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  3. To make the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, until caramelized and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring until the meat is no longer pink and all excess liquid has evaporated. Season with the pepper and salt to taste. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Add the leeks and mix well. Mix the tahini, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Mix in the cilantro. Add to the meat and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

  4. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease 8 shallow pie dishes measuring 5 inches (12.5 cm) in diameter and 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep with a little oil (or use nonstick ones).

  5. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll out one ball of dough on your work surface into a round large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the oiled pie dish. Lift the dough onto the pie dish and tuck the corners in making sure it is equally high all along the sides.

  6. Dividing evenly, spread the filling in the pie shells. Brush the high edges of the dough and the filling with the egg wash. Sprinkle a little sesame seeds all over.

  7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets. The crust should be golden brown and the top of the meat golden.

  Berber Meat Bread

  MEDFOUNA

  MOROCCO

  Medfouna, which means “buried” in Arabic, is a confusing name for this filled bread as it also describes a Moroccan dish where stewed pigeons are buried under a mound of steamed vermicelli. I am not sure why both dishes share the name. All I know is that this bread is a southern specialty. I initially saw the recipe on a postcard while browsing through a rack of them in Marrakesh. The name of the bread also refers to the fact that the bread is baked on a hot stone, buried under hot ashes—which is how it’s done in most southern areas, although in other, more northern areas, the bread is baked in regular wood-fired ovens. You can use ground lamb as in the recipe below, or if you can get it, use knlii (dried strips of spiced beef that are simmered in clarified butter, or smen as it is known in Morocco) for a much stronger flavor. Some cooks add chopped or sliced hard-boiled eggs to the filling. I prefer the bread without.

  SERVES 6 TO 8

  FOR THE FILLING

  1 pound 6 ounces (650 g) well-trimmed lamb shoulder (from about 2¼ pounds/1 kg), cut into tiny dice (see Note)

  1 large onion (7 ounces/200 g), very finely chopped

  A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

  1 tablespoon ground coriander

  ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

  1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

  ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  FOR THE DOUGH

  2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping

  1⅓ cups (220 g) fine semolina or semolina flour

  1½ teaspoons instant (fast-acting) yeast

  1½ teaspoons fine sea salt

  1. To make the filling: Mix together the lamb, onion, parsley, spices, and oil in a large bowl. Let marinate, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the dough.

  2. To make the dough: Mix the flour, semolina, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Gradually add 1⅓ cups (325 ml) warm water, bringing in the flour as you go along. Knead until you have a rough ball of dough.

  3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, invert the bowl over the dough, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for 3 more minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in a clean, lightly floured bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour over the balls. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

  5. Roll out the smaller piece of dough to a round 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. Be sure to sprinkle your work surface and the top of the dough with flour every now and then so it doesn’t stick. Transfer the round of dough to a large nonstick baking sheet (or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat). Prick with a fork here and there. Spread the meat filling evenly all over, leaving about ¾ inch (2 cm) free around the edges. Brush the edges with water. Roll out the other piece of dough to a slightly larger round. Carefully lay over the filling, making sure you align the edges. Press on the edges slightly to seal. Prick the dough in a few places. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is. If too warm, go for the shorter rise time.

  6. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

  7. Uncover the bread 5 to 10 minutes before putting in the oven to let the top dry out. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until golden all over. Remove from the oven and let the bread rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool slightly—you may have to drain off the excess juice that will have seeped out from the meat. Serve hot or warm. You can let the bread cool on the rack completely and freeze it for later use. Keep the bread wrapped as it is thawing. Once thawed, reheat in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.

  NOTE: You can chop the meat in a meat grinder, but the texture is much nicer if you hand-cut it.

  Lebanese/Syrian Savory Pastries

  FATAYER

  LEBANON | SYRIA

  In Lebanon, fatayer are made in triangles, large or small, with the pastry completely encasing the filling, while in Syria, fatayer are made small, and shaped like boats with the pastry folded over part of the filling to let some of it show in the middle. They are the quintessential street food in both countries, sold in bakeries that make them throughout the morning. They are also served in restaurants as part of a mezze spread. Home cooks also make them, although many will only prepare the filling at home, which they then take to the local baker for him to use with his own dough to make the fatayer. Lebanese fatayer are made with an unleavened dough enriched with olive oil, while the dough for Syrian fatayer is leavened, and made slightly sweet with milk. A pinch of mahlep (a bitter, fragrant nut found inside the pit of the wild cherry) is added to give the fatayer an intriguing flavor. The filling can be greens (spinach, purslane, fresh thyme—the long-leaved one used in salads or pickles—or Swiss chard), dairy (such as cheese or labneh), or eggs, to name but a few of the choices. You can use the fillings I give below with either the Lebanese or Syrian dough and shape the fatayer accordingly. You can also use the dough for Pita Bread to make fatayer, which is what Lebanese commercial bakers do.

  FOR THE LEBANESE FATAYER

  * * *

  MAKES ABOUT 20 SMALL FATAYER OR 4 LARGE ONES

  1¼ cups (160 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping

  ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  Filling of choice

  1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the oil to the well and with the tip of your fingers rub the oil into the flour. Gradually add ⅓ cup (80 ml) warm water, bringing in the flour as you go along. Mix until you have a rough dough.

  2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, invert the bowl over the dough, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for 3 more minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let sit on your counter while you prepare the filling.

  3. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

  4. To shape small triangles: Divide the dough in half and flatten each slightly. Dip one ball of dough into flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flo
ur and roll out into a large thin round about 1/10 inch (2 mm) thick, turning the dough over regularly. Using a 3-inch (7.5 cm) round pastry cutter, cut the sheet of dough into as many rounds as you can, minimizing waste. Start from the edge and work your way around the outside before moving into the inside. If you do not have pastry cutters, use a thin-rimmed glass. Gather up the scraps, knead them together, and let rest.

  5. Turn the rounds over. Place 1½ to 2 teaspoons of the filling of your choice in the center of each round. To shape the triangles, lift two sides of the round of dough, each about one-third of the round, and with your thumb and index finger pinch the edges together, halfway down, making a thin raised joint. Lift the open side of the dough and pinch it equally to both loose ends in order to form a triangle that completely encases the filling and that has a thin raised inverted “Y” in the middle. Make sure you pinch the dough tightly together so that it does not open during baking. Transfer the filled pastries to a nonstick baking sheet (or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat) and continue until you have used up all the dough and filling. You should end up with about 20 pieces.

  6. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

  LARGE TRIANGLES: If you make the triangles large, they will be a lot quicker to assemble, although the presentation will not be as dainty. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball of dough into a large round and follow the same instructions for making the small triangles, using one-quarter of the filling for each triangle.

  FOR THE SYRIAN FATAYER

  * * *

  MAKES 8 INDIVIDUAL FATAYER

  1¾ cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping

  1 packet (7g/2¼ teaspoons) instant (fast-acting) yeast

  1 teaspoon baker’s sugar or superfine sugar

  ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  ⅛ teaspoon ground mahlep

  1 organic egg

  ¼ cup (60 ml) organic whole milk, at room temperature

  Filling of choice but not labneh

  1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and mahlep in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg, milk, and 2 tablespoons water to the well. Mix the egg with the milk and water before slowly bringing in the flour. Knead until you have a rough ball of dough.

  2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Shape into a ball. Invert the bowl over the dough and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for a few more minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball. Place in a clean, lightly floured bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, until more or less doubled in size.

  3. Transfer the dough to your work surface. Divide into 8 equal portions, each weighing just under 2 ounces (50 g). Shape each piece into a ball. Cover with a very damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 30 minutes.

  4. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

  5. Using your fingers, flatten each ball into a thin round 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Stretch the round into an oval. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons filling down the middle. Fold one-third of the oval over the filling. Then fold the other third to leave a narrow strip of the filling showing in the middle. Gently press the dough into the filling. Transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet (or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat). Form the remaining fatayer in the same way and transfer to the baking sheet.

  6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

  FILLINGS

  SPINACH

  * * *

  1 small onion (3½ ounces/100 g), very finely chopped

  Sea salt

  ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

  1 tablespoon ground sumac

  7 ounces (200 g) spinach, thinly sliced

  1 tablespoon pine nuts

  Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  1. Combine the onion, a little salt, pepper, and sumac in a bowl and mix with your fingers, rubbing the seasonings into the onion to soften it.

  2. Put the sliced spinach in a large bowl and sprinkle with a little salt. Rub the salt in with your hands until the spinach is wilted. Squeeze the spinach very dry. Transfer to a clean bowl and break up the clumps to separate the leaves as much as you can. Obviously not one by one!

  3. Add the seasoned onion to the spinach, together with the pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary—the filling should be very tart to offset the rather bland dough. Place the filling in a sieve to drain off the excess juices.

  LABNEH YOGURT

  * * *

  1 large onion (7 ounces/200 g), very finely chopped

  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ½ teaspoon ground allspice

  ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

  Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

  Sea salt

  1 medium tomato (3½ ounces/100 g), finely diced

  1½ cups (375 g) strained yogurt

  1 teaspoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

  1. Place the onion, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, pepper flakes (if using), and a little salt in a bowl. With your fingers, rub the seasonings into the onion to soften it.

  2. Add the tomato, yogurt, and butter and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

  CHEESE AND PARSLEY

  * * *

  The cheese filling for fatayer is traditionally made with qarish, a typical Lebanese/Syrian curd cheese that is not so readily available in the West, so I give akkawi or mozzarella as alternatives. You can make your own qarish by boiling yogurt with a little lemon juice and a little salt until it separates after which you drain the curds of all excess liquid and salt the cheese to taste. If you make it, use the same amount as stated in the recipe.

  9 ounces (275 g) akkawi or fior di latte mozzarella cheese, chopped very small

  1 organic egg, beaten

  1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter

  ¼ cup (15 g) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

  Fine sea salt and finely ground black pepper

  Mix together the cheese, egg, butter, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

  SPICY CHEESE

  * * *

  9 ounces (275 g) feta cheese

  1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

  Mix the feta cheese with the Aleppo pepper.

  Ground Meat Pide

  ETLI PIDE

  TURKEY

  Pide is the ultimate Turkish snack or light meal, both on the street or in cafés/restaurants. You can have them with a variety of toppings such as eggplant, spinach and eggs, or cheese, to name but a few. This recipe is for a meat-topped pide that is also known as etli ekmek (meaning meat bread) and what follows is an eggplant-topped variation called patlicanli pide. You can also use the rich, flaky dough with a topping of your choice.

  MAKES 4 INDIVIDUAL PIDE

  FOR THE DOUGH

  2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out

  ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  ½ teaspoon superfine sugar

  1½ teaspoons instant (fast-acting) yeast

  1 organic egg

  1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

  ¼ cup (60 g) Greek whole-milk yogurt

  FOR THE TOPPING

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  1 small onion (3½ ounces/100 g), finely chopped

  1 small green chili pepper, sliced into medium thin rings

  ½ red bell pepper, finely diced

  7 ounces (200 g) ground meat

  1 tablespoon tomato paste

  1 tablespoon mild Turkish red pepper paste

  1 small tomato, diced

  1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or pul biber

  Sea salt

  1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  TO FINISH
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  Enough grated fior di latte mozzarella to sprinkle all over the top or 2 organic eggs, beaten

  1. To make the dough: Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg, vegetable oil, yogurt, and ⅓ cup (80 ml) lukewarm water and mix those in the well before gradually bringing in the flour. Mix until you have a rough ball of dough.

  2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, invert the bowl over it, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for 3 more minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with a very damp kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 to 45 minutes while you prepare the topping.

  3. To make the topping: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, chili pepper, and bell pepper and sauté until the onion is golden and the peppers have softened. Add the meat and stir, breaking up any lumps, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, pepper paste, the diced tomato, Aleppo pepper, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring regularly, until the tomato has reduced and there is no excess liquid in the pan, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and take off the heat.

  4. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

  5. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each into a ball. Cover with the damp towel and let rest for 15 minutes. With your hands, flatten each ball to a 5-inch (12.5 cm) round. Then stretch the rounds into ovals and flatten further. Transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet (or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat).