Following on from last year's innovative
Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, Silvena Rowe's "Orient Express" is subtitled "Fast food from the Eastern Mediterranean". By "fast food", don't expect too many recipes which can be quickly whizzed up - many will require time such as overnight marinading, setting in the fridge and so on. The phrase here refers to the fact that this is the kind of grub which you would expect to find on sale at street stalls and markets and delis for instant consumption, but here almost recreated anew by Ms Rowe with exotic and daring flavour combinations plus a good dose of cross-cuisine fusion too. Much here is suited to mezze style eating, ideal summer food, especially for barbecues.
The division of the book is by highlighted ingredients and flavours. So we have, with some sample dishes which have already caught my eye (apologies to seafood lovers here - I don't eat seafood myself, but be assured that there are plenty of seafood recipes in here too):
Za'atar and saffron
- Duck and black sesame za'atar kleftiko
- Spiced lamb filo cigars with za'atar and pistachio cream
- Orange and za'atar marinated halloumi with tomato and za'atar dressing
Chilli and cumin
- Duck, halloumi and green chilli spring rolls with sweet potato and almond skordalia
- Suzme and chilli marinated chicken shawarma with aubergine and red pepper salad
- Lamb moussaka rolls
- Spiced pork and cumin sausages with fennel and preserved lemon salad
- Spiced duck rillette with courgette and chilli pesto
Sumac and fresh herbs
- Chickpea, sweet potato and spinach cakes with creamed parsnip and coriander dip
- Pistachio dukkah-crusted duck with sumac onion jam
- Skordalia cavolo nero cakes topped with shredded duck confit and pomegranate
- Crushed broad beans and avocado with Parmesan and sumac biscuits
- Cardamom duck with orange and sumac infused sauce
- Lemon balm sorbet, black sesame macaroon crumble and lemon balm oil
Cardamom and honey
- Honey mashed broad beans with capers and spring onions
- Pistachio and cardamom lamb manti
- Kadaifi wrapped goat's cheese and cardamom figs with thyme flowers
- Honey and ginger roasted apricots with ricotta on green peppercorn and za'atar spiced filo
- Nine spice lamb with honey, red onion and fig compote
- Lemon thyme infused burrata with honey, berries and balsamic vinegar
- Orange and honey glazed aubergine rolls with apricot and cottage cheese
Cinnamon and flowers
- Lemon vanilla custard baklava with orange blossom syrup
- Roasted figs with orange blossom, passion fruit and mint sauce
- Rose water infused saffron and cardamom spiced lamb wraps with tahini sumac mayonnaise
The photography of dishes is excellent - not all recipes have a photograph, but most do. The book is well laid out, one recipe to a page for the most part, with clear instructions.
If Silvena Rowe keeps this up, she'll knock Diana Henry off the top spot of my favourite food writers. What delights will she come up with next?
