Middle Eastern food transcends borders; one nation’s cuisine melts into its neighbor’s. They all have their own versions of standards like hummus, kebabs and baklava. For a Lebanese take on classic Middle Easter fare, I picked up Rose Water & Orange Blossoms by food writer and blogger Maureen Abood. The dishes are interspersed with heartwarming, engaging anecdotes and plenty of tips, serving suggestions and even ingredient brand names, which can be helpful when shopping unfamiliar international aisles.
This accessible text covers the spectrum of Lebanese cooking from avocado tabbouleh to zaatar. Straightforward and well written, most of her recipes are weeknight friendly, yet special enough to serve guests. With that in mind, I decided to prepare a classic meat and rice dish called hushweh that Abood described as “perhaps the most beloved Lebanese dish that my family has ever served anyone. Its buttery goodness will bring peace and calm in the face of adversity, and will soothe a weary soul.” Sold!
The recipe is made in three parts. The buttered nuts took just moments to prepare, and the roasted chicken, though delicious on its own and as good as any I’ve ever prepared, can be easily substituted with a store-bought rotisserie chicken (with only a 5-pound bird available to me, it took almost 90 minutes to roast).
The predominant flavor of comforting dish is butter scented with cinnamon. I’m not sure it would feed 12 as a main, but with an accompanying vegetable (sauteed spinach is perfect) and the suggested salad, pita and hummus, it would be plenty. While buttery and satisfying, I wanted to boost the flavor profile of the dish. I reheated my leftovers in a skillet, which yielded some nice crunchy bits. I finished it with a hefty dose of lemon juice to balance the richness, plus a large handful of chopped fresh parsley and a touch of fresh mint, which not only gave the entree a lighter touch, but also added a much-needed splash of color to the beige dish.
The Rundown Skill level: Though perfect for an inexperienced cook, anyone will appreciate Abood’s detailed instruction and her inviting approach to simply complex recipes.
This book is for: If you’re looking for entry into the world of Middle Eastern cuisine, ingredients and menus, this book covers all the bases and then some.
Other recipes to try: Zaatar-roasted tomato crostini with labneh, fried kibbe with mint butter, sticky date cake with warm orange blossom-caramel sauce.
The verdict: Check back next week when Rose Water and Orange Blossoms takes on Zahav.
Hushweh (Chicken Rice Pilaf with Butter Toasted Almonds) 12 servings
For the chicken:
1 (3- to 4-lb./1.35 to 1.8 kg.) free-range chicken
1 large yellow onion, quartered
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. granulated garlic powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
Few grinds of black pepper
For the rice:
4 Tbsp. salted butter, divided
1 lb./450 g. ground beef chuck or lamb
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Few grinds of black pepper
1 cup/190 g. parboiled long-grain white rice (such as Uncle Ben’s)
2 cups/475 ml chicken broth
1 cinnamon stick
¾ cup/110 g. Butter Toasted Almonds (recipe follows)
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Pat the chicken dry. Place it in a large roasting pan. Stuff the cavity with the onion. Rub a couple of tablespoons of oil evenly over the skin and season the chicken all over lightly with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Roast the chicken until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees in the thigh on an instant read thermometer, about 1 hour. Baste the chicken every 15 minutes with its juices while it roasts.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and season it with the ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook the meat, stirring constantly and using a metal spoon to crumble it into small pieces until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes.
• Stir the rice into the meat until it is completely coated with its juices. Pour in the broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, tuck in the cinnamon stick, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all of the broth is absorbed.
• Transfer the roasted chicken to a cutting board and when it is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Shred the chicken into 1-inch pieces.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and add the chicken, ½ cup of the toasted nuts, and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the hot rice mixture, stirring to combine. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts and serve immediately.
Butter Toasted Pine Nuts and Almonds ½ Tbsp. salted butter
1 cup/110 g. slivered almonds or whole pine nuts
Fine sea salt, to taste
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir the nuts to coat them with the butter and continue stirring constantly until the nuts are golden brown. Keep a close watch over the nuts; they can burn quickly once they begin to brown.
• Transfer the nuts to a bowl while they are still warm and salt them lightly. When they have cooled to room temperature, store the nuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a month or in the freezer for up to one year.
Reprinted with permission from Running Press
This article appears in November 2015.