It’s time to lighten things up and I have been inspired by a couple of restaurants that have served me well over winter - their Mediterranean/Middle Eastern menus encouraging me out of hibernation and transporting me to a boat on the Aegean.
When I heard that the Cypriot owners of Theo’s Fisheries (a Christchurch institution) were opening a modern Middle Eastern restaurant, I planned a road trip to be there on week one.
Stepping inside Burj into the luxurious Levantine interior, with floaty chain curtains providing intimacy between tables, you are also transported from the traffic-heavy Riccarton Rd.
Once the authentic, sophisticated food starts coming - house-baked za’atar bread through hummus with brown butter prawns and crab, to meats and fish cooked over coals, you have total immersion.
Closer to home in Wānaka, Sofi has a more laid-back Greek taverna vibe with consistently great food that will take you from the South of France and Spain, through Greece, Turkey and Morocco.
Owner Sean Smith travels regularly for inspiration and multinational chef Damien Mimouni has a talent for fusing quality ingredients into lip-smacking dishes, often with the benefit of cooking over open flames.
The following dishes follow the same theme and, as the weather warms up, make a great feast to share with friends and family - even if instead of the Mediterranean sundress or shorts, it’s a puffer jacket and blanket across your knee as you eat!
Charred cabbage
SERVES: 8
1 Savoy cabbage
¼ cup olive oil
To serve
Ajo blanco (see below),
parsley and pomegranate seeds
Method
Heat oven to 180°C.
Cut the cabbage in half through the core. Cut each half into four wedges, keeping core intact on each wedge.
Place on a baking tray, lined with baking paper and drizzle with oil, rubbing to coat. Sprinkle with salt flakes and roast for 20-30 minutes until tender, turning cabbage halfway through.
Drizzle with ajo blanco and sprinkle with parsley and pomegranate seeds to serve.
Ajo blanco dip
From the Moors in the Middle Ages, ajo blanco is a cold soup of almonds blended until smooth with garlic, white bread and vinegar. Its creamy, nutty tanginess excites the palate and hits the spot on a hot day.
Damien makes an ajo blanco dip at Sofi which he serves with bread for dipping and seasonal vegetables (I had it with beetroot).
This is my version of his recipe that makes a change from hummus and has the humblest of vegetables singing.
I can’t wait to try it with asparagus once it hits the market. In the meantime cabbage works well - charred in the oven or on the barbecue to give it a summery feel.
MAKES: approx. 2 cups
140g blanched almonds
70g stale white bread, crusts removed
30ml lemon juice
30ml white wine or sherry vinegar
1 large clove garlic, crushed
Method
Cover almonds in water and soak for a couple of hours or overnight.
Remove the crusts from the bread and soak in a little warm water for a few minutes. Squeeze some of the water out and add to a blender with the drained almonds, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, 4 ice cubes and 100ml water.
Blend until smooth, adding a touch more water for a thinner consistency.
Leave in the fridge for a few hours to firm up and for the flavours to develop. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Falafel
Having had my fair share of bad (dry!) falafel - even those I have made myself - Damien’s flavoursome recipe has come to the rescue.
I have not messed with his recipe at all because it is perfection and suited to home cooks.
Transform your mezze plate, wrap them in pita or serve them on their own with labneh and zhoug as they do at Sofi.
SERVES: 4
250g dried chickpeas
1 tsp baking soda
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ onion, chopped
25g parsley, chopped
25g coriander, chopped
1 Tbsp salt
1½ tsp ground coriander
1½ tsp ground cumin
2 cups cooking oil
Method
Soak chickpeas in water and baking soda overnight (they will still feel a little hard which is fine). Rinse well, then blend to a puree in a blender or food processor. Some chunks will remain which is good for texture. Remove to a bowl.
Using a stick blender or mini food processor, blend garlic, onion, parsley, coriander, salt and ground coriander and cumin to a paste.
Add the paste to the chickpeas and mix with your hands until well combined.
Roll mixture into balls a little smaller than your palm and place on a plate. This can be done in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use.
Heat 2 cups cooking oil in a saucepan and fry the falafel in batches until well browned and crispy, turning a few times throughout cooking.
Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt to serve.
Zhoug
Makes 1½ cups
1 cup parsley leaves
2 cups coriander (leaves and stems)
1 deseeded green chilli
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Blend together the following ingredients, adjusting salt and chilli to taste.
Turkish chicken kebabs
I would be hard-pressed to replicate the skilfully made meals of Burj, but their plate of chicken thigh shish with sumac onions and saffron and blood orange sauce reminded me I hadn’t made chicken kebabs in a while. It was a nice way to reconnect with the barbecue.
This is entirely my recipe, but credit goes to Burj for the inspiration and my new favourite condiment - sumac pickled onion.
Accompany with a garlicky yoghurt or break out the ajo blanco as I have done here.
SERVES: 4
700g chicken thighs
8 small skewers
Olive oil, for cooking
Marinade
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tsp salt
Zest 1 lemon
¼ cup yoghurt
Method
Grate the onion and, using your hands, squeeze the juice into a bowl. Finely grate (using a microplane) or crush the garlic into the bowl then mix in the rest of the marinade ingredients.
Chop the chicken into large dice and mix through the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge for 4-8 hours.
Thread chicken on to 8 small (18cm long) skewers.
Heat a barbecue or grill plate on the stovetop. Drizzle the skewers with oil and cook 20 minutes until cooked through, turning so all sides get some colour.
Serve drizzled with a garlicky yoghurt and pickled red onion.
Pickled red onion with sumac
Marinate 1 thinly sliced red onion in ½ cup cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sumac.
Give them at least an hour but they will keep well in the fridge for a week.
