This fabulous debut cookbook – published this week – offers something distinct in the Middle Eastern food space: an exploration of purely Lebanese cuisine. It moves beyond the broader Levantine genre, and author Jad Youssef presents over 80 traditional recipes exactly as they’ve been made for generations.
Now running Lebnani, an award-winning family restaurant in Reigate, Surrey, with his wife Aga, he was born in Beirut during the civil war. Youssef learned to cook from his mother Khadija, whose tabbouleh was famous within the family.
The book combines these family recipes with personal narratives about how food sustained his family through conflict.
Published by Meze at £28 for a truly inspirational hardback, the book captures the flavour and rhythm of the everyday Lebanese table, with chapters that echo the meals and the occasions that bring people together: Lebanese Mornings, Mezza at Home, Classic Mezza, Tabkha (everyday meals), Mashawi (grills), Sandwiche (street wraps), Helweyet (sweets) and Namlieh (the pantry). Here are the secret spice blends, time-honoured techniques and the beloved dishes of his mother, aunts, and grandparents that gather everyone around the table to feast family-style. Family stories are threaded throughout, tracing how food sustained Lebanese families through conflict and change.
The daily rituals of shopping at souks, picking olives, baking bread and cooking together are woven into the national identity and resilience.
On reading this gorgeous book, you’ll no doubt want to add a few well known Middle Eastern ingredients to your next food shop. Here in Twickenham, of course, we have two wonderful Mediterranean supermarkets so we’ve no excuses.
Here are a few recipes to encourage you to treat yourself to this book.
Kibbet Banadoura
Juicy tomato kibbé from the south of Lebanon (Serves 4–5)
“Now we’re talking real Southern roots. No true Kibbet Banadoura from Jabal Amel comes to life without the soul of the dish, the téh’wijé – that special, fragrant herb mix that gives the raw kibbé its unique flavour, identity, and memory. In the southern hills of Lebanon, this dish isn’t written in books, it’s passed down by taste, by scent, by watching Teta crush herbs with her hands.
Kibbet Banadoura is the humblest yet most soulful kibbeh of our land – the flavour of barefoot summers, clay bowls, and mountain silence. No meat. No fire. No frills or tricks. Just the purest fruits of the earth: sun-warmed tomatoes, hand-picked herbs, and olive oil pressed from your neighbour’s trees. It’s eaten fresh with romaine leaves or warm bread, and usually in good company, around a table full of stories.”
For the base
250g fine brown burghul
3–4 large ripe heritage vine tomatoes (they should be very soft and juicy)
1 small brown onion, grated
1 tbsp tomato paste
1½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
60–80ml extra virgin olive oil
For the téh’wijé
10–15 fresh mint leaves
10–15 fresh basil leaves
5g fresh marjoram
1 fresh red chilli (use a mild or hot variety to taste and deseed if preferred)
1–2g edible dried rose petals, gently crushed (optional, for fragrance and depth)
To prepare the base
Rinse the burghul well under cold water. Soak for 10–15 minutes until it softens, then squeeze it dry with your hands or using a muslin cloth. It should be fluffy, not wet.
Grate the ripe tomatoes into a wide mixing bowl using a box grater, keeping all the juice and discarding the skins. Add the grated onion and tomato paste, then season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Mix gently.
To prepare the téh’wijé
Ensure all your herbs are fresh, washed well, and dried thoroughly. Finely chop the mint, basil, marjoram, and chilli. Combine them into one fragrant, colourful blend along with the rose petals, if using.
Add the téh’wijé directly into the tomato bowl. Stir gently to blend.
To finish the kibbé
Add the soaked, drained burghul to the tomato and herb mixture. Begin kneading with clean hands for about 5–7 minutes, just as our mothers did. The mix should become cohesive, smooth, and slightly sticky, not watery or dry. Adjust the salt and spice to taste. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Just before serving, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and gently mix. Plate in a shallow dish, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon, and decorate with a few mint or basil leaves if you like. Serve immediately with crisp romaine leaves or warm khobez, and a few raw onion wedges for those who know how to eat it right.
Sawda Ghanam
Lamb livers seared with garlic, lemon & Baharat (Serves 4–5)
“This dish takes me back to those early mornings when my father would come home from the butcher with fresh sawda wrapped in butcher’s paper, still warm. My mother always said it had to be cooked the same day, no refrigeration, just cleaned well and straight into the pan. She’d rinse it with lemon juice, pat it dry, and sauté it with garlic, lemon juice, a little Baharat, and a kiss of heat. We’d eat it with fresh bread, fresh mint, and a raw spring onion on the side. It’s the food of real people – honest, warm, and full of soul. And just like many things in our culture, it’s meant to be shared.”
500g lamb liver (ask your butcher for very fresh, firm liver with the membrane removed)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely grated
1½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
½ tsp Baharat (Lebanese 7 spices)
¼ tsp chilli flakes or 1 small fresh red chilli (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh chopped parsley, to garnish
Clean the liver well and trim off any connective tissue or small veins. Slice into bite-size strips, about 1cm thick. Pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper to help it sear properly rather than steaming.
Heat the olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the liver pieces in a single layer (do not overcrowd the pan). Let them sear undisturbed for about 2–3 minutes to develop colour, then flip and cook the other side for another 2–3 minutes. The liver should be browned on the outside but still tender and just slightly pink inside – if overcooked it will become dry and tough. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, Baharat, and chilli (if using) to the pan. Sauté for another 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Finally, squeeze over the lemon juice and stir briefly to coat the liver.
Transfer immediately to a serving plate, drizzle with a touch more olive oil, and garnish with fresh parsley.
Serve with warm Lebanese khobez, classic sides – raw onions, radishes, fresh mint – and, if it’s evening, a small glass of arak.
Bazella b’Lahmé
Lebanese-style lamb, peas & carrots in hearty tomato sauce (Serves 4–5)
“Bazella b’lahmé is one of the most loved and familiar tabkha across all of Lebanon. It is a true family dish, often the first stew children learn to eat. In the South, in Beirut, in the mountains, every home makes its own version, but the essentials remain the same: tender lamb or beef, a rich tomato broth, sweet peas, and soft carrots. Some families like a lighter broth, others a thicker one to spoon over rice. In our house, my mother always added plenty of coriander which gave the dish a bright, unmistakable flavour. In season, she used fresh peas from the market but for everyday cooking, good-quality frozen peas make it an easy and delicious dish all year round.”
60–80ml olive oil
600g lamb shoulder or beef shin, cut into large cubes
1 medium brown onion (about 200g), finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely grated
3 tbsp tomato paste
5 large ripe tomatoes (about 750g), peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 large bunch fresh coriander, washed and finely chopped
1 tbsp fine sea salt, or to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp Baharat (Lebanese 7 spices)
1.5–2L water
4 large carrots (about 300g), peeled and diced or sliced into thin rounds
600g frozen peas (or 800g shelled fresh peas when in season)
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the lamb or beef and brown well on all sides. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until soft and golden, then add the garlic and sauté gently for a minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and stir well for 2 minutes, coating the meat and onions. Now add the fresh tomatoes. Cook gently for about 5–7 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and the sauce begins to come together.
Add the chopped coriander directly into the pot. Stir to combine it with the tomato mixture and cook gently for a minute or two, allowing the coriander to release its aroma into the sauce.
Add the salt, black pepper, and Baharat, then pour in the water. Stir and bring to a gentle boil, skimming off any foam if needed.
Lower the heat and simmer gently, covered, for about 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally. The meat should be tender and the broth rich and well-flavoured.
Add the diced carrots to the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add the peas and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes, until both the carrots and peas are tender and have absorbed the flavour of the sauce.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. The sauce should be balanced, rich with tomato and coriander, and just loose enough to coat the rice beautifully. Serve hot alongside Lebanese rice, warm khobez, radishes, pickles, and lemon wedges.
