Our good friend Sabrina Ghayour has exclusively shared with us three recipes from her cookbook Flavour. As the name suggests, these recipes are bursting with flavours from the Middle East and further afield, but with little effort and time. Wow your family and guests with these simple but seriously impressive dishes for hosting or for everyday meals.

 

Tagines are that wonderful marriage of meat or vegetables with sweet and spiced flavour pairings.

What you put into yours is entirely up to you and may be dependent on traditions, local and seasonal

availability, and personal preference, of course. I like my tagines to have lots of texture and layers of deep

flavour not just from meat but also from dried fruits, nuts and fresh herbs. This particular combination

can perhaps be called the sweeter cousin of the classic chicken, olive and preserved lemon, turning away from

the wonderfully sour character of the lemon to the more gently acidic profile of orange and that irresistible,

almost syrupy, sweet chewiness of dried apricots, plumped from absorbing the broth of the tagine.

 

SE RV E S 6 – 8

vegetable oil

2 large onions, roughly chopped

1kg bone-in, skinless chicken thighs

6 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

finely grated zest and juice of

1 unwaxed orange

1 tablespoon clear honey

150g dried apricots

50g whole blanched almonds

Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly

ground black pepper

1/2 small packet (about 15g) of flat leaf

parsley, leaves roughly chopped,

to garnish

 

Method

Place a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and fry the onions until

softened and translucent. Add the chicken thighs and garlic and stir well. Mix in the spices, stir and cook for

a few minutes before adding the orange zest and juice, honey and a generous amount of salt and pepper, then

cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour over enough boiling water to just about cover the ingredients, reduce to a gentle medium heat and cook,

uncovered, for 11/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the dried apricots and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), Gas Mark 7. Spread the almonds out on a baking tray

and toast for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

When the tagine is ready, serve scattered with the toasted

 

YOU CAN FIND SABRINA'S COOKBOOK FLAVOUR FROM AMAZON HERE

 

Ingredients:

2-3kg bone-in pork shoulder, skin on and scored (ask our team to score it for you)

Large thumb of ginger

370g ginger stem (1 jar)

1 tbsn chardonnay vinegar 

2 tbsn red miso paste

2 tbsn salt

1 tbsn olive oil, extra virgin 

 

Method:

-       Pre-heat the oven to 200deg C.

-       Score the pork skin (or ask your butcher to score it for you), and rub it with olive oil.

-       Heavily salt the skin side of the shoulder.

-       Slice the fresh ginger and lay out in a roasting tray placing the pork on top, skin side up 

-       Place the tray into the oven and cook for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 180deg C and finish cooking the pork for another 35 minutes.

-       In a blender place the stem ginger, vinegar and miso and blend until a smooth puree.

-       Once pork is cooked, allow to rest at least 15 minutes. Carve off the bone and serve with a heaped spoon of the stem ginger jam on the side

 

Suggestion: Serve with braised cabbage and carrots

 

 

Our good friend Sabrina Ghayour has exclusively shared with us three recipes from her cookbook Flavour. As the name suggests, these recipes are bursting with flavours from the Middle East and further afield, but with little effort and time. Wow your family and guests with these simple but seriously impressive dishes for hosting or for everyday meals.

Cutlets would be the cut of lamb (my favourite meat) that I would go for if I had to choose just one.

They have the perfect amount of fat and bone and a wonderful eye of meat, which makes their

proportions ideal for marinating, grilling, barbecuing and roasting. This is very much a complete meal

of a recipe that needs little else. It feels almost celebratory, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying it

whenever you like. The spiced components when brought together create a real explosion of flavour,

one you’ll want to experience again and again.

 

S E RV E S 3 – 4

8–10 well-trimmed lamb cutlets

3–4 tablespoons garlic oil

2 tablespoons ras el hanout

finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange and juice of 1/2

Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

For the potatoes:

1.5kg potatoes, peeled and cut into

about 4cm chunks

3 tablespoons ghee (or vegetable oil if

you prefer)

8 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon chilli flakes (omit if you prefer)

100ml cold water

1 small packet (about 30g) of flat leaf

parsley, leaves roughly chopped

 

For the aubergines:

3 small or 2 large aubergines, peeled, halved lengthways and cut roughly into 3cm chunks

about 5–6 tablespoons garlic oil

2 teaspoons paprika

 

To serve:

200g Greek yogurt

sweet tamarind sauce, for drizzling

75g pistachio slivers (or very roughly

chopped whole nuts)

75g pomegranate seeds

Method: 

Put the lamb cutlets into a shallow bowl or dish, add the garlic oil, ras el hanout, orange zest and juice and a generous amount of salt, then rub evenly all over them. Cover the bowl or dish with clingfilm and leave to marinate at room temperature while you cook the aubergines and potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), Gas Mark 7. Line your largest baking tray with baking paper.

Place the aubergine chunks on the lined tray and drizzle over the garlic oil. Sprinkle with the paprika and a good amount of salt, then use your hands to evenly coat the chunks in the oil and spice. Spread out in a single layer and roast for about 25 minutes until nicely browned and starting to char around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, parboil the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes, then tip into a colander to drain. Return the pan to a low-medium heat, add the ghee (or vegetable oil), garlic slices, fenugreek leaves and spices and fry for a few minutes, ensuring they don’t burn. Pour in the water and stir, then add the parboiled potatoes with a generous amount of salt and pepper and mix until evenly coated in the spices and garlic.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Pop the aubergines back in the oven to reheat gently. Then check the potatoes, which should be a little browned when done and cooked through. Stir through the chopped parsley, reserving a little for a garnish.

Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the marinated lamb chops for 2–3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and leave to rest while you get ready to serve.

Transfer the potatoes to a very large serving platter, then add the aubergines and sprinkle over the remaining parsley. Arrange the lamb cutlets on top. Lastly, dollop with the yogurt, drizzle with sweet tamarind sauce and finish with the pistachios and pomegranate seeds. This needs no accompaniment.

 

YOU CAN FIND SABRINA'S COOKBOOK FLAVOUR FROM AMAZON HERE

"While this isn’t a Turkish recipe, a lot of what I create is inspired by flavours and techniques used in Turkish, Persian and Middle Eastern cuisines. I prefer to make smallish meatballs for this recipe, but you can make them bigger if you like. These are lovely served with small pasta shapes, such as orzo, or rice or pillowy bread."

 M A K E S 3 5 – 4 0 MEATBALLS/

S E RV E S 4 – 6

 500g minced lamb

6 spring onions, thinly sliced from root to tip, 2 reserved for garnish

2 fat garlic cloves, minced

1 heaped teaspoon pul biber chilli flakes

1 heaped teaspoon paprika

1 heaped teaspoon dried mint

1 small packet (about 30g) of flat leaf

parsley, finely chopped, some reserved

for garnish

1 small packet (about 30g) of dill, finely

chopped, some reserved for garnish

 

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

vegetable oil, for frying

250g Greek yogurt

Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly

ground black pepper

For the butter

50g butter

1 teaspoon dried mint

1 teaspoon pul biber chilli flakes

 

Method

Put the minced lamb, spring onions, garlic, spices, dried mint, fresh herbs and bicarbonate of soda into

a mixing bowl and season very generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to work the ingredients

together really well until you have an evenly combined smooth paste, then roll the mixture into 35–40 balls.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Line a plate with a double layer of kitchen

paper. Once the pan is hot, add the meatballs and fry on one side for 3–4 minutes, then turn and fry on the

other side for 3–4 minutes before shaking the pan to finish frying the other sides.

Meanwhile, put the yogurt into a saucepan, season with salt and pepper and heat gently (to avoid curdling)

until hot, then remove from the heat.

Melt the butter with the dried mint and pul biber in a small saucepan.

Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer to the paper-lined plate to drain, then place them on a platter, pour

over the yogurt and drizzle with the butter. Scatter with the reserved spring onions and chopped herbs to serve.

 

Feeds 4 people

 

Ingredients:

500g beef chuck, diced

2 tbsn extra virgin olive oil

170g (2 carrots) carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

120g (2 sticks) celery, roughly chopped  

180g (1/2 onion) onion – peeled and roughly chopped

10g garlic, peeled

1 cup red wine

4g rosemary

6 thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tin tomatoes, chopped

500ml beef stock, good quality

10g sea salt

Few turns of freshly cracked black pepper

400g dry tagliatelle

4 tbsn grated parmesan

4 tbsn parsley chopped

 

Method:

• Pre heat the oven to 180deg C.
• Pour the olive oil into a heavy based cast iron pot. Once hot start frying the beef in batches, ensuring its brown and caramelised. Remove from the pot and keep to the side.
• Into a blender add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic, blend to a paste, this is called a sofrito. Pour that into the pot, start to fry until it starts to turn brown and all the liquid has evaporated.
• 
• Add back the beef and the red wine.
• Reduce the red wine until there is none left in the pan.
• Now add the beef stock, tomato and the herbs.
• 
• Add the seasoning, cover with a lid and place into an oven and cook for two hours.
• 
• Heat up a large pot of boiling water, add 2 tbsn sea salt.
• Put the pasta into the rapidly boiling water, stirring consistently to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together
• Once cooked ,drain the pasta and pour into the cooked beef ragout, add the chopped parsley and fold the ragout and pasta together.
• With a pair of tongs evenly plate the pasta into four bowls
• To finish sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Feeds 3 people

Ingredients

3 whole lamb shanks

3 tbsn Berber spice

4 tbsn pomegranate molasses

500g chicken stock

400g water

200g brown onion sliced  

30g garlic whole cloves

50g celery, sliced  

60g fennel bulb, sliced

10g sea salt

20g honey

3 tbsn pomegranate seeds  

6 tbsn Greek yogurt

3 tbsn coriander chopped   

 

Method 

• Preheat oven to 1800deg C
• Take 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and pour over the lamb shanks, using your hands rub the molasses all over the lamb ensuring an even coating
• Take 1 tablespoon of the Berber spice and liberally sprinkle the spice over all sides of the lamb
• 
• Put a thick bottomed cast iron pot or casserole dish on a med high heat add the oil and start to colour all sides of the lamb
• Remove the lamb, and add the fennel, onion, garlic and fry until soft
• Add the lamb back to the pot with water and the rest of the pomegranate molasses, Berber spice and honey and place the lid on the pot and put into the oven for 2 hours
• 
• Once cooked, spoon the yogurt onto a plate, put the lamb shank on the yoghurt sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and the chopped coriander