my own tradition of course!

My workmate makes it quite often, and uses lamb shanks instead of the neck fillets stated in the original recipe. I tried to find fillets, but ended up with 2 lambs necks with the vertebrae inside. I was a little put off and not impressed until after I stewed it for a couple of hours, and cut the flesh from the bones, it was sweet and tender. And at only $5 for 2 lambs necks – it fed 6 serves – It was damn good value! There is more meat on one neck than a large shank, the meat is sweeter as the muscles in the neck are not used as much as the leg. And it’s half the price! I recommend it!

Marinade
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3-4 small dried chillies
• a small bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Crush everything up in a mortar and pestle.
2. Put half this mix in the bag with the lamb necks and massage around.
3. Put the other half in with the chopped vegetables, below.

• 2 whole lambs necks
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch dice
• 2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 8 Roma tomatoes, Cut in 1/4
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• a handful of dried apricots

1. Brown the lamb necks in a casserole dish on the stove top, then add the water and stock cube. Simmer for about 45 minutes.
2. Take the necks and stock out then brown all the vegetables for a few minutes.
3. Put all the ingredients above into the pot, including the necks and stock, and chuck in the oven (180 degrees) for about 1hour 15 minutes
4. Remove the necks from the stew and put onto a large plate (a quiche dish is perfect) With a small paring knife and a fork, cut the flesh away from the vertebrae in chunks. Throw the bones away (or make a stock?) and stir the meat back into the stew.

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup couscous
• a little wine vinegar
• Handful of fresh coriander
• Handful of fresh Mint
• Handful of fresh Parsley
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

1. Make the couscous by adding the boiling water, couscous and vinegar into a bowl and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork
2. Add the herbs to the stew and stir

Serve with yoghourt.

This recipe for Date and Walnut bread is from Saad Fayed and makes a delicious dense loaf that’s sure to please. I ate this warm from the oven with a cup of tea but it could be also be enjoyed toasted and spread with butter – which you can enjoy guilt-free since butter isn’t an ingredient in the recipe! Don’t be tricked into thinking this is dry because it’s a bread. The dates give the bread moisture in the centre whilst the outside is more firm with a slight crunch.

This was another easy recipe which could be made with ingredients that I already had on hand in my pantry. A great one to quickly prepare and put in the oven before guests arrive so that they’re greeted with the delicious caramel aroma of the cooking dates.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of dates, finely chopped
• 1 cup of walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 cup boiling water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175^oC
2. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or a little butter
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine dates and walnuts. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the date and nut mixture. Set aside while you prepare the dry ingredients
4. In another mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. With a wooden spoon mix in egg and vanilla extract
5. Add the dry ingredients to the date and nut mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon
6. Spoon into the loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour

Now tea is lovely but where can I get some sparkling date juice to wash this down!?

Gazing into a cake cabinet one Sunday afternoon at Oliver and Co at South Brisbane I spied a cake flavour that intrigued me. It was called Middle Eastern orange cake. Weeks later I stumbled across Claudia Roden’s recipe for  Middle Eastern Orange cake just in time for I ate Brisbane’s featured flavour. I really enjoyed making this cake!

This was so elegant in its simplicity with just four main ingredients. I loved watching the oranges bob around in the boiling water and enjoyed the sensation of halving them – it literally felt like a hot knife through butter!

And the taste oh the sweet, light, moist, dense taste! You’ll just have to make it to experience that for yourself! This is the perfect afternoon tea cake.

Ingredients

• 2 large oranges, washed
• 6 eggs
• 250g ground almonds
• 250g sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Recipe

1. Boil oranges in a little water in a covered saucepan for 2 hours. I used enough water to just about cover the oranges
2. Allow oranges to cool then cut them in half and scoop out the flesh. Chop the flesh roughly
3. Preheat the oven to 190^oC and prepare a springform tin (either butter and flour the tin or line with baking paper which I opted for)
4. Blend oranges and remaining ingredients in a food processor. For this step I used a Tupperware Quick Chef to finely chop the oranges and then used my KitchenAid to mix the ingredients thoroughly instead of using a food processor
5. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour. If the cake is still wet, cook for a little longer
6. Allow to cool in tin before gently turning out

It is with great pleasure that I say to you that I will NOT be boycotting Mecca Bah! Huzzah!

I went there a few weeks ago with a gaggle of girls for my sister’s birthday. The place is open and airy, but with a warm, sensual ambiance, using stylised Islamic motifs and geometric patterns to cover the floors and ceiling. Each chair is adorned with ornate cushions, and the table dressed with Moroccan tea glasses as votives.

We gathered in the outdoor area before being shown to our table – which was not reserved as they do not accept reservations, which I think is pretty cool – First in best dressed, and no “reserve sign” deserted tables!  We were given our menus and ample time to work out what to eat. The meal arrived shortly after, each dish looking as delectable as the next. This is when I usually get a bad case of Meal-Envy – I just want to try everything! Vine leaf wrapped fish fillets chargrilled with parsley, artichoke and olive salad ($22.50) was passed to the lady to my left, and Turkish Pizza with Spit roasted lamb, rocket, yoghurt & sumac ($19.80) to the lady on my right. I ordered the Garlic chicken kebab, mjaddarah (lentils and  rice), yoghurt sauce & tabouleh. ($21.50). It had a perfect balance of spices, the combination of chicken, rice and tabouleh complimented each other well. It was a light, but comfortably filling dish. I nabbed a piece of pizza crust from my sister, just to taste – it was a crunchy and light, perfectly risen dough.

After much deliberation over the dessert menu, I settled on Middle Eastern Halva Icecream and a Pistachio maa’moul. Halva is made with sesame seeds, the flavour was distinctive and texture creamy. It matched well with the maa’moul. This arrived in it’s own rice-paper packaging (obviously not baked in house, but that’s ok!) – a crumbly oval-shaped biscuit filled with nuts, flavoured with rose water, and dusted liberally with icing sugar. The icecreams are sold 3 scoops for $9, however, I asked for 1 scoop for $3 and they gladly sold that to me. To take home, I grabbed a couple of pieces of Turkish Delight. Mmmm.

Right at the end of the night, when there were only a few tables of people left, the kitchen and wait staff appeared and gathered around a table and ate together after their shift had ended. I suppose this is probably not a very ‘professional’ thing to see, but you could really tell that they were enjoying the meal they had prepared themselves. It was great to see that they liked it as much as we did.
Mecca Bah 19-21/1000 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
www.meccabah.com

So it was prudent, of course, that I commenced my foray into Middle Eastern cookery with a tip of the hat to them, and the skill and charm that they have shared with us over the last few years.  And what better way to do this than by whipping up Simon’s delicious Felafel with Yoghurt Sauce.

And boy what a way to start! This recipe was truly enjoyable – a long process that started at 9:20 this morning to my local nut shop to pick up the requisite chickpeas for soaking. It was surprising to check on them at midday prior to heading off to James St to see Balibo (which is a great film, by the way) to find that they had already swollen significantly – what a great process to witness, rather than getting them in a can! Regardless, when it came to cooking up the felafel at 3 o’clock this afternoon, my chickpeas weren’t sufficiently soft for ideal felafel texture. No harm done, though, as a quick boil for about 20 minutes or so had my lovely little chickpeas fat, soft and happy.

After straining and rinsing them, my kitchen compatriate, Nanda, and I engaged in the pleasant work of shelling the chickpeas over the sink – a little squeeze and they pop right out of their shells! I don’t think it’s a requirement that you shell the chickpeas, but according to another recipe I’ve read (for hummus) shelling the chickpeas gives a smoother consistency.

From there, it was just a matter of throwing all ingredients into a food processor (or in my case, a glorified blender) to get the chickpeas, onion and garlic combined to your liking, before throwing in all the dried spices followed by the fresh herbs.  One mistake here for me, though, was that I ought to have cut the onions into smaller pieces (although those of you with a decent food processor probably won’t find this such an issue), as this went on to limit the stickiness of my batter, and they didn’t hold together so well.

Simon’s recipe is definitely heavy on the herbs, and it gives these falafel a distinctly green appearance. I rather like the affect of this approach too.  From my exploration of Middle Eastern cookbooks thus far, it’s evident that coriander, mint and parsley are the herbal trinity of the region, and you’re likely to find one – if not all – in many recipes. The great thing about this is that the greens contrast so nicely with the browns of the meats, the golden yellows and browns of the pastries and the creamy colours of many of the dips, so you get lots of visually vibrant combinations.

Most enjoyable, though, is the Yoghurt sauce that goes with these falafel. Splendidly prepared by Nanda, the fresh, creamy yoghurt really lifts the texture of the falafel, and provides a beautiful contrast in temperature in your mouth. The lemon and garlic in this sauce provides a nice, acidic balance, too.  I used good quality greek yoghurt as well, which gave it all a beautiful consistency, and subtle sweetness.

The only thing I might change next time round is finer preparation of the onions, and perhaps a little olive oil to keep the falafel together better (they tended to break apart a little on cooking). And please don’t be scared off by the many ingredients, as they are very easy to make. All in all, these little morsels were a splendid and simple start to my Middle Eastern culinary adventures.

Ingredients

Falafel

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 5 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• sesame seeds to coat (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Veg Oil for frying
• yoghurt sauce to serve

Yoghurt Sauce

• 150g natural yoghurt
• 3 tablespoon tahini (we omitted the tahini, and it was fine without; woudl love to try it next time though!)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed with a little salt
• 1 lemon juice
• pepper to taste
• herbs to taste (mint, coriander and parsley)
• smoked paprika or sumac to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Place dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover and soak in a lot of cold water overnight. Drain (If you run out of time to do this, soak for as long as possible, then boil the chickpeas until they are soft but still firm – you don’t want them too mushy!).
2. Puree chickpeas in a blender, the degree of blend depending on your own preference. Add garlic, onion, chillies, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Fold through all fresh herbs.
3. Add just enough flour to get the mixture to come together into a ball, pulsing as you add each bit of flour until it is the right consistency. Pulse in the baking powder and check the seasoning, it may need more salt.
4. Trial one in the oil to see that it doesn’t fall apart (which will happen if there are cracks in the mixture), and that the oil is hot enough.
5. Form into balls about the size of a golf ball, and flatten into little discs. Coat in sesame seeds.
6. Fry in oil until golden brown and serve with Yogurt Sauce.

Yoghurt Sauce

• For the Yoghurt Sauce, whisk all ingredients together until smooth, and check for seasoning. Put into a small bowl, sprinkle with a little smoked paprika or sumac, and top with chopped herbs and a dribble of olive oil (you could easily prepare this in advance).

Makes approx 16 small felafel

Recipe from Simon Bryant, The Cook and The Chef Episode 26, 5 August 2009

Over September and October, we will be exploring all the depth and diversity that the Middle East has to offer us.  First, though, a bit of clarity: for the purposes of our theme, we will be working with food from Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon. This isn’t to say that we won’t include food we might find from other countries of the region, however, it’s good for us to start small, and delve into the culinary commonalities and differences of these countries without spreading ourselves too thinly!

But I digress – without any further geographically correct ado, let’s start conjuring up the richness of the Middle East!

What about spiced minced meats, wrapped lovingly in baked pastries? What do you say to the cool yoghurty dips contrasting with ever-so-tender grilled lamb, engulfed by simple greens and wedged between layers of pita? How about sweet, spiced teas in ornate glasses with tinkling silver spoons? And alongside them, crumbling layers of filo drenched in honey, nestling with pistachio-encrusted snacks? What about the bursting of pomegranate seeds when you pop them in your mouth?  And what of the baked fishes draped lovingly with parsley, mint and coriander, and served with olives and wedges of lemon? And, my dear readers, what say you of Turkish Delight?

If the idea of all these flavours has you salivating as much as me, stay tuned for the next two months, as we will explore the Middle East both in our own kitchens and the kitchens of Brisbane. Middle Eastern cooking is known for its spices, grains and breads, its celebration of coriander, parsely and mint, and the sonsory delight caused by the contrast of hot and cool foods in the same mouthful. It should be an enjoyable adventure!

PS: We have some great establishments popping up around the place that we’re excited to go forth and review, but we’d also love to hear from you about any Middle Eastern establishments you’d love us to explore – simply let us know in the comments, and we will endeavour to make our way there.

1 Carrot
1 Red Delicious Apple
15 or so Baby Spinach Leaves
Cumin Seeds
Lemon Juice
Pepper
3 sprigs of Mint

1. Julienne the carrot and apple and place in bowl, immediately toss with lemon juice
2. Chop spinach and Mint
3. Dry toast the cumin seeds in a frypan over medium heat until they become fragrant. Take off heat and crush in mortar and pestle, add about 1/3 teaspoon to salad
4. Mix to combine.