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The team at the Palomar
The team at the Palomar including Layo Paskin, third from left, Tomer Amedi, third from right, and Yael Amedi, second from right Photograph: Lee Strickland/Observer Food Monthly
The team at the Palomar including Layo Paskin, third from left, Tomer Amedi, third from right, and Yael Amedi, second from right Photograph: Lee Strickland/Observer Food Monthly

Middle Eastern fusion: recipes from the Palomar

From ‘Thai-bouleh’ to fast shakshuka, exclusive recipes from Observer Food Monthly readers’ 2015 restaurant of the year

Thirty seconds from the hot mess that is London’s Leicester Square, the Palomar gets tourists, theatregoers, A-list film stars peering in their window. “But getting people walking past to come in is hard because the food is quite strange,” says Layo Paskin, its creative director. “Sometimes you see them think, ‘This looks like a cool place.’ Then they read the menu and look like this” – an Edvard Munch mask of terror. “Or you can see them thinking, ‘Maybe later…’”

Tomer Amedi, the head chef, explodes with laughter. “They have
no burgers!” he mock-screams. “What is this?”

All of which suggests The Palomar Cookbook will not be to everyone’s tastes. For many of us, though, it is the most breathlessly awaited release of the year. The restaurant, which only opened in the summer of 2014, has been named the best place to eat in Britain by GQ and Tatler magazines, and by no lesser authorities than you: the readers of OFM in our 2015 awards. Two days before I meet the Palomar team, the actress Natalie Portman had sat in front of Amedi and asked him when the cookbook was due. “She said, ‘Please, I want a copy as soon as it’s out,’” he says. “It’s nice, people are interested in cooking this at home.”

The Palomar – today represented by Paskin, Amedi and his wife Yael Amedi, the pastry chef, – loves to feed people. Even though the interview takes place between meals, a relentless stream of dishes arrives at our table: fluffy Yemeni bread; beetroot carpaccio cooked in a charcoal oven; the famous polenta Jerusalem-style; the “deconstructed kebab” shakshukit (all of which feature in the book). I keep waiting for the others to dig in, but no, this is all for me. Eventually, just as I’m ready to put up the white flag, Tomer Amedi says, “Do you want a small dessert? Just a tiny one. No pressure. That’s my Jewish mum inside of me. I’ve got to give you the whole experience.”

The experience of eating at the Palomar is not easily forgotten. There’s a small table-service area at the back, but the prime spots are at the bar, inches from the chefs who are cooking your food. These men and women serve you water, chit-chat about the West End play you’ve just seen and explain a menu that majors in Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish traditions but rampages across the Middle East and North Africa. They might also down shots of arak with you while Amedi picks up his sticks and launches into kitchen drumming. “I started my journey as a guitarist then a drummer then a chef,” he explains. “I think I cook a bit better than I play!”

“But it’s not like: OK, it’s eight o’clock, it’s time for shots,” adds Paskin. “Some nights it’s not done at all. Because we’ve got to feel it.”

The Palomar came about after Paskin, then a DJ, went to a restaurant in Jerusalem called Machneyuda. He had not long closed a nightclub he ran, The End, and he struck up a deal with the owners to open a restaurant in London; in return, they sent two of their best young chefs, Tomer and Yael Amedi. “I look at it this way: without Machneyuda, there couldn’t be the Palomar, but without The End, there couldn’t be the Palomar,” says Paskin. “It’s Soho, not an outdoor market in Jerusalem, the cultures are very different.”

If you like Yotam Ottolenghi and Honey & Co recipes, you’ll almost certainly love The Palomar Cookbook. But, thanks in large part to the Amedis, the dishes have an identity and quirks of their own. As one of Yael’s creations, a Jerusalem mess – a refined Eton mess with labneh cream – arrives, I ask what they think makes their food distinctive. “Because of the open kitchen, I can’t imagine not cooking for someone: not just for a person, but for someone specific,” says Tomer Amedi. “Genuinely it affects the food. I’m a big believer in having an energy to the service and an energy to the cooks. You know the food will taste better, they see the whole thing unfold in front of their eyes, they are part of it. The train is running with them.”

For Paskin, the success of the Palomar is similarly intangible. “There’s the elevated dishes and the service, but those are the ground rules, it almost has to be like that,” he says, as music booms over the speakers. “It’s the love on top that makes it a place you would want to go.”
34 Rupert St, London W1D 6DN

Chickpeas with spinach and yoghurt

Chickpeas with spinach and yoghurt. Photograph: Helen Cathcart

Serves 6


dried chickpeas 200g, soaked overnight in 2 litres cold water
cold water 2.5 litres
tomato 1 large, cut into 2cm cubes
spinach 1 bunch, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped, about 200g prepared weight
unwaxed lemon 1 small, first sliced into rounds 1cm thick, then deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes, including the rind
green chilli 1, deseeded and diced
parsley a handful, chopped
mint a handful, chopped
garlic 2 cloves, finely grated
extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp, plus a nice drizzle at the end
lemon juice 2½ tbsp, freshly squeezed
salt and pepper to taste
Greek yoghurt 6 tbsp

Drain and wash the chickpeas, place in a saucepan and cover with the 2.5 litres water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for an hour, skimming off the foam from time to time. The chickpeas should be tender but not mushy – cook for a little longer if necessary.

Meanwhile, prep all the vegetables and herbs and place in a large bowl.

Once the chickpeas are done, drain and add to the bowl. Then add the oil and lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper and mix gently.

Divide the yoghurt between 6 plates (or go for one big one) and top with the salad. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil and enjoy.

Chicken thighs in green olive and tomato sauce

Chicken thighs in green olive and tomato sauce. Photograph: Helen Cathcart

Serves 4. Serve with couscous, plain rice or freekeh.

chicken thighs 8, or 4 whole legs (thighs and drumsticks)
baharat spice mix 2 tbsp
ras el hanout spice mix 2 tbsp
olive oil 2 tbsp
rapeseed oil 1 tbsp
onions 2, thinly diced
chilli flakes 1 tsp
lemon juice 3 tbsp, freshly squeezed
green olives 250g, plain pitted (my favourites are Manzanilla)
garlic 8 cloves, sliced
chicken or vegetable stock 1 litre, or water (but do make the effort here to make some stock, it really lifts this dish)
pepper to taste
chopped tomatoes 2 x 400g cans, very good quality
sugar 1 tsp
parsley a handful, chopped
coriander a handful, chopped

Start by rubbing the chicken with 1 tablespoon each of the baharat and ras el hanout spice mixes and some salt, then set aside while you start the sauce. (You can do this the day before, then cover and leave the chicken thighs or legs in the fridge overnight – they’ll be even tastier.)

Heat a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat, add the oils and then the onions and saute with a pinch of salt and the chilli flakes for about 10–15 minutes until the onions are nicely caramelized.

While the onions are frying, bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to the boil, add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and blanch the olives for 2 minutes. Drain and then repeat this process twice more. Drain for the final time and set them aside.

When the onions have caramelised, add the garlic and saute for 2–3 more minutes. Meanwhile, heat up a large nonstick pan over a medium heat, add the thighs or legs, skin-side down, and let them crisp up as they slowly render their fat.

Add half the stock (or water) to the onions and garlic. Meanwhile, when the thighs are nice and crisp on the skin side, flip them and sear on the other side as well. Season with a touch of salt and pepper, remove from the pan and leave to rest.

Add the remaining stock to the pan and deglaze it with a wooden spoon, combining the residue from the pan with the onions, garlic and stock. This will add amazing flavour to your sauce.

When the stock has reduced by half (when you’re left with about 500ml), add the tomatoes, blanched olives, sugar and the rest of the spice mixes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and simmer for a further 20 minutes over a low heat. I like to turn the heat off and leave the dish to rest for at least 30–45 minutes before I serve, which binds all the flavours amazingly. Garnish with the chopped herbs and serve.

Fast traditional shakshuka

Fast traditional shakshuka. Photograph: Helen Cathcart

Serves 4

matbucha 1 recipe (see below)
water 250-500ml
eggs 8 (I serve 2 eggs per person, but you can go for more or fewer)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley a handful, chopped, to garnish

Heat your matbucha sauce in a large, wide, shallow pan, stirring in the water – you need to start with a loose sauce, as some of the liquid will evaporate during the cooking.

Season to taste with salt, then break the eggs into the sauce, one by one, making sure that you keep the yolks whole. Drag the egg whites a bit with a fork to allow them to mix slightly with the sauce. This will ensure that the flavour is spread evenly through your shakshuka.

Simmer over a very low heat for 10–15 minutes until the egg whites set nicely but the yolks are still runny. I always go for a runny yolk – nothing beats that buttery sensation in your mouth – but I know some people like their yolks cooked through, so if you belong to that school, simply cover the pan during the cooking process.

Season the yolks with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, make sure the bread is not too far away and dig in! I like to eat this straight from the pan and therefore wait for everybody to take theirs so that I can be last and keep the best bits to myself. Try it and you’ll see exactly what I mean, but just keep this information to yourself or you’ll need to fight for it. Been there, done that.

Matbucha

Makes 1 litre

rapeseed oil 5 tbsp
red peppers 3, cored, deseeded and cut into 2cm square pieces
romano peppers 3 (if you can’t find them, use an additional 3 regular ones), cored, deseeded and cut into 2cm square pieces
salt
red chillies 1-2 , finely chopped (depending on how hot you like it)
garlic 3-4 cloves, finely sliced
cumin seeds ½ tsp, toasted and ground
chopped tomatoes 400g can, good-quality, strained
sweet paprika 1 tsp
challah to serve

The secret of success for this mezze is to keep it on a gentle simmer. Heat a large frying pan (the heavier the better) over a medium-low heat. Add the oil, peppers and a pinch of salt, and let them sweat until they collapse. This should take about 35–40 minutes.

Add the chillies and cook for 10 minutes, then add the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. At this point your kitchen should be filled with a garlicky aroma, but we’re not there yet, so don’t dip your challah!

Add the tomatoes and gently simmer for about 30 minutes. The colour should become darker and the aroma more intense.

This is the time to add the paprika and salt to taste. Simmer for another 10 minutes and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You can eat it hot or cold, and it will keep in the fridge, in a sterilised airtight container, for up to a week. Now for challah…

New-style shakshuka

Serves 4

salt 2tbsp
cauliflower 1 small, broken into 3-5cm evenly sized florets
olive oil 50ml
aubergine 1, cut into 2cm cubes
salt and pepper
chilli flakes ½ tsp
cumin seeds 1 tbsp, toasted and ground
coriander seeds 1 tsp, toasted and ground (optional)
garlic 2-3 cloves, sliced, or very finely chopped (depending on how intense you like your garlic)
fresh oregano leaves a handful
vegetable stock or water 200ml
courgette 1, shaved into ribbons with a peeler
eggs 8
parsley a handful, chopped, to garnish

Start by placing a large pan of water on the hob with 2 tablespoons salt added and bring to the boil. Blanch the cauliflower florets for 2–3 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and then the aubergine cubes. Now this is important: make sure you season every ingredient that goes in the pan with some salt and pepper and a little of the chilli flakes, cumin and coriander (if using) to ensure that your shakshuka bursts with flavour – you can mix the dried spices (but not the salt) together to make them easier to add each time.

Cook the aubergines for about 5–7 minutes until they have a nice golden colour. Then add the cauliflower florets, garlic and oregano, season as before and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes.

Crank up the heat, add the stock or water and scrape the base of the pan with a wooden spoon (that’s where all the flavour is) to deglaze. Leave the stock to boil for 30 seconds, then add the courgette shavings and the rest of the spices. Break the eggs gently into the sauce and drag the egg whites (see fast traditional shakshuka above).

Lower the heat and cook for about 10–15 minutes until the whites have set but the yolks are still runny. Season the yolks with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and rock on.

Scallop carpaccio with ‘Thai-bouleh’ cashew and lime tabbouleh

Scallop carpaccio. Photograph: Helen Cathcart

It’s funny how cuisines you don’t normally associate with one another actually feature similar flavour profiles: Thai and Lebanese cooking share the love of sour and lots of herbs. So, weird as it may sound, it feels pretty natural to play with them both. The traditional bulgur in tabbouleh is replaced here with finely chopped toasted cashews, and the lemon with lime.

Serves 4

fresh scallops 8-10, cleaned
parsley a handful, chopped
coriander a handful, chopped
mint a handful, chopped
shallot 1, finely chopped
cashew nuts a handful, toasted and finely chopped
dried barberries or chopped dried cranberries 1 tbsp
salt to taste
lime juice 50ml
rapeseed or vegetable oil 2½ tbsp
sugar a pinch
Maldon salt flakes to taste

For the garnish
lime 1
green chilli ½, finely sliced
spring onions 2-3, green parts only, cut into 5cm pieces and sliced into thin strips (put these straight into iced water to retain their vibrancy)
olive oil a drizzle

Slice the scallops into thin discs and arrange them on 4 chilled plates.

To make the “Thai-bouleh”, combine the herbs, shallot, cashews and dried barberries (or cranberries) in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt, half the lime juice, the oil and sugar. Season the scallops with Maldon salt flakes and a touch of lime juice, then divide the Thai-bouleh between the plates, making sure that it covers all the scallops – you want to taste it in each bite.

For the garnish, cut off the top and bottom of the lime with a serrated knife. Sit the fruit on the chopping board and cut away the rind and white pith from the top to the bottom, turning the fruit around until only the flesh is left. Cut between the membranes to extract the pristine, pith-free segments.

Garnish with the lime segments, sliced chilli, curly spring onions, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Kubaneh bread

Kubaneh bread. Photograph: Helen Cathcart

Kubaneh is a traditional Yemeni bread, baked overnight in a special lidded aluminium pot. According to Orthodox Jewish law, you’re not permitted to cook from sunset on Friday to sunset the following day, so this lovely bread was born out of necessity, which in turn became a ritual. The end result is beautifully rich in texture.

When we opened the Palomar, we knew we needed a bread that was perfectly suited to plate-mopping, so I came up with this fluffy version of kubaneh. Luckily for us (and you), it needs only 30 minutes’ baking. You don’t need special baking proficiency to make this bread – just be fearless.

As kubaneh baking pots are not something to be found in every home, you can use 6 x 12cm baking rings instead to make individual loaves, or 2 x 900g loaf tins , each measuring 28.5 x 13.5cm, for larger ones.

Makes 6 small loaves or 3 larger loaves

plain flour 500g, plus extra for dusting if making by hand
fresh yeast 30g (or 10g fast-action dried yeast)
salt 15g
granulated sugar 70g
egg 1 small (50g)
cold water 320ml
unsalted butter 100g

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a mixing bowl if making by hand, mix the flour and yeast together on a low speed, then add the salt and the sugar. Mix in the egg and the water, making sure there is no flour left unmixed at the base of the bowl. The dough will be very sticky, but do not worry – this is exactly how it should be, so do not be tempted to add any flour.

Knead the dough on a low speed for 3 minutes, or by hand in a bowl, then cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Uncover the dough and knead it for about 1 minute to let some of the air out, then recover with clingfilm and leave to rest for a further 10 minutes. Repeat this kneading and resting process, then uncover and knead once more to let the air out – three times in total. Leave the dough to rise for about an hour or until tripled in size.

Next comes the fun part – it’s time for some hand-in-butter action. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Take 6 x 12cm baking rings (if going that route) and place on the baking sheet. Melt the butter in a pan on the hob or in the microwave – it should be lukewarm rather than piping hot, otherwise dipping your hands in it will be no fun at all.

Clean your work surface and use your hands to grease it with a little of the melted butter. Make sure you keep your hands and work surface nicely buttered throughout. Now divide the dough into 6 evenly sized balls (150g each). Take the first ball and, using your buttered hands, begin to spread the dough into a thin sheet roughly A4 paper size (30 x 42cm) – it’s OK if you get a hole here and there. Keep buttering your hands and work surface if needed.

Use your hands to roll the sheet into a tight tube. Now spiral the tube into a coil and place in a baking ring. Repeat with the rest of the balls of dough. If using loaf tins, you can fit three balls of dough in one tin.

Once your baking sheet is loaded with the 6 beautiful kubaneh coils, leave them to prove for 30 minutes or until tripled in size. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200C /gas mark 6.

Bake the kubaneh for 20–25 minutes (or 30 minutes if using loaf tins), turning the baking sheet around halfway through cooking to ensure a nice even colour on each loaf.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven and leave the loaves to cool for 10 minutes (I warn you, that’ll be a tough 10 minutes – the smell will drive you mad). Now remove from the rings and that’s it – you are ready to rip and dip!

To keep the loaves fresh, make sure they’re kept tightly wrapped or sealed and they’ll be fine overnight at room temperature, or for up to 3 days in the fridge. Or follow our mothers’ example and freeze a couple so that you’re always at the ready for an unexpected guest. They defrost brilliantly, and are very easy to warm up.

Velvet tomatoes

Velvet tomatoes. Photograph: Helen Cathcart

We serve this fresh tomato dip in the restaurant with our kubaneh bread. Easy to make, it’s a kind of a mix between a gazpacho and a Yemeni grated tomato sauce, and you can have it with bread or even as a cold fresh sauce for raw fish or some grilled vegetables.

The most important thing is to get really good ripe tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil – there’s no room to hide with only two key ingredients.

Serves 4

red tomatoes 500g, (ripe and a bit soft are the best), cut into quarters
green chilli ½ -1 (depending on how hot you like it)
cumin seeds 1 tsp, toasted and ground
extra virgin olive oil 4-5 tbsp
salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, chilli and cumin into the most powerful blender you can get your hands on. Blend until smooth. Then while continuing to blend, add the olive oil gradually. The mixture will emulsify and give you that velvety texture you want. Add salt to taste, and then comes the most important part: strain through the finest sieve you have (in the restaurant we use a chinois), as we don’t want any stray tomato skins.

I prefer to enjoy this the same day, but it will keep fresh in a sterilised airtight container in the fridge for 2 days, or you can store it for up to 5 days and use in any sauces for pasta and other dishes.

Vanilla and caramelised pine nut ice cream with apple caramel and hazelnut tuile

Vanilla and caramelised pine nut ice cream. Photograph: Helen Cathcart

Makes 2 litres

For the ice cream
granulated sugar 30g
pine nuts 50g, toasted
eggs 4, separated
caster sugar 50g
vanilla extract 5ml
whipping cream 500ml
liqueur 30ml (good quality rum,bourbon or even a Cointreau or Amaretto – don’t skip this, the alcohol helps it not to freeze solid)

For the apple caramel
granulated sugar 100g
butter a small knob
apple juice 60ml, unsweetened

For the hazelnut tuile
egg whites 2
salt ½ tsp
plain flour 30g
ground almonds 20g
butter 50g, melted
hazelnuts a handful, toasted and chopped
demerara sugar 1 tbsp

For the vanilla and caramelised pine-nut ice cream, first make a caramel by heating a heavy-based nonstick pan over a low heat and adding the granulated sugar in one even layer. It’s important not to stir or move the pan. Once all the sugar has melted and you have a light caramel, take the pan off the heat, stir in the pine nuts and then transfer to a tray lined with baking parchment. Leave to cool completely, then chop roughly and set aside for later.

Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl to soft peaks, then transfer to another large, clean mixing bowl. Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla together in the bowl that you used for the egg whites (no need to wash) until tripled in size and very pale in colour with a creamy texture. Fold in the egg whites.

Whip the cream to soft peaks in the bowl that you used for the egg whites (again, no need to wash) and fold into the egg mixture. Then gently fold in the alcohol and caramelised pine nuts. Transfer the mixture to a lidded freezer-proof container and leave in the freezer for at least 6 hours, or overnight. The ice cream can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

For the apple caramel, heat the sugar until you have a light caramel, as you did for the ice cream above. Add the butter and mix to combine using a whisk – but be careful, as it may spit due to the temperature difference.

Add the apple juice, a tablespoonful at a time, again being very careful. Only add more juice once the first addition is combined – if you add too much in one go, it will cool the caramel and leave you with apple juice and lumps of hard caramel!

After all the juice has been combined, move the mixture to a container and leave to cool. It’s better to store this at room temperature (it will set in the fridge). It will keep for up to 1 week.

For the hazelnut tuile, preheat your oven to 190C/gas mark 5 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Mix the egg whites and salt together in a mixing bowl until combined – the easiest way is to use a whisk, but we don’t want to beat the mixture, just combine it. Mix in the flour and ground almonds, followed by the melted butter.

Spread the mixture thinly over the lined baking tray using a palette knife, then scatter with the chopped hazelnuts and sugar. Bake for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely, then break up into pieces and transfer to an airtight container. It will keep for up to 1 month.

To serve, simply scoop the ice cream into serving bowls, drizzle with the caramel and sprinkle with tuile pieces.

The Palomar Cookbook is published by Mitchell Beazley, £25. Click here to order a copy from Guardian Bookshop for £20

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