Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East & Beyond

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Sabrina cooks the kind of food I love to eat: lots of flavors distilled out of love and generosity. In this book Sabrina demystifies the use of spices. The Eastern promise is definitely delivered in her book and it will have a place on the shelves of my kitchen. Bruno Loubet Middle Eastern food can be heavy and plentiful, so you need to pair it with light, refreshing dishes that cleanse the palate and aid digestion. This is just that kind of dish – it is a perfect accompaniment to heavy meat and poultry dishes, providing a lovely fresh flavour – and it looks beautiful, too. The lightly sweetened dressing works well, counteracting the acidity, and I just love the intense crunchiness of this salad. Towards the end of the cooking time, drain and rinse the mussels and clams. Pull the beards off the mussels and give them a gentle scrub. The arrival of her first book, Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East & Beyond, is a boon to those who long to serve their guests bountiful dishes of exotic, glamorous, unfamiliar food with a casual "I-just-threw-this-together" ...They'll be clamouring for more. And this book, unlike some others, has photographs that show the food clearly" The Independent

Ghayour recommends pairing the Eastern-Style Focaccia with soups, salty cheeses/dips, or using it as the base for a feta and roasted pepper sandwich. As with many fresh breads, this is best the day it is made. Notable IngredientsAn award-winning cookbook from the beloved Sabrina Ghayour, Persiana features over 100 flavorful and mouthwatering recipes that highlight the best of Persian culture I keep this cake on a plate covered with clingfilm and find it can be kept like this for up to a week. Iran boasts dozens of versions of meatballs and we Persians love adding fruit to them for a burst of sweetness. I often make these meatballs for guests, with a good homemade sauce, which makes the perfect base to plunge them into. You can buy sour cherries frozen or dried, both sweetened and unsweetened. Sweetened sour cherries work best for this recipe, but you can substitute dried cranberries instead. This dish is more than just a simple broth – it is a wonderfully hearty meal and offers a great way of using up vegetables. There are no rules – it should contain whatever you find lying around the house and in your fridge. Sabrina, a self-taught cook, food writer and supper club host, is on a mission to make the flavours of the Middle East accessible. Her recipes are essentially Persian but with influences from Turkish, Arab and Armenian cuisines. BBC Good Food Magazine

Sabrina Ghayour; the talented chef, food writer and instructor offers over 100 delicious and relatively easy to prepare Middle Eastern dishes in this outstanding collection sure to appeal to vegetarians and carnivores in equal measure... this is an outstanding collection that will surely win readers over and inspire many a meal. Color photos. Sumac is a spice made from the berries of the sumac bush and is common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. It is available in berry or ground form. Sumac has a lightly bitter, lemony taste and a deep brownish red hue. Radish, cucumber and red onion salad with mint and orange blossom dressing. Photograph: Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton Nigella seeds come from the fruit of the Nigella sativa, a pale blue or white flower originating from southern Asia and northern Africa.She went on to host supper clubs and create recipes that have been featured in many publications, plus hold cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, and other events. She put together Persiana to share “no mess, no fuss, just simple and delicious food.” The arrival of her first book, Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East & Beyond, is a boon to those who long to serve their guests bountiful dishes of exotic, glamorous, unfamiliar food with a casual “I-just-threw-this-together” ...They’ll be clamouring for more. And this book, unlike some others, has photographs that show the food clearly. The Independent I am not a natural baker, so I work hard to perfect foolproof, crowd-pleasing recipes that work with my style of cooking. Iran has a huge nut-producing trade and pistachios are the king of Persian nuts. I first made this cake when I started doing supper clubs – we don't really have puddings in Iran. Barbecue the marinated lamb fillets over medium high heat for 15-18 minutes, turning 3-4 times to ensure they are evenly cooked. Each side should be slightly charred because of the sweetness of the marinade. Transfer to a board, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes. The difficulty ranges from incredibly easy and perfect for weeknight meals to slightly more advanced. There is a nice balance with appetizers, breads, rice, soups, stews, grilled items, roasts, fish, shellfish, salads, vegetables, and a variety of desserts.

Completely dispels any notion that this style of cooking is long-winded and intimidating...brilliant for the novice, the time-poor and even the seasoned cook. (Eve O’Sullivan Guardian)Preheat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil on one side and chargrill for about 6‑8 minutes on each side, brushing the reverse side with more oil as you turn them over, until the texture softens and they are cooked through with nice griddle marks. Set aside.

Sabrina cooks the kind of food I love to eat: lots of flavours distilled out of love and generosity. In this book Sabrina demystifies the use of spices. The Eastern promise is definitely delivered in her book and it will have a place on the shelves of my kitchen. (Bruno Loubet) With this stunning collection of approachable Middle Eastern recipes, the author dispels the notion that Persian, Turkish, Arab, and Armenian cuisines are too complicated for home cooks. In six chapters overflowing with photos of vibrantly sauced and garnished foods, she presents small plates, breads, salads, desserts, and other dishes that can be served individually or as part of a feast. VERDICT: In a word, outstanding" Chapters are divided based on course: Mezze and Sharing Plates; Breads and Grains; Soups, Stews and Tangines; Roasts and Grills; Salads and Vegetables; and Desserts and Sweet Treats. Aubergine is much loved and revered in eastern culture and I especially love it chargrilled, which gives an added meatiness through the charring. Saffron is the world's most expensive spice. The purest and highest grade of saffron comes from Iran and infusing some yogurt with its potency adds the perfect finish to grilled aubergines. Spiced carrot, pistachio and almond cake with rosewater cream. Photograph: Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton

Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East & Beyond, written by Sabrina Ghayour, features some of the best flavors of the area surrounding the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea in over 100 recipes. Grind the saffron (if using) with a pestle and mortar, then pour over the 2 tbsp of boiling water and leave to infuse. Biryani is a dish fit for a king and its origin is largely credited to Persia. The delicate layering of rice interspersed with spices and meat or poultry relies on a special Persian steaming method known as dam pokht (or dum pukht if you are from India), meaning "steam-cooked". There are many variations of biryani from India to Pakistan, but authentic versions have no chilli in them whatsoever – just aromatic spices such as luxurious Persian saffron. My wonderful friend Asma Khan is the queen of biryani and nobody has a more delicate and expert hand than she does when it comes to making the best and most authentic. Asma very kindly shared some of her biryani wisdom with me, from which I am delighted to share a simplified version of this hugely popular dish with you. Preheat a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fill the pan with boiling water and add the rice with a generous handful of crumbled sea salt. Boil for 6-8 minutes until the rice is parboiled. You will know it is parboiled when the colour of the grains turns from the normal dullish white to a more brilliant white and the grains become slightly elongated and begin to soften. I also reviewed Sabrina’s cookbook, Feasts (plus a recipe for Spicy Halloumi Salad), in 2018. Persiana