Lamb Steaks with Tabbouleh

April 10, 2001

While I wouldn't describe myself as a movie buff, I've always been captivated by the big screen.

As a child living on air force bases I used to traipse along to "the institute" - a large all-purpose hall - to see the movies. There was generally a kids' session on a Saturday afternoon, a riot of yelling kids, conversation lollies and chocolate bomb ice creams.

My father counted among his many qualifications, a projectionist's certificate and from time to time he would fill in and show a movie. I was always beside myself with joy if I was permitted in the projectionist's box to watch the show. The high stool might have been uncomfortable, but I was in the centre of all the action. The little circle would appear in the corner of the screen that was Dad's cue to get the next reel running and I would hold my breath until I was certain the show was going on. Any projectionist who missed the cue would be roundly booed if there was a break in the action.

I often spent holidays with a couple of great aunts and again going to the movies was part of the fun. I would pore over the flyer that would be distributed to local houses each month with a list of upcoming movies. I was scanning the titles looking for "musical comedy" and I would wheedle and cajole until they'd take me along at night to see Fred Astaire or Esther Williams.

Fast forward a few years to when I was first a working girl. I had a singing lesson on a Friday night at 7.30 so I would fill in the intervening hours going to the "five o'clock session." Unfortunately some movies ran beyond 7.25pm and I would have a breathless sprint downtown to my teacher's studio. I missed the ending of a quite few movies in the 60s!

In those days the theatres were large and movie showing times were strictly 2pm and 8pm, with 11am and 5pm sessions on a Friday.

These days we are fortunate to have a cinema complex in the next suburb with ample parking at the door and a good choice of screening times. But the magic of the big screen remains. We sometimes take in an early evening session before stopping off for a meal, or returning home to a meal prepared earlier.

We enjoyed today's recipes after going to the movie Billy Elliot. They are adapted from the Lebanese Cooking booklet from the Australian Women's Weekly Great Cuisines cooking series.

I have made tabbouleh, a Lebanese salad, for a number of years and this citrus tabbouleh variation is very tasty. The inclusion of grated lemon rind makes it rather special.

The original recipe was for sumac lamb roasts with the citrus tabbouleh. However I used tender lamb steaks instead of the mini lamb roasts. I made the tabbouleh in the afternoon and set the lamb steaks to marinade while we watched Billy dance his way to fame.

Burghul, also known as bulghur is par-boiled wheat that has been dried then ground. It is also used in that famous Lebanese dish, kibbeh.

I was fortunate to live next to a Lebanese family for a number of years. They were very hospitable and introduced me to kibbeh, olives, beans and rice, yoghurt, tahini and other Middle Eastern delights in the days when New Zealand was still cooking very British fare. My mother roasted the leg of lamb - their mother ground it up, mixed it with spices and other ingredients and made kibbeh.

Lamb Steaks with Citrus Tabbouleh

1-2 leg lamb steaks per serving (the number will depend on the size of the cuts - ours were quite small)
2 tablespoons sumac (a purplish red spice made from ground berries - it has a tart flavour)
2 tablespoons olive oil1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup plain, unsweetened yoghurt

Place the lamb steaks in a flat dish. Mix together the remaining ingredients and spoon over and under the steaks and set aside for several hours.

Citrus Tabbouleh

1/2 cup burghul
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
6 plum tomatoes, chopped finely
2 tablespoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the burghul in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 30 minutes then drain and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Combine with the remaining ingredients.

Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the lamb steaks for about 3 minutes each side. Serve with the tabbouleh and a few rocket leaves.