Iam currently writing acookbook about Jerusalem that celebrates the magical culinary complexity of a city that for centuries has been a magnet for individuals, nations and religions alike. Over the past year, my co-author, Sami Tamimi, and I have undertaken akind of culinary excavation of the city to match many of its grand archaeological sites.
To be honest, we didn't quite realise what we were letting ourselves in for. We unearthed so many layers in the food culture, it was impossible to make out head from tail – or from foot and wing, for that matter. We came across dishes that one culture had borrowed and adapted from another, and then claimed as its own (falafel, anyone?); there are different names for the same thing and different things with the same name (the word "hummus", say, refers to both a dish and a pulse); and never-ending debates about provenance and attribution – whose food is this and whose dish is that.
The flip side of this many-sided coin is that Jerusalem is blessed with an incredibly rich and intricate cuisine which draws inspiration from myriad ancient local traditions, more modern developments and recent waves of immigration. One of the city's culinary obsessions – one that crosses all national and ethnic lines – is meatballs. You find them everywhere: grilled or barbecued, stewed and cooked in soups, in a pitta with salad and garlic sauce, or cooked long and slow for Sabbath.
Meatballs are a great example (of which there are dozens in this city) of how necessity breeds ingenuity, not to mention some delectable food. Until quite recently, most of the city's residents were relatively poor and so unable to afford whole cuts of meat. By adding starch, spices and herbs to what meat they could get their hands on, they managed to make it go much further (the same goes for stuffed vegetables, another local mainstay). Meatballs are great at absorbing flavours – so make good use of whatever is in season – and are well suited to long cooking, which was just as well when people had to share ovens orleave big pots to cook overnight over residual heat.
But enough of the theory – a good meatball, as any old mama will confirm, tastes way better than even the best of steaks: it is succulent and full of flavour, it doesn't dry out or toughen, and it's always good, if not even better, the next day.
Beef meatballs with lemon and celeriac
These are lemony sharp yet very comforting, and best served with plain rice or bulgar wheat. Makes 20meatballs, or enough for four.
400g minced beef
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
120g breadcrumbs
20g chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus 1 tbsp extra, to garnish
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp ground allspice
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small celeriac, cut into 5cm x 1.5cm batons
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ tsp each ground turmeric, cumin and cinnamon
1½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
¾ tsp smoked paprika
500ml chicken stock
3½ tbsp lemon juice
60g Greek yoghurt
In a large bowl, use your hands to mixthe beef, onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, allspice, half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Form into 5cm x 3cm kebab-like shapes.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid, and sear the meatballs all over for about five minutes in total. Remove them and add celeriac, garlic and remaining spices to the pan. Cook on high heat, stirring, for two minutes, return the meatballs to the pan and add the stock, lemon juice, half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and leave to bubble away for 10 minutes more, until the sauce is quite thick.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to settle. Taste, season as necessary and serve topped with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of parsley.
Aubergine and tomato bake
All you need with this is good bread, ideally white, to soak up all the juices, and a simple salad of bitter leaves. Serves six.
2 medium aubergines, cut lengthways into 1.5cm-thick slices
Salt and black pepper
175g minced beef
175g minced lamb
175g breadcrumbs
1 small egg, beaten
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
200ml sunflower oil
150ml chicken stock
1½ tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp sugar
2 extra-large tomatoes, cut widthways into 1.5cm-thick slices
1 tsp dried oregano
Arrange kitchen paper over two large trays and lay the aubergine slices on top. Generously sprinkle with salt, turn and sprinkle the other side with salt, too. Leave for at least 30 minutes, to draw out the water.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the beef, lamb, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, cinnamon, allspice and three-quarters of a teaspoon each ofsalt and pepper. Mix well with your hands, then form into eight flat, wide patties about 1cm thick and 8cm in diameter. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and, in two batches, seal the patties on both sides. Set aside thepatties and wipe the pan clean.
Pour the remaining oil into the pan and put on a medium-high heat. Dry the aubergine with kitchen towel, then fry in batches for about one to two minutes on both sides, until golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on fresh kitchen towel to soak up any excess oil.
Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Arrange half the aubergine slices in a slightly overlapping layer over the base of a roughly 22cm x 28cm ovenproof dish. Arrange the part-cooked patties on top – break them up slightly, if need be, to make sure they cover the aubergine base. Repeat with the remaining aubergines and patties, then press down firmly to compress.
Mix together the stock, tamarind, lemon juice and sugar, and pour over the bake. Lay the tomato slices on top, again slightly overlapping so they cover everything well, then sprinkle with oregano and season.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more, oruntil the tomatoes have taken oncolour and the sauce is bubbling andthick. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Turkey burgers with sorrel sauce
With a little help, even the blandest meat can be made to sing. I use sweet spices here – notably cardamom and allspice – but ground cumin is pretty great in these, too. They're also tasty without the sauce – just squeeze over some lemon. Makes 12 smallish burgers, or enough to serve four.
500g minced turkey or chicken
1 medium potato, peeled and finelygrated
50g spring onions, thinly sliced
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp each chopped fresh mint and coriander leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp each ground cardamom and ground allspice
1¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
For the sauce
45g sorrel leaves, washed and dried
90g sour cream
½ garlic clove, peeled and crushed
⅛ tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Make the sauce by blitzing all its ingredients in a food processor until smooth and uniform.
Put a ridged griddle pan on high heat and preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/gas mark 6. In a bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients and shape into burgers of about 65g each.
Once the griddle is piping hot, sear the burgers for about 30 seconds on each side, to get some nice char marks (you may need to dothis in batches). Transfer to a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and roast for 10 minutes, untiljust cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce onthe side.
