This is a very simple bread inspired by an old artisan bakery we came across on the harbour side of Corfu old town. I love its light chewy texture and the natural sweetness of the dough. The addition of the olive oil and egg yolk glaze scattered with sesame, fennel and nigella seeds makes this…
Category: Mezzes
Small plates for the sharing table
Greek Island Tzatziki with Dill and Mint
Originating from the Ottoman Empire, this is my version of the popular Greek dish, tzatziki (known as cacık in Turkey). It’s simply a bowl of authentic Greek yoghurt getting it on with little cubes of crunchy cucumber, lots of finely chopped garlic, briny sea salt, a generous glug of grassy Kalamata olive oil, an audacious…
Souk el Tayeb Roasted Bulgur Wheat, Borlotti Bean and Pomegranate Salad
The vibrant and colourful Souk el Tayeb – literally translated as ‘the good market‘ – in central Beirut is famed for the way it showcases the produce of local farmers and the very best of Lebanon’s organic ingredients; it’s literally a deep dive into the rich and inspiring culinary traditions of the Middle East. The peoples of Lebanon…
Greek Manouri Saganaki with Honey and Nigella Seeds
It was late summer as we sheltered from the hot Cypriot sun under vine leaves heavy with maroon globes of fruit at the favourite beachside cafe beloved of our hosts. Cats slept amongst the shady underbellies of old sun-bleached tables, waking only to curl their way around our legs as they begged for attention and…
Horta, Greek Greens with Lemon and Garlic
Greeks traditionally forage for their greens and adapt this dish according to what’s in season. Here it’s not so easy to do that because we simply don’t have the same levels of abundance and variety. However, I have successfully made this dish using rainbow chard, foraged nettles, dandelion leaves and sorrel (in which case go…
Pera Garlicky Spinach with Yoghurt and Biber Salçası
After a dark and stormy day we literally fell through the doorway of Asmalı Cavit, a treasured wooden-fronted traditional meyhane in the centre of Pera in Istanbul. Here, the walls are lined with photographic portraits of people from a more glamorous age alongside vintage posters promoting wine, long forgotten theatre productions and the seaside resorts…
Moroccan Zaalouk Tartine with Whipped Feta, Lemon and Mint
Dusk falls and the Jemaa el Fna – place of the vanished mosque – in the heart of the ancient walled médina is transformed into a seething mass of tribesmen, Berber villagers, performers and musicians who converge upon Morocco’s ochre-tinted city every evening to tell stories, juggle, bang drums in a trance-like state of bliss, dance, charm snakes,…
Greek Gigantes, White Beans With Tomatoes, Lemon and Herbs
This is the kind of dish I like to make when I want something that’s easy to prepare but packed with goodness and subtle summery flavours that have the super power to instantly transport me to my happy place – basically, a two up two down beach house with a summer kitchen anywhere along the…
Pera Za’atar-roasted Aubergine with Cacık, a Turkish Yoghurt Dip
Life in Turkey doesn’t happen without yoghurt. Indeed it is one of the most important components of the modern Turkish diet and there is rarely a table where it isn’t featured in some form or other; as part of a main dish, a condiment, a chilled soup, in a dessert or even as a drink…
Florentin M’sabaha, Chickpea Soup with a Preserved Lemon and Green Chilli Relish
This simple yet nourishing Levantine breakfast dish is a celebration of the humble legume slowly cooked with fresh rosemary, cumin and a little love and brought to life with a vibrant relish that packs a hot citrusy punch. It was first introduced to me by a friend I used to meet in Florentin – then…
Cardamom and Dill 