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Fattoush January 31, 2008 Fattoush is a popular Lebanese salad that is particularly good at this time of the year when we can buy tomatoes that have ripened in the sun, have a good depth of flavour and don’t start shedding copious amount of tasteless water once they’re cut. This is a great salad to serve with lamb kebabs and maybe a side dish of hummus. The word fattoush means “soaked bread” and this is a good way of using up leftover pita bread. Typically this salad would be made using purslane, which belongs to the portulaca family and is used in Lebanese, Greek and Turkish cuisine. However, although this plant is regarded as a weed in some countries, most of us will have trouble laying our hands on it so I’ve omitted it. Try not to omit the sumac, however. This lemony flavoured reddish brown ingredient is made from ground berries and is now widely available. It is an essential part of the savoury mixture za’tar which also includes dried powdered thyme and sesame seeds (toasted or raw). Za’tar is often mixed with olive oil and spread on wedges of pita bread, which are toasted and used to scoop up dips.
Fattoush 2 large Lebanese pita breads Separate the pita bread into halves and rip each into rough pieces about 4cm across. Place in a large shallow roasting tray, spray with oil, turn over and spray again. Place in a pre-heated 200C oven for about 8-10 minutes until toasted. Set aside. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Slice and place in a large shallow salad bowl. Chop the tomatoes or halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop the red pepper and the spring onions. Add all to the cucumber. Sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Add the pita pieces just before serving and toss well. Pour over the dressing. Sprinkle the salad with the sumac. Dressing Juice and rind of two lemons Smash the garlic by hitting it once with a meat mallet or place the flat side of a cook’s knife blade over it and hit with your fist. Place in a bowl and add the lemon juice and rind and olive oil and whisk. Set aside and strain out the garlic before using. Add pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
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