to select aubergines that are all the same size to give uniform slices for an attractive presentation. If you feel daunted by the turning-over trick, simply bake the maqlubeh in a baking dish – ideally Pyrex so you can see the layers – in the oven (preheated to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4) for 45 minutes and serve straight from the dish. The presentation will not be as spectacular but the taste will be the same. The Palestinians have an interesting variation on this dish using carrots – sliced lengthwise then blanched to soften them – instead of the fried aubergines.
Serves 4
4 large aubergines (about 1kg/2lb 2oz total weight)
Sea salt
200g (7oz) short-grain white rice (bomba, Calasparra or Egyptian), rinsed under cold water and drained
60g (2oz) pine nuts
60g (2oz) blanched almond halves
50g (2oz) butter
500g (1lb 1oz) freshly minced lean lamb, from the shoulder or shanks (either ask your butcher to mince the lamb or do it yourself using the fine attachment on a meat grinder)
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for seasoning
1 tsp ground allspice or Lebanese seven-spice mixture
Finely ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Straight-sided saucepan about 22cm (8½in) in diameter and 20cm (8in) deep
Cut off and discard the stem ends of the aubergines. Peel away most of the skin, lengthways, to create a striped effect with thin strips of skin left on the vegetable. Next cut the aubergines lengthways in thin slices about 1cm (½in) thick. Arrange these in layers in a colander, sprinkling each layer with a little salt to let them sweat; in principle this should make them absorb less oil when you fry them.
Put the rice in a bowl and pour 300ml (½ pint) of boiling water over it. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and let it soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. The rice will absorb some of the water and swell, and so will need less cooking water, which will help the cake stay firm.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), gas mark 7.
Spread the pine nuts and almonds on separate baking sheets and toast in the oven, 5–6 minutes for the pine nuts and 7–8 minutes for the almonds, until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the minced meat, stirring and mashing it with a spoon or fork to break the lumps, until the meat has lost all traces of pink. Take off the heat, season with the spices, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and a little salt and mix in most of the toasted nuts, holding back a tablespoonful for garnishing. Pinch off a little of the mixture and sear in a hot pan to taste, then adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Rinse the aubergine slices under cold water and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large, deep-sided frying pan to deep-fry the aubergines, and place over a medium heat. To test whether the oil is hot enough, dip the end of an aubergine slice into it; if the oil bubbles around it, it is ready. Fry the aubergines until golden on both sides, then remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on several layers of kitchen paper.
Spread half of the minced meat in an even layer on the bottom of the 22cm (8½in) diameter saucepan. Arrange two-thirds of the aubergines in a layer over the meat, right up to the sides of the pan, using the best slices for the sides of the dish as these are the ones that will show. Drain the rice, spread it over the aubergines, then cover with the remaining meat and finish off with a layer of aubergines.
Season 350ml (12fl oz) of boiling water with a little cinnamon, salt and pepper – bearing in mind that the meat is already seasoned. Gently pour the seasoned water into the pan, cover with a tight-fitting lid and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the water fully absorbed.
Take off the heat, wrap the lid of the pan in a clean tea towel, put it back on the pan and let it sit like this for about 10 minutes.
The traditional way of serving this dish is by turning it over onto a round flat serving platter as if it were a cake. First place the plate upside down on top of the pan. Wearing heatproof gloves, hold the plate down firmly with one hand and, with the other, slide the pan slowly over the edge of the work surface. Put your free hand underneath the pan, pick it up and quickly turn it upside down. Slide the platter back onto your worktop and slowly lift the pan off to uncover the rice and aubergine cake. Sprinkle the reserved nuts on top and serve immediately with some plain yoghurt.
Courgette Omelettes
’EJJET KUSSA
These omelettes are a perfect example of the ingeniousness of Lebanese cooks, who never waste any food. My mother always made them when she prepared stuffed courgettes so that she didn’t waste the pulp, but I often make them with whole courgettes because I really like them this way and it is simpler to prepare courgettes from scratch than to spend hours coring and stuffing them! You can vary this dish by using aubergine pulp from the recipe, or simply make parsley omelettes (cejjet baqdunes) by leaving out both courgette pulp and garlic. Follow the instructions below for either variation, the only difference being that you need to sauté the aubergine pulp in a little vegetable oil to soften it before adding to the eggs.
Serves 4
Pulp from 400g (14oz) pale green courgettes (about 175g/6oz pulp), very finely chopped, or 200g (7oz) pale green courgettes, coarsely grated
Sea salt
3 medium-sized organic eggs
50g (2oz) spring onions (about ½ bunch), trimmed and thinly sliced
50g (2oz) flat-leaf parsley (about ¼ bunch), most of the stalk discarded, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp unbleached plain flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice or Lebanese seven-spice mixture
⅛ tsp finely ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Sprinkle the chopped courgette pulp (or the grated courgettes) with a teaspoon of salt and rub firmly with your hands until soft and mushy. Squeeze between the palm of your hands to extract the excess liquid and set aside.
Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat well. Add the chopped spring onions and parsley and the crushed garlic. Mix well then add the courgette pulp (or grated courgettes), flour, spices and 2 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and mix well.
Put enough vegetable oil in a large frying pan to shallow-fry the omelettes and place over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, drop in 2 tablespoons of the egg mixture and spread into a medium-thin circle, about 8cm (3in) in diameter. You should be able to make 5–6 small omelettes per batch. Fry until golden on both sides, then remove with a slotted spatula and leave to drain on several layers of kitchen paper.
Continue making the omelettes – you might have to top up the oil between every other batch – until you finish the egg mixture. You should end up with 14 small omelettes. Alternatively, you can make four large omelettes by using a quarter of the egg mixture for each one. Serve tepid or at room temperature.
Fried Eggs with Sumac
BEYD MEQLI BIL-SUMMAQ
You can vary these very simple, lemony fried eggs by replacing the sumac with pomegranate syrup. Use 1 tablespoon of pomegranate syrup diluted with 2 tablespoons of water and pour