Jasmyne Tea

Barbeque Chicken with Toum

Now that it's winter, the barbeque makes less of an appearance at our place; really, no one wants to be hovering over a grill with an umbrella while the rain is pouring non-stop. So on one of those rare days when the sun peaked out from behind the clouds, we went ahead and started that barbeque without even knowing what to cook. Luckily inspiration came in the form of a craving for Lebanese charcoal chicken. Granted, the chicken recipe is more Morrocan or Tunisian than Lebanese, but I paired it with delicious toum and pickles like at Al Barakeh and said craving was satisfied.

Barbeque Chicken with Toum
Adapted from When I Get Home by Matt Moran

INGREDIENTS

1 1.6kg chicken, cut in half and flattened
1 lemon, quartered

Chermoula Rub
1/2 bunch corriander, chopped
1/2 bunch flat-leafed parsely, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp chopped ginger
3/4 tsp sweet paprika
3/4 tsp roasted ground cumin seeds
3/4 tsp roasted ground coriander seeds
150mL extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 long red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp salt

1. Mix together the ingredients for the chermoula rub until combined, then massage the marinade into the chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the barbeque to its hottest setting (preferably a coal bbq), then cook the chicken skin side down for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes, checking with a skewer inserted in the leg - if the skewer comes out hot, chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from the bbq, and serve.

Serve with a cucumber and tomato salad, pickles, lebanese bread and toum. I used the toum recipe from The Food Blog, and highly recommend it - the recipe produced a delicious, fluffy garlic sauce that went perfectly with the chicken.

Al Aseel, Greenacre

The weekend before I left for the States, EVERYONE wanted to take me out to a restaurant to say farewell and Bon Voyage. Almost every meal of Friday, Saturday and Sunday was assigned to someone, and it didn't leave much time for packing or getting my affairs in order.

The Sunday morning I had set aside for some of my work friends, who had been planning for months to take me out for a traditional Lebanese breakfast at Al Aseel. The girls are legendary for their abilities to cancel - this was actually attempt 4 to meet, and the fact that we managed it at all was worthy of a celebratory meal itself!

The girls are regulars, so we used their connections and parked underneath the building, and walked through the back door. We found seats straight away as it was pretty quiet, and looked through the spiral-bound menu. I had NO idea what I was doing, so we all let our friend Yasmin order for us, and I have to say, she did an excellent job.

Food started arriving almost immediately, and we soon ran out of table space. Massive stacks of Lebanese bread were served to us as an accompaniment to the dishes. The waiters were fleeting visions - they came and put the food down, then disappeared. Drinks were obtained by heading up to the four massive fridges by the main counter and making a selection from the dozens of different brands.

Fatteh

The fatteh was outstanding - a creamy concoction of chickpea, yoghurt, and torn flat bread, topped with crunchy pine nuts and melted, clarified butter.

Foul

This dish was a chunky mixture of filling fava beans, garlic, onion, and topped with flavoursome olive oil and lemon juice.

Labneh

The labneh, a cheese made by removing the whey from yoghurt, was wonderfully creamy and smooth, and slightly salty. It was served with chips of crispy fried bread, and the contrast between the two really made this simple dish special.

Hommos

The hommos was good, predictable yet comforting with the nutty flavour of chickpea and olive oil.

Fattoush

This is the best fattoush I've ever had! Diced pieces of fresh lettuce, parsely, cucumber and onion were delicately flavoured with sumac and garlic. Fried pieces of flat bread were broken into chunks and tossed in, and seriously, 15 minutes later the bread (even though it had been left to soak in the dressing) was STILL crisp.

Tabouli

The tabouli was beautiful and fresh, full of good things like parsely and tomato, and olive oil and lemon juice. It's never been my favourite dish, but this was definitely one of the better ones I've tried.

Shanglish

My friend Fatat told me to try this dish especially. The crumbly, cheesy substance was sharp and tangy on the tongue, and little pieces of tomato and spanish onion broke it up quite nicely. When I asked what Shanglish translated to, she told me it was "rotten cheese", which made me cringe a bit, but later on I found out it's actually dried yoghurt - still not so delicious-sounding, but a bit better for my state of mind.

Grilled Chicken

I found the idea of chicken for breakfast a tad off-putting, but I tried some anyway. I found it to be dry, and very much in need of the little bowl of toum (garlic sauce) to lend a bit of moisture.

Scrambled Eggs

These scrambled eggs were made to be eaten with the complimentary lebanese bread - they were so light and fluffy and gorgeous that I found it hard to share this plate around. Definitely a highlight of the meal.

Al Aseel is the local hang-out, the cheap-and-cheerful - it ain't fancy, but it's full of a brightness and an energy that is difficult to replicate. The food is, for the most part, outstanding. The girls wouldn't let me see the bill, but I estimate that the bill was roughly $120 based on what everyone put in (there were 6 of us). Fantastic price for what we received!

Al Aseel

4/173 Waterloo Road
Greenacre, NSW
2190

Phone: (02) 9758 6744

Haney Bakery, Liverpool

When I was growing up, my dad used to drive 20 minutes to get his hair cut by a barber in Liverpool, and Haney Bakery was right next door. I used to love going in and ordering a cheese pizza or croissant, then waiting outside with my brother and the old Turkish men who used to smoke up a storm while waiting for their turn. When Stephen and I moved in together, Haney Bakery used to be just down the road from our flat, and every now and then it was a cinch to walk down and grab something for breakfast, especially while we were renovating and moving out.

During our last week in Liverpool we paid our favourite Lebanese bakery a visit. We ordered man'ousheh, a type of Lebanese pizza that is filled, cooked in a wood-fire oven, and then folded over - this bakery is famous for it. The process took about 5 minutes, and then we were able to sit outside, take in some sun and eat our breakfast.

Feta Man'ousheh - $5.00

The base of this man'ousheh was perfectly cooked so that it was slightly soft in the centre, but gloriously crisp on the edges. It was filled with a mixture of soft, melted cheese and salty feta.

Oregano & Cheese Man'ousheh - $3.50

Stephen had one that was covered in an oregano za'atar mix and cheese, giving it an interesting texture; the oregano was tasty and had an almost gritty feel, whilst the cheese was stretchy and soft.

Meat & Cheese Man'ousheh - $4.00

We ordered one more to share, and it was filled with a thin layer of zingy beef mince and tomato and, again, cheese. This was probably my favourite, with a relatively complex array of flavours and textures to stimulate the palate.

Haney Bakery is a staple in Liverpool, and I strongly urge anyone who lives nearby to check it out. Rarely can you buy such a breakfast for so cheap a price, and the food, while simple, is so good that it's well worth the price.

Haney Bakery

275 Macquarie St
Liverpool, NSW
2170

Phone: 02 9602 9922

Al Barakeh Charcoal Chicken, Liverpool

I feel like such an idiot. I've been living in the heart of Liverpool for 2 years (and near Liverpool for almost 10 years before that), and only now I've discovered Al Barakeh!



It's a humble Lebanese charcoal chicken place literally two minutes from my flat, and Stephen bundled me up and took me there when I was sick and in need of a garlic injection. It doesn't look like much - flourescent lights and crowds of tables and chairs abound - but you can smell the chicken before you go in, and the staff were really helpful with my order, even suggesting condiments and sauces to go on my shawarma kebab. We waited in line, ordered at the counter and then chose a table.

Shawarma Kebab - $7.00

The meat on my kebab was beef, thinly sliced from the rotisserie and wonderfully juicy. The kebab came toasted, and I chose lettuce and tomato for my salad, and tahini (sesame paste) to go on top before it was rolled.

Half Chicken - $12.00

Of course, the main attraction was the charcoal chicken, which Stephen ordered. It looked suspiciously burnt on the outside, but once we shattered the skin we were treated to succulent chicken with a pleasantly smoky aftertaste.

The chicken was served with the usual suspects - salty pickles, soft lebanese bread, and garlic toum to die for. You may have heard of El Jannah's garlic sauce, but this was garlic sauce to rule them all in my opinion, simply because it's slightly stronger in garlic flavour.

Pickles, Lebanese Bread and Garlic Toum | Medium Chips - $4.50

The chips were cooked fresh to order, and seasoned with addictive chicken salt. They were fried to crip perfection, and went with the toum wonderfully.

Al Barakeh has become my new favourite charcoal chicken place, and has the added convenience of being just down the road from me. The friendly service and laid back atmosphere will lead me here whenever I'm craving a garlic fix.

Al Barakeh

77 Scott St
Liverpool, NSW
2170

Phone: (02) 9602 6204

El Jannah Lebanese Charcoal Chicken Restaurant, Granville

"If there's only one restaurant you eat at in Granville, eat here".

That's quite a claim, and it came from my friend Ahlam who lives in Granville, so I figured I'd investigate what makes this place such a hot spot with the locals.

I sat waiting for Ahlam in front of the restaurant for about 15 minutes before I realised that she was sitting on the other side of the road, waiting for me. In the time I was there, I saw the entire restaurant fill up, empty and then fill up again. This place has a high turnover, and is incredibly busy, with people lining up almost to the front entrance. We got in line and made our orders, and the lady at the register gave us a number and asked us to take a seat.

In no time our food was set before us. First to arrive was the warm lebanese bread, wrapped in plastic to keep it moist and fresh and placed in a basket with our cutlery. Ahlam, who has been instructing me in the ways of eating "like an Arab" (her words, not mine, lol)  told me that it comes with the cutlery because traditionally they use the bread to pick up their food instead of knives and forks - in fact, when I reached for a fork, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" was yelled at me violently.

Quarter Charcoal Chicken with Pickles, Bread and Garlic Sauce - $7.00

Small Chips - $4.00

I was made to wait until our chips came before I was allowed to touch the chicken or garlic, because apparently there's a way to eat that would maximise the flavour of these components. When they arrived, all steaming and smelling wonderfully of chicken salt and oil, Ahlam showed me her method: first, you grab a piece of bread, about 5 cm across; then you take some chicken and a chip, and roll the little parcel together. Finally, you dip the whole thing in the garlic sauce and pop it into your mouth. What follows is an intense flavour explosion - the chicken is wonderfully smokey in flavour, and so tender that it's almost too easy to tear at it with the bread. The chips are perfectly seasoned, and the crisp outside and fluffy interior seem to be enhanced when eaten with the bread. Finally, that beautiful garlic sauce brings everything together - and seriously, the garlic sauce IS beautiful, I could spend all day dedicating sonnets to it. It's light and smooth, and the garlic is obvious, but not so overpowering that it becomes off-putting.

Tabbouli - $5.50

Finally, I tried some tabbouli, and though I'm not fond of this particular salad, I did find it much nicer than what I've tried in the past - there was much more lemon juice and oil, and so it wasn't dry and grassy like what I've had previously. It was also a good foil for all of the carbs we'd just consumed.

Before I tried this place, I'd never had a reason to come to Granville, but now I'm going to have to think of some excuses, because I simply must return for the garlic sauce they have here. Good, authentic food at a fair price - that should be reason enough.

 

El Jannah Lebanese Charcoal Chicken Restaurant

4 - 6 South St
Granville, NSW
2142

Phone: 9637 0977

http://www.eljannah.com.au/

El-Phoenician, Parramatta

[Just a short note: Forgive the slightly out-of-focus shots! My camera was misbehaving :( Sorry!]

A friend of mine had her 18th birthday this weekend past, and after much deliberation, decided to hold it at El-Phoenician. Always being a fan of Lebanese food, and having been there once before, Stephen and I were the first to R.S.V.P.

 

 We walk in, and are shown to our table. While waiting for everyone to arrive, we survey our surroundings, and are duly impressed: Clean lines, subtle lighting, elegant colours and shades, and attentive wait-staff abound.

Waiters take our drink orders, but don't need to take food requests as our host has ordered the El-Phoenician banquet ($49 per head). The starters and dips are already out when we sit down, and we get started on some fresh (and fried) lebanese bread, feta cheese, dips, and pickles.

 Fresh and fried breads, labne (yoghurt dip), and mixed marinated pickles

I absolutely adore fried lebanese bread, although I make it a point to only eat it at weddings, for obvious reasons - but I had to break my own rule when I saw it on the table. It's delicious and crispy, and a great base for the homous (chickpea), labne (yoghurt) and baba ganouje (eggplant), which are all fresh and tasty. The mixed marinated pickles consisted of pickled cucumbers, eggplant, chillies, and kalamata and green olives, and I can find fault with none (although I can't vouch for the chilli - I wasn't game!)

 Homous, salads, and awesome glasses for water and coke :)

Plates of entrees are delivered once everyone has arrived, and we dig in with relish. The falafel are full of chickpea and broadbean goodness, and they come served with a creamy tahini sauce. The sambousik is a fried pastry filled with minced lamb, pine nuts and assorted spices, and is very similar to a spanish empinada, only more mild. Arnabeet is crisp cauliflower fried and served in tahini sauce, and is almost addictive.

 Falafel, Sambousik and Arnabeet served with Tahini sauce and pickles

 Mixed Grill

The mixed grill is magnificent in it's simple, rustic flavours. The chicken is marinated in lemon, oil and herbs, and the beef is delicious and succulent. It's accompanied by fried potatoes in a coriander dressing, and I find myself going for seconds.

Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert (and there was also birthday cake), but the dessert and coffee menu was decent and I look forward to sampling it next time.

When 9:30pm rolls around, the lights are dimmed and the diners who haven't been here before start looking around worriedly, as if wondering what the malfunction is. Suddenly three belly-dancers (two females, one male) prance onto the middle of the floor and, dressed in authentic, sequined costume, proceed to dazzle the audience with their skill. Before long the dancers encourage (I use the term loosely - they rarely take no for an answer) audience participation, and I have to admit I'm glad I'm surrounded by my fellow diners, and can't get out.

 

 

While El Phoenician may be a bit boisterous for a romantic dinner on a weekend, it's a great place to take a group of friends with good food, great service and free entertainment. I definitely encourage you to check it out!

El-Phoenician

328 Church St
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Phone: (02) 9633 1611
Fax: (02) 9633 1622

E mail
bookings@el-phoenician.com.au