May Yacoubi Recipes

BATATA HARRA (SPICY LEBANESE POTATOES)

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a pot that holds them in a single layer and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape, about 30 minutes. Drain and let cool. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove their skins.
• Pour several inches of vegetable oil into a large heavy pot and bring to 350 degrees F over high heat.
• While the oil heats, cut the potatoes into cubes.
• Fry the potatoes until golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mash the garlic and 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt with a mortar and pestle until a paste forms. Stem and roughly chop the chiles and add them to the mortar; continue mashing. Add the lemon juice, cilantro, and olive oil and mix well. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
• Remove the potatoes to a heatproof mixing bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Pour the dressing over the potatoes and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with paprika, chopped chiles and cilantro.

THE PERFECT CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• For the chicken: Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, yogurt, crushed garlic and soy sauce and toss to coat well. Add the lemon juice and toss again. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• For the flatbread: Combine the flour and a pinch salt in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the machine on low, add 1/2 cup water and mix until just combined. Increase the speed to medium-low and continue kneading, adding more water as necessary, just until the dough comes together into a ball. Increase the speed to medium and knead for another 30 seconds.
• Flour a work surface and transfer the dough to it (the dough will be sticky). Sprinkle more flour over the dough and knead until smooth. Portion the dough into 6 pieces, roll into balls and flatten with a rolling pin. Brush off the excess flour with a clean, dry pastry brush.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add one piece of dough and cook until the first side is lightly bubbled and golden, a few minutes, then flip and cook the other side. Remove from the heat and wrap in a clean kitchen towel to soften and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• For the toumeyyaeh (garlic sauce): Mix 1 cup water with the cornstarch in a microwave-safe bowl until dissolved. Microwave for 2 minutes until the mixture is very thick like pudding.
• Put the garlic, cornstarch mixture, mayonnaise, olive oil and a few pinches of salt in a blender or mini chopper and process until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.
• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with olive oil and grill the chicken until marked both sides and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Chop the chicken and add to a bowl with the pickles, onions, 3 tablespoons of the garlic sauce and sumac. Toss to combine.
• Place each flatbread on a piece of parchment or waxed paper and spread with some of the extra garlic sauce. Fill each with some of the chicken mixture and a few french fries and parsley, if using. Roll the flatbread in the paper, slice in half on a bias and serve.

MAALOUBA (UPSIDE-DOWN RICE)

Steps:

• For the chicken: Heat the oil with the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cardamom and 1 teaspoon pepper over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery; stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces, including the backbone, skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden brown. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and add 7 cups water to just cover the chicken. Stir in the turmeric and allspice. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a platter and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the vegetables, spices and backbone and set the stock aside.
• For the rice: Meanwhile, add the basmati and short-grain rice to a large bowl and cover with water. Stir in the turmeric and soak for 30 minutes. Strain the rice and discard the water.
• In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot with a lid, layer the chicken pieces skin-side down, followed by a layer of fried potato slices, a layer of fried eggplant slices and a layer of cauliflower. Add the rice, letting it fall in between the vegetables and chicken. Add the 7 cups of stock until the rice is just covered.
• Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Continue to cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been completely absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest with the lid on for 30 minutes.
• For the salad: Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
• Place a large serving platter or plate over the pot and carefully flip to unmold. Garnish the maalouba with toasted pine nuts, parsley leaves and the red chile . Serve the maalouba with the side salad.

SHISH BARAK

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the flour, 1 cup water and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and mix with your hand until it comes together. Knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Flour a work surface and transfer the dough to it. Knead a few times and shape into a ball. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• For the filling: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and season with salt, pepper and cinnamon and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3.125 mm). Cut the dough into circles with a 5-inch round cutter to make about 30 dough rounds. If there is any leftover dough, reroll and cut more circles.
• Fill a dough round with a spoonful of the meat mixture then fold the edges together to create a half-moon shape and seal well (do not overstuff the dough rounds). Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling.
• For the sauce: Combine the yogurt, crushed garlic and sea salt to taste in a medium bowl. Spoon the yogurt mixture onto a serving platter and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the shish barak in batches in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are floating and tender.
• While the dumplings simmer, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Lift the dumplings from the water with a slotted spoon or skimmer, thoroughly strain and add to the heated pan (use caution, it could splatter). Fry the shish barak until crispy and golden, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping halfway. Transfer to the platter with the sauce. Repeat with the remaining shish barak.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the paprika and the pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the pine nut mixture over the shish barak.
• Garnish with parsley leaves and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve immediately.

PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Add the flour, yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment and mix to combine. With the machine running at medium-low speed, add 1 cup warm water and mix well. Increase the speed to medium to medium-high and continue mixing, adding more warm water if necessary, until the dough gathers into a ball, completely pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the bowl is clean, about 5 minutes total.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl, sprinkle with flour and knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, place in a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, humid place for 1 hour.
• Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface, kneading lightly to deflate it. With floured hands, pull small portions of dough (slightly bigger than a golf ball) and roll them into balls.
• Flatten each ball with your hands, then roll it thin with a rolling pin. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Once heated add the bread and cook until browned and bubbled on the first side, then flip and cook the other side until it puffs and turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Serve the bread with the pickles, tomatoes, green olives, mint leaves, zaatar and labneh, if you like.

BABA GANOUSH

Steps:

• Grill the whole eggplants over the flame of a gas stove or on a rack set over an electric cooktop until the skin is charred all over, a couple minutes each side. Put the eggplants in a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to steam for 8 to 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin and discard, reserving any liquid in the bowl.
• Roughly chop the eggplant flesh and put in the bowl along with any reserved eggplant liquid. Add the tahini, lemon juice, yogurt and garlic, then season with salt. Mash with a fork until thoroughly combined. The dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
• Transfer the dip to a serving dish and top with pomegranate seeds, crushed walnuts, parsley leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with pita bread for dipping.