My Persian Gulf Meze
When it’s conversation, intimacy, and an instant festive feeling I’m after, I always turn to a Middle Eastern Meze. A while ago I had the opportunity to visit the United Arab Emirates, located partly in the Persian -and Oman Golf. I was not as much on vacation as I was about to embark on a foodie’s dream and truth be told, a world of culinary joy unfolded. The food was vibrant, aromatic, and ever so welcoming and inviting. When most people think about the UAE, the first things that come to mind are perhaps the desert, the Burj Khalifa, or even Ferrari world. To me, experiencing, feeling its awe, seeing, and smelling the desert was one of the most extraordinary moments in my life, not less because of its never-ending dunes, vast openness, and the mystery it keeps but also the culinary experience that evolved and was perfected here over decades of culinary feasts that once (and still) takes place, right here in this magnificent desert.
While in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel into the heart of the desert for a night’s stay, guided by people who best know the desert, its secrets, and most importantly, its food. And what a privilege it was to absorb all the knowledge, passion, and love these people have for the desert, having called it home for decades. As the sun was setting, intense aromas could be smelled like the most authentic Middle Eastern meze-feast I have ever experienced was prepared. It was unlike any other dinner party I have ever attended. Imagine sitting in pitch darkness in the heart of the desert, the camp and tables lit by a thousand candles and colorful lanterns, lively music is made and the air perfumed with the smell of aromatic, floral, spice-intense food as it is served on flatbreads instead of plates. Picture this: lamb koftas with cumin and coriander, felafels with chickpeas, fresh mint, coriander, and parsley, fresh yoghurt tzatziki that brings coolness and freshness to balance all the spices, intensely chargrilled eggplant, and red pepper dips, rich, earthy hummus, labneh which is a cheese made from yoghurt and fresh pomegranates to name but a handful.
Over the years I have tried my utmost best to recreate the atmosphere and food of that night and, although I will never be as presumptuous to claim any recipe to be “authentic”, I think I have discovered the core of an exceptional Middle Eastern meze that we can make right here at home and enjoy a little bit of that exuberant generosity. That said, I find myself constantly searching to discover and experience more food from the Persian -and Oman Gulf, and as such view this post as dynamic and constantly growing from my experiences. Check back in every now and then to see what else I have to share. Likewise, please share your experiences and stories with me!
Some of my favorite recipes:
Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs with Sesame and Peaches
Equipment
- 10-12 mini skewers.
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breasts
- 1 tsp dried cumin seeds crushed
- 1 tsp dried coriander seeds crushed
- 1 tsp dried chili flakes
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic grated
- ½ c plain Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp chives sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 c dried peach slices
- ¼ c peach or apricot jam thinned out with 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Soak 10 mini skewers in a dish with water for a few minutes. This will help prevent the skewers from burning when grilling the chicken.
- Cut the chicken breasts into cubes of roughly 3 x 3cm. To assemble the kebabs, on a skewer, start with a cube of chicken, followed by a slice of dried peach. Repeat the skewer process twice or until the desired kebab size is reached - I make small kebabs as I serve them alongside other meze-style food.
- To make the marinade, add the spices, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, yoghurt, sugar, honey and chives to a pitcher. Mix thoroughly and spread out over the chicken. Cover with foil and allow to marinade for 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- Thin out ¼ cup of peach or apricot jam with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Baste the kebabs with the jam on both sides and allow to char a little bit. Grill the chicken over medium heat for 5 minute per side or until cooked through and chargrilled. Season well.
- To serve, sprinkle over some sesame seeds while still hot.
Labneh with Charred Aubergines and Pomegranate Seeds
Equipment
- Strainer
- Muslin cloth/ cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 500 g plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp fresh parsley optional, finely chopped
- 2 baby aubergine for serving, sliced ½ cm thick lengthwise
- ¼ c pomegranate seeds for serving
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Mix in all the ingredients, save for the aubergine, pomegranate and olive oil with the yoghurt. Line a strainer with muslin -or cheese cloth and place over a large bowl. Pour the yoghurt mixture over the strainer and tie the cloth close. Allow to stand for 24 hours in the fridge until a dip-like consistency is reached. If you want the texture of a firmer cheese, allow to stand for 48 hours. Discard the liquid in the bowl.
- To make the grilled aubergine slices, slice the aubergines into slices, lengthwise, of about ½ cm thick. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle over salt and pepper. Grill in a heavy-based griddle pan or over a gas griddle until golden, tender and the slices have grill marks.
- To serve, spread the cheese out on a plate and arrange the grilled aubergine slices over the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and pomegranate seeds. Serve alongside pita bread, felafels and lamb koftas. See my Persian Gulf Meze: https://blogbystean.com/meze/my-persian-gulf-meze/
Middle Eastern Felafels
Ingredients
- 800 g chickpeas drained, rinsed, dried
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh coriander roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh mint roughly chopped
- 2 tsp dried coriander seeds crushed
- 2 tsp dried cumin seeds crushed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper grounded
- ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into the food processor and pulse until well combined, yet slightly coarse. Do not overwork.
- Flour your hands and form small "patties" of roughly 3-4 cm across. Place the patties onto a well flour board. The mixture may be soft and slightly wet - the softer, the lighter in texture they will be.
- In a large, heavy-based skillet, heat a little bit of olive oil over medium heat. Fry the felafels until lightly browed on each side - this should take no more than 4 minutes. Serve with Tzatziki and pita bread.
Notes
Middle Eastern Lamb Koftas
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb mince or beef
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried cumin seeds crushed
- 1 tsp dried coriander seeds crushed
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ c olive oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, save for the olive oil. Mix gently until just combined - do not overwork the mixture as it will result in dense koftas.
- Take 2 tablespoonfuls of the mixture at a time and gently form into sausage-shaped meatballs, flattening the ends slightly. Place them on a baking sheet, lined with baking paper.
- In a large, heavy-based skillet, warm ½ cm of olive -or vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry the koftas in small batches until golden brown, uncovered to prevent them from boiling/ steaming. This will take no longer than 8 minutes. Do not overcook the koftas, keeping in mind that they will keep cooking even after being removed from the heat. Reheating the koftas to serve later will cook them even more.
Notes
- Do not overcook the koftas, keeping in mind that they will keep cooking even after being removed from the heat. Reheating the koftas to serve later will cook them even more.
- Cook uncovered to prevent them from boiling/ steaming.
- These koftas can be frozen cooked or uncooked for serving/ cooking at a later stage. Store in an airtight container and allow to thaw completely before warming/ cooking.
- Serve at any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean Meze alongside flatbread (or pita), hummus, felafels and fresh, minty Tzatziki.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Ingredients
- 400 g chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small lemon juiced
- 2 medium red bell peppers sliced
- ¼ tsp dried chili flakes
- 1 tsp dried paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C with the grill on medium heat.
- Slice the red pepper lengthwise into strips. Toss with little bit of olive oil, the dried chili flakes and paprika. Arrange on a baking tray and roast until tender and slightly charred. Reserve a few charred strips for garnish.
- Place all the ingredients and half the olive oil in a food processor. Process until fairly smooth. If the hummus are too dry, drizzle in the remaining olive oil and some more lemon juice. Season to taste. Garnish with the chargrilled roasted red pepper strips.
- Serve with pitta bread, felafels, koftas and Tzatziki. Alternatively, serve alongside a cheese board.
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