With an inspiring new work, “Sumac” the cookbook by Anas Atassi, the author hopes to use food to build a bridge between Syrian culture and the rest of the world.
Once upon a time Syria was at the top of my travel wish-list. I’ve long held a passion for Middle Eastern food and the food of Syria in particular is generally held in high esteem. Of course the possibility of travel to Syria is, sadly, long gone but this important culinary tradition is being maintained, preserved and shared as émigré Syrians, exiled from their homes, scatter throughout the world. Sumac , the cookbook by Anas Atassi (RRP $49.99, but only $37.75 if you use this link) is a fine example of the kind of culinary deliciousness to be expected from this ancient and sophisticated food culture.
Now living in Amsterdam, Atassi was born in Homs, and his cookbook is fired by his family recipes, stories, celebrations and their memories of loved ones in Syria. His personal stories in “Sumac” were the inspiration for the dishes in between its covers. The lost days of breakfasts in his grandmother’s garden, his mothers meals, the family parties to mark weddings, births and graduations that he remembers from childhood summers spent in Homs are what underpins the food in this book, with each recipe firmly grounded in memory.
Using the food of his people, and dotted with personal anecdotes, Anas Atassi hopes this cookbook will “… build a bridge between Syrian culture and the rest of the world, with food as the common denominator.” The inclusion of lots of family photos bring a warmth to this cookbook, which is richly evocative of times and places gone by. The recipes are totally accessible and offer a glimpse into the deep historical roots of this important culinary culture.
And through it all is the “red thread’ of sumac the ubiquitous deep red spice which connects each dish.
Red bulgar bi jara – ‘dirty’ Bulgur with Roast Chicken
The recipes include casual dishes, side dishes, main meals and lots of lovely flat-bread snacks and light meals. I can’t go past any chicken recipe with North African or Middle Eastern flavours, so I made Red Bulgur bi Jara – ‘dirty’ bulgar with roast chicken – to much acclaim last night, although I had substitute red rice when the local supermarket failed me in the bulgur department. This tasty, (almost) one-pot dish will be a regular on our table.
Red Bulgur bi Jara ('Dirty' bulgur with roast chicken)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs with thighs attached
Marinade
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper
Bulgur
- 200 gms course bulgur
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 French shallots, peeled but left whole
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 400gm tinned, chopped tomatoes
- 200 mls chicken stock
- 1 200gm tinned chick peas, rinsed
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper
- chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Put the chicken and all marinade ingredients in a large-ish freezer bag, seal and rub the mixture into the chicken well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Heat oven to 200C
- Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish, pour the marinade over, cover with foil, and cook for 30 minutes. Turn the grill on, remove the foil and grill until chicken is browned.
- Continue with the bulgur while the chicken is cooking.
- Place bulgur into a bowl, cover with boiling water, soak for 5 minutes.
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil on a medium heat. Fry the shallots until golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and fry for another minute or two.
- Stir in the tomato paste and ground spices, cook, stirring, until the sauce browns to intensify the flavours. Add the tomatoes, the drained bulgur and chicken stock. Season.
- Stir, cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Do not allow to cook dry.
- Once the bulgur is cooked, stir in the chick peas and frozen peas. Heat over low heat to warm through.
- Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes, covered.
- Serve with the chicken, garnish liberally with parsley.
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I just got this cookbook from the library. Yummo!
I’m sure you will love it, Peggy.
I adore Middle Eastern food and this one looks so tasty and quite simple. Bulgur is a wonderful grain to cook with.Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I think you’ll find it’s a keeper, Pauline. ?