Over a decade of travel to Spain, Gibraltar, Italy and Israel, I have collected recipes for some unusual and exotic spice combinations that have found their way into my regular entertaining repertoire. Their flavors are a surprise and a delight to the palate -- lemony, smoky, nutty, sweet and piquant – adding depth to everyday dishes and yielding compliments from my guests.
Sumac
In the Mediterranean and Middle East, a tart and tasty spice called sumac is derived from the berry of a bush that grows wild in poor soils especially in the Middle East and parts of Italy. The brick-red fruits are sold as whole berries or, more commonly, dried and crushed to form a coarse purple-red powder. Sumac has a fruity-tart flavor which is not quite as overpowering as lemon. Try substituting in any dish on which you might squeeze fresh lemon juice.
Fattoush
Serves 4-6
Meaning “moistened bread” Fattoush (pronounced "fadash”) is a peasant salad of Lebanese/Syrian origin made tart and lively by the addition of sumac to its oil and lemon juice dressing.
2 cups romaine, sliced
1 large or 2 small cucumbers, small dice
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 to 2 teaspoons sumac (to taste)
2/3 cup sheep’s milk feta cheese (optional)
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives (optional)
2 pieces of pita bread toasted until golden brown, broken into pieces the size of a quarter
Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 to 4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
In a small bowl mix all dressing ingredients well. Toast pita and break into chips. Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 to 1 cup dressing. Add pita bread at the last minute and toss again. Serve immediately (so the pita bread won’t get too soggy!)
Zatar
Zatar (rhymes with batter), also spelled z’atar, zattar or zahatar, is a mixture of herbs and spices used as a condiment and flavoring in the Middle East The name refers to the Arabic word for the herb used as the main ingredient (wild thyme) mixed with toasted sesame seeds, sumac and salt. Some varieties may use marjoram, oregano, savory, cumin, coriander or fennel seed. Zatar should taste lemony, nutty, fruity, sweet and smoky.
Zatar Seasoning
Makes 24 teaspoons
3 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 Tablespoons lemon zest, finely grated or equal amount of dried lemon zest
4 teaspoons dried thyme or savory
2 teaspoons dried marjoram or oregano
2 teaspoons sumac
1 teaspoon cumin, coriander or fennel seed (optional)
Dry roast the sesame seeds and lemon zest in a heavy pan over a low heat for about 6 minutes or until the seeds darken and become fragrant and the zest dries out. Mix all ingredients in small container with a lid and shake or, grind ingredients in spice grinder for finer spice mixture. Keep in a sealed jar in a cool, dark and dry place for up to 2 months.
Zatar Bread
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Zatar
2 large pita rounds (8" in diameter) or 4 small ones
Preheat the oven to 400°F or set grill to medium-high.
Combine the olive oil and Zatar in a small bowl, stirring well. Cut the pitas open and gently separate the two layers. Spread mixture inside pitas and cut into wedges, arranging in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes, until the wedges start to brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Zatar Vegetable Dip
Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon Zatar over 1 cup of plain thick Greek or Lebanese yogurt (or drain plain yogurt through cheesecloth for several hours) or 1 cup mayonnaise or sour cream and use as a vegetable dip.
Zatar Bruschetta
1 Tablespoons Zatar
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half or 2-3 medium tomatoes sliced
Sprinkle with one Tablespoon of the Zatar; toss well. Taste and add more seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, encouraging diners to place tomatoes on fresh bread.
Dukkah
Pronounced (Dok-ka), Dukkah is a blend of toasted nuts, seeds and spices of Egyptian origin. As with sumac, Dukkah may be used as a unique dip or topping for bread or a flavoring for salad, rice, pasta, vegetables or a coating for fish and chicken. Give a gift of a jar of Dukkah to friends!
Dukkah Seasoning Recipe
Makes 5 cups
1 cup sesame seeds
2 cups coriander seeds
2/3 cup blanched hazelnuts, pistachios or almonds (or a mixture of two or three)
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and roast each type of seed/nut for 10-20 minutes until they just begin to brown. Take out each as it is ready. Alternatively, you may toast them in a large dry frying pan, stirring constantly.
Place toasted nuts and seeds in a food processor with salt and pepper and grind until finely crushed, but not a paste. Dukkah should be a crushed dry mixture. Add more salt to taste. There are endless variations of this basic recipe that use more nuts to fewer spices or add crushed red pepper and garlic powder, so experiment until you find the proportion you like best.
Dukkah Bread Dip
Place ¼ cup olive oil and ¼ cup Dukkah in two small shallow bowls. Dip fresh pita, flatbread, foccacia or naan in olive oil and then dip into the nut mixture.
Roasted Vegetables with Dukkah
6 cups cauliflower or broccoli
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt to taste
2 Tablespoons Dukkah
Preheat oven to 400F. Trim cauliflower or broccoli into florets and toss with oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes until top edges are golden brown. Season with salt. Just before serving, sprinkle with Dukkah.
Sources:
Whole Foods Stores often carry Sumac.
Online sources for sumac and zatar include:
http://ziyad.elsstore.com/
www.penzeys.com
www.zamourispices.com
www.amazon.com