For Sam and Samantha Clark, mezze isn't just the food they serve at Moro, their restaurant in London's Clerkenwell; it's the way they eat at home. 'Mezze is a very sociable way to eat, and that's important to us in our family life. It's about children, family and friends all grouped around - everyone sharing from the same spread of dishes,' says Samantha. 'When we can, we eat mezze in our garden at home,' adds Sam.
Since mezze has been evolving as a style of eating all around the eastern Mediterranean for hundreds of years, the dishes don't have to be rigidly interpreted. 'Mezze is meant to be lots of small tastes and sensations, and can be based on whatever's in season and feels right,' says Sam. 'It's about being excited by what's in the market.'
It's important to get the right blend of textures too, says Samantha. 'Some things should be smooth and some should be crunchy - you want some things you can plunge into, like our Syrian lentils that you can have hot or cold and dip breads into, and you want other things like beetroot salad with a bit of crunch.' It's not just about the blend of textures though, adds Sam. 'Mezze should have some dishes that are sweet, and some that are sour, or have the tang of yoghurt. The herbs and spices that are used are very important, too - sometimes it's only the use of cumin over caraway that allows us to know where the dish came from.'
Mezze is perfect for a barbecue, because traditionally a lot of the meat and fish dishes would have been cooked in that way anyway. 'So instead of having the more predictable accompaniments to a barbecue, you can have lots of different things - and really make use of the charcoals, too. You can grill onions for a salad, or start off your baba ghannuge on it, or warm your pitta bread on the grill. We even make our flatbreads over charcoals,' says Sam. Of course they are a bit more practised at this than most - not only do they have a charcoal grill in the restaurant, but they also make use of a big communal barbecue in their East End allotment, where people share what they've grown, and eat it together. 'We found we had neighbours from all over the world who were brilliant cooks,' says Samantha. 'We discovered all sorts of things from them that we could add to our repertoire - like when our patch got overrun by poppies and a woman showed us how to use poppy leaves and feta cheese in our flatbreads. Other people make dolmas from the vine leaves that grow overhead.'
It's not a great surprise then to hear that their next book, Moro East, will be full of mezze recipes from the allotment and all about the joys of eating together, outside. And it's welcome news that the couple's next restaurant, which they hope to open next year, will be specifically for those who want to adopt the mezze lifestyle and linger over lots of little plates. As Samantha says, 'The whole point of mezze is that you have a little from one bowl, then a bit from another, on and on - forever really.'
Fairly easy
Hummus with lamb
Many of us love good hummus, but this hummus is especially delicious with the addition of slightly chewy ground lamb, sweetened with onion and cinnamon.
Serves 4
200g chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda
6 tbs olive oil
1/2 large Spanish onion, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with salt
3-4 tbs good tahini paste from a jar
170g lamb, minced
2 tbs pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 medium bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked from the stalks
a sprinkling of paprika
sea salt and black pepper
Rinse the chickpeas under cold water, then place in a large saucepan, fill with 2 litres of cold water and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum as it builds up, and cook for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the skins are tender. Remove from the heat, pour off excess liquid until level with the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Meanwhile heat half of the olive oil over a low-to-medium heat and fry the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden and sweet. Remove and add the ground cinnamon.
To make the hummus, drain the chickpeas, keeping aside the liquid, and blend in the food processor with a little cooking liquid. When smooth, add the lemon juice, garlic, tahini and the rest of the olive oil. Add salt and pepper, and more liquid if necessary. Taste for seasoning and spread hummus onto a plate so it is ready to receive the lamb.
Then place a frying pan over a high heat and when it is hot, add the caramelised onion and its oil followed by the lamb. Use the back of a fork to break up the lamb as it sizzles and season with salt and pepper. When it begins to crisp, add the pine nuts and transfer immediately to the hummus. Serve with the parsley leaves and paprika sprinkled on top, pickled chillies and plenty of flatbread or pitta.
Fairly easy
Lentil puree
This Syrian dish is delicious as part of a mezze spread.
Serves 4
6 tbs olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 rounded tsp cumin seeds, roughly ground
125g fresh coriander, chopped and stalks set aside
250g small brown or puy lentils
1.75 litres water
a squeeze of lemon
sea salt and black pepper
For the caramelised onions:
300ml sunflower oil
2 large onions, halved and sliced into rounds as thin and even as possible (we recommend using a mandolin)
To make the caramelised onions, heat the oil in a large saucepan until very hot. Add enough sliced onion to make one layer and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Towards the last stages of cooking, a lot of stirring will be required to help the onion cook evenly. When golden in colour, remove the onion with a slotted spoon, draining as much of the oil as possible back into the pan and spread out on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining onions.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over a medium heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the garlic and cumin and fry for a minute or two until golden. Stir in the coriander stalks, followed by the lentils, water and half the caramelised onions.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 40-60 minutes or until the lentils are soft and start to mush, becoming sauce-like.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander leaves, the remaining olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Season with salt and pepper, and taste. Serve warm or at room temperature with the remaining caramelised onions on top.
Fairly easy
Salads
Tabbouleh
Most of us visualise tabbouleh as bulgur with specks of herbs, but in the Lebanon it is very green with specks of bulgur. At the restaurant we do something in between. Follow these tips for a simple mineral tonic of a salad:
1. For the right texture it is important to use flat-leaf parsley.
2. Try not to bruise the herbs when chopping them, so always use a sharp knife or a mezzaluna.
3. When chopping the tomatoes, do so with care, for they must look jewel-like and not at all squashed.
Serves 4
85g fine bulgur wheat
400g sweetest tomatoes, diced
4 spring onions, chopped finely
3 small bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 small bunch fresh mint, roughly chopped
For the dressing:
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
With fine bulgur, all you have to do is wash it well in a sieve and shake it dry; it will have absorbed enough water for it to swell. If you can only get medium bulgur, it should sit in cold water for 3 minutes to swell before it is put in the sieve.
Mix all the salad ingredients together. To make the dressing we first like to add the garlic, salt and spices to the lemon juice (the flavours are more easily dispersed and dissolved) and then to stir in the olive oil. Toss the salad just before you are ready to eat and finally check for seasoning.
Grilled onion salad with pomegranates
Serves 4
1kg new season's onions with tops on (or red and spring onions), roots trimmed and washed
1 large pomegranate, or 100g picked pomegranate seeds
1 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
For the dressing:
1 large pomegranate, or 100g picked pomegranate seeds
1 small garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Place the onions whole over a hot barbecue, directly on the naked flame of a gas hob or under the grill until the skin is charred and crispy all over and the flesh is very soft, for about 15-40 minutes depending on the size of the onions.
Meanwhile, for the dressing, squeeze the pomegranate seeds in a bowl with your hands, then press them through a sieve to extract all the juice. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and set aside.
When the onions are cool enough to handle, peel off any burnt skin, place the onions in a large mixing bowl, pour over the dressing, add the mint and pomegranate seeds and toss carefully. Taste for seasoning.
Raw beetroot salad with pistachio sauce
Serves 4
500g raw young beetroot, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
a small handful flat-leaf parsley, picked
For the pistachio sauce
100g shelled unsalted pistachios
2 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 dsp finely chopped mint
1 dsp lemon juice
1 tsp caster sugar
7 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
4 tbs water
1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
sea salt and black pepper
To make the pistachio sauce, finely chop the pistachios by hand or in a food processor. Mix together with the other ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.
When you are ready to serve the salad, dress the beetroot and parsley leaves with the lemon juice and oil and season. Spread out on a large platter and spoon the pistachio sauce over. Serve immediately.
Lebanese chicken
Grilled chicken wings with tahini is a classic Lebanese dish perfect for the barbecue. Tahini paste is made from pounded sesame seeds. It is used throughout the Middle East in a variety of ways.
Serves 4
12 chicken wings, tips removed
tahini sauce (see below)
1 small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked from the stalks
sea salt and black pepper
For the marinade:
3 garlic cloves, crushed with salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground cumin
1 lemon
2 tbs good tahini paste from a jar
1 tbs olive oil
For the tahini:
2 garlic cloves
3 tbs good tahini paste from a jar
juice of a lemon
5 tbs water
sea salt and black pepper
In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken wings, making sure they are well coated, and leave to marinate for at least an hour.
To make the tahini sauce, crush the garlic cloves to a paste with a good pinch of salt in the mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the tahini paste and then thin with the lemon juice. Add water until it is the consistency of double cream. Check the seasoning.
A barbecue is an ideal way to cook the wings, or alternatively use a hot grill, griddle or oven (the latter at 220C/gas mark 7).
Cook for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally until the skin is golden brown and slightly charred and the meat cooked through. Check for seasoning. Serve with tahini sauce, parsley leaves and wedges of lemon.
· Moro, Exmouth Market, London EC1, 020 7833 8336
