The Mediterranean doesn't stop at Sicily, writes Hugo Arnold
The hummus was as creamy as could be, and had been liquidised in front of me in a machine that had seen better days. Beside it, sprigs of mint lay alongside a bowl of pickles, mostly turnip and beetroot. Warm flat bread came neatly folded, its dense, doughy texture just waiting to be fashioned into spoons. I was in Beirut, eating lunch in the market at a stall almost totally devoted to hummus.
We are inclined to think of Mediterranean food as being Italian or Spanish, or at a pinch French. Yet at the other side of the Med there are charming culinary delights. Think spices - paprika, cumin, fenugreek, Ras el Hanout - along with buckets of parsley and peppery mint.
Vegetables get proper billing, with meat following closely behind but not generally eaten in huge quantities. Lamb is the principal meat used. These are lands of offal eaters, too; no right-minded southern Mediterranean cook is prepared to consider using anything less than the whole animal. Kidneys, dusted with spice and barbecued to a crusty finish, are served with garlic-laced yoghurt and flat bread.
Whether you are in Lebanon, Egypt or Morocco, the usual form is to eat vegetables before tucking into a piece of barbecued meat or fish - perfect food for these summer days.
I sat one night in a Lebanese cafe, deliberately ordering meze in groups of only one or two. The waiter thought it was bizarre, but I was determined to be able to savour each tiny dish without distraction. The meal started with olives, went on to falafal, a few salads, some pickles and then hummus. Then came stuffed vine leaves, pickled chillies and spiced lentils.
The idea of grazing seems great, until the food hits the table. I'm too much of a glutton to hold back and was once told by a Lebanese friend, "You have to talk more and eat less". She then slapped my wrist as I reached for another morsel. It took a lot of will-power to follow her advice. Traditionally, all along the south coast of the Mediterranean, meal times are about sociability and the chance to slow down, relax and talk.
RECIPES SERVE 4
POACHED LAMB, WILTED LITTLE GEM AND YOGHURT
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
8 neck of lamb chops
1 400g tin tomatoes
600ml light chicken stock
2 Little Gem lettuce, trimmed and quartered lengthways
6 tbsp full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a little salt
1 tbsp picked thyme
Gently saute the onions over a medium heat for 15 minutes, without colouring them. Add the rosemary and parsley, cumin and coriander. Coat in the oil for two minutes and then add the lamb, tomatoes and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 1.5 hours, or until tender. You can also cook this in the oven for the same time, at 180 degrees/gas four.
Add the Little Gem, cover and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the lettuce wilts. Combine the yoghurt, coriander and garlic. Spoon the lamb on to four plates and serve with a scoop of the yoghurt and a sprinkling of thyme.
BRAISED RUNNER BEANS WITH GARLIC, MINT AND PARSLEY
300g runner beans
half-a-head of garlic, cloves peeled
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 lemons
Top and tail the beans and cut into four-centimetre lengths. Rinse them briefly and combine in a saucepan with the garlic, olive oil and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Cover the pan, place over a low heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The beans should be soft, but not mushy. Remove from the heat, stir in the herbs, check the seasoning and serve with a lemon half, on grilled bread, or by itself.
GRILLED PLAICE, ROASTED RED PEPPER SALSA AND SAFFRON RICE
2 red peppers
1 chilli (or to taste), finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp capers, well rinsed
1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped and mashed with a little salt
generous pinch saffron threads
1 cup Basmati rice
4 plaice, each weighing about 450g
Grill the peppers until they are charred all over, then wrap in cling film and place in a bowl under a cold running tap, to cool them down. Remove the skin and the seeds and roughly chop the flesh. Combine with the chilli, two tablespoons of olive oil, the capers and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Combine the saffron with two tablespoons of hot water. Bring two cups of water to the boil, add salt and the cup of rice, along with half the infused saffron. Cover and simmer until the water is absorbed. Remove the rice from the heat and allow to stand for five minutes. Stir in the remaining saffron mixture and check the seasoning.
Grill two of the fish for five minutes on each side, starting with the lighter side. Transfer to plates and keep warm. Repeat with the two other fish and serve all four with the saffron rice and red pepper salsa.
VEGETABLE SAMOSAS WITH FRESH CORIANDER AND RED ONION RELISH
Traditionally, samosas are deep-fried, but I must confess I don't much like deep-frying. As an alternative, you can brush oil over the pastries and bake them in a preheated oven, 200 degrees/gas six.
1 tbsp mustard seeds
juice of 1 lemon
vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
200g defrosted frozen peas
2cm cube of fresh ginger, grated
cayenne pepper
500g cooked potato, diced
bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
250g shortcrust pastry
Combine the mustard seeds and lemon juice and set aside. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan and saute the onion for five minutes. Add the peas, ginger, and a generous pinch of cayenne pepper. Saute for a further two minutes before adding two tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer until the peas are cooked. Stir in the potatoes and coriander. Toast the cumin seeds in a hot dry frying pan until lightly coloured and add to the potato mixture, along with the mustard seeds and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Divide the pastry into 10 balls and cover all bar one with cling film. Roll the remaining ball out to a disk about 15 centimetres in diameter, cut in half and roll each half up to form a cone. Seal the edge with a little water and place two tablespoons of the potato mixture in the cone, fold over the top and seal with water. Repeat with the remaining pastry.
Heat about four centimetres of vegetable oil in a pan and when it is hot, add the samosas in a single layer and fry, turning as they brown. Serve with the coriander relish.
CORIANDER RELISH
1 bunch of fresh coriander, picked and roughly chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper
Combine the coriander, cayenne and oil, season with salt and pepper and serve.
RED ONION RELISH
1 red onion, peeled and thinly cut into half-moon slices
1 tbsp salt
a little olive oil
1 tbsp spoon finely chopped parsley
Combine the onion and salt in a sieve, mix well and leave to drain over a cup or bowl for 10 minutes. Rinse well under plenty of cold water to remove the salt. Pat the onions dry and toss them with a little oil and the parsley
(From Barbecues and other Outdoor Feasts, by Hugo Arnold, published by Kyle Cathie, £14.99)
SPICED COFFEE
Crush a few cardamom pods and add to your ground coffee, regardless of how you make it. Proceed as normal and then add sugar to taste. The cardamom provides a comforting spiciness.