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Comptoir Libanais

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Kitous’ restaurants were the first in London to merge traditional Arabic cooking with the easy contemporary eating to be found in the expanding network of Comptoir Libanais restaurants. Feta, tahini and yoghurt replace the Parmesan and béchamel sauce, while vegetables replace the mince in this Lebanese twist on a classic. Ground coriander and cumin are also pretty much a given, and I like the fiery sweetness of Helou's Lebanese seven-spice powder, with its ginger, cinnamon and allspice, which balances beautifully with the savoury garlic and peppery herbs. Some recipes use cayenne pepper, paprika or chilli flakes too – I find the warmth of the ginger sufficient for a dish that is rarely hot as opposed to spicy, but if you feel the need, add a shake to taste. Toss the dressing with the salad, then, just before serving, cut the radishes into quarters and use to top the salad, along with the bread and a final flourish of sumac.

Ottolenghi and Tamini roll their falafel in sesame seeds to coat, which looks handsome and makes the exteriors extra crunchy. Bringing together the passion of owner Tony Kitous, the extraordinary designs of award-winning graphic artist Rana Salam, and bestselling author and photographer Dan Lepard, the Comptoir Libanais cookbook blends a vibrant culinary tradition with modern flavours and cooking methodsEveryone uses some sort of raising agent, whether bicarbonate of soda or baking powder, to make their falafel extra fluffy. As there doesn't seem to be much in the way of acid in the recipe, I'm not surprised to find that Ottolenghi and Tamimi and Roden's baking powder proves more effective. Vegetables Indeed, you can find good falafel everywhere from Baghdad to Bawshar - but, unless you live near one of the small, but growing, number of decent vendors here in Britain, your best bet might be to make your own. Thankfully, it's really quite simple. Pulses Put the aubergine, peppers and courgette into a large roasting tin and drizzle over the oil. Season, then toss everything together with a large metal spoon so that the pieces are well coated in the oil. Roast in the oven for 30 mins until golden.

By the time the pomegranates are in season, tomatoes won’t be, and tomatoes are( in my opinion, at least) key here. I like the idea of using a variety of colours and sizes, chopped “two or three different ways … to give the salad some texture”, as Honey & Co recommends, but go with whatever looks best if you don’t have a big choice; cherry tomatoes are usually the safest bet, but everything should be decent in midsummer. There’s no need to peel them as Roden does but, if they seem watery, rather than solid, you might be advised to core them, as in Baxter’s recipe. The food is meant for sharing, so there’s plenty of choice, with everything from dips to mezze bites, savoury flatbreads, tagines, wraps, salads, pastries and cakes – they even bake their own Moroccan bread. Last September, Random House published Comptoir Libanais: A Feast of Lebanese-Style Home Cooking, showcasing just how easy, healthy and accessible Lebanese food is for everyone. Middle Eastern dining is a social affair where dishes are selected and shared with friends. Customers can forget the knife and fork – mezze is finger food – and select a mezze platter and some wraps for a picnic outside, or in their own office. Alternatively, they can take a couple of richly-flavoured tagines home to pass off as their own cooking! Kitous’ first foray into the restaurant business came at the age of 22 and in 1993, when he opened his first restaurant, Baboon. He drew on his cultural heritage to create Levant in 2000, the restaurant which raised the profile of Middle Eastern restaurant culture in the London scene, and in 2004 he opened Levantine.

Meanwhile, crush the garlic clove and put in a jar with the lemon juice, vinegar, oil and sumac. Season and shake well then leave to infuse until the salad is finished.

I’m keener on ingredients that add more in the way of texture and flavour, with cucumber falling firmly into the first camp (unless you thinly slice it and salt it for an hour, as Roden’s recipe in Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book suggests, when it tastes pretty good, but feels distinctly limp). Try, as Ottolenghi and Tamimi write, “to get small cucumbers for this … they are worlds apart from the large ones we normally get in most UK supermarkets” – less watery, and with more bite. If you can’t find them, then scoop out the seeds, as Baxter suggests.

Comptoir Libanais

There are recipes for breakfast, mezze, salads, grilled dishes, fish, soups and stews, grains and desserts in the book. I’m sharing the recipe of one of the dips from the book, as for me this is the perfect healthy party food. I made the Artichoke and Tahin dip from the Comptoir Libanais cookbook and I’m sharing the recipe with you below. This dip is healthy and vegan!

Recognising the popularity and wide availability of Italian food in the UK, Tony’s aim was and is to establish Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine in the UK in a similar way – creating consciousness and understanding amongst UK customers. Of course, there is a very long way to go before this can be achieved, but Comptoir Libanais has been taking successful strides along the way. This cookbook covers everything from a wide range of mezze—small dishes, including salads, dips, and hot dishes—to grills and barbecues to spectacular recipes for soups, breads, pastries, beverages, and desserts, while ensuring that each dish uses readily available ingredients and basic kitchen equipment.They also look very pretty, as do Comptoir Libanais and Honey & Co’s pomegranate seeds, which should supply a lovely burst of sweetness – but pomegranates at this time of year tend to be disappointingly dry, so I wouldn’t bother.

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