Broaden your palette with some great Lebanese Food

Just as in any country when you visit different regions you are going to experience different variations and regional foods. Lamb for example is popular meat when you are on the coast, but head towards the mountains and you might see more goat dishes. What Lebanese food does have in common is a lot of olive oil, garlic, some lemon and many dishes are baked, grilled or sauteed. Cream and butter are not commonly found in this food apart from in a few desserts and while some things are deep-fried, it is not the common way things are prepared. If you live in Sydney and want to experience good Lebanese cuisine in Sydney there are a few great restaurants that will help you broaden your palette.

Mezze style

This is similar to the idea of tapas in Spain where a large selection of dishes are served to a group of people, friends and family, and people can help themselves to different options. Spices and herbs are a big part of the food as is using fresh ingredients. When looking for Lebanese cuisine near me it is a great option for friends getting together enjoying spending time together over great food. Pita bread is served with everything and is often used in place of a fork or spoon, use it to pick up a cube of meat or to scoop up some grilled vegetables.

Common foods you might see

It is impossible to list all the foods and recipes you might find when trying out Lebanese cuisine in Sydney. Just as it would be impossible to do the same for Australian food. But apart from pita bread, some foods you might see are;

• Shawarma lamb - marinated lamb served with tahini, salads and pita
• Shish taouk - marinated chicken chargrilled skewers, served with a garlic sauce and accompaniments
• Hommos bi tahina - chickpea dip
• Baba Ghanouj - eggplant dip
• Kibbee Nayeh - steak tartare
• Fatayer bi sabanekh - spinach pie
• Halawat el Jebn - cheese roll served with syrup and filled with ashta clotted cream
• Atayef - small pancakes with ashta clotted cream and syrup
• Karabeej Halabi - shortcrust pastries filled with pistachio and a meringue cream
• Black bitter coffee - while you can of course drink your coffee how you like it, it is commonly served in Lebanon thick, rich, black and with no sugar though cardamom is often added

Cook a recipe yourself!

As well as looking for Lebanese cuisine near me you can also give some recipes a try. Here is one for Shish taouk.

Ingredients - 4 skinless chicken breasts, 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon Bhar, ¼ cup of lemon juice, ¼ cup of vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the chicken and cut it into 1-inch cube pieces you can skewer.
2. Peel the garlic and mash it into a paste with the salt using a chopping board or mortar and pestle.
3. Add all the spices, the lemon juice and the oil.
4. Put the chicken in a plastic bag, add in the marinade and mix then leave in the fridge for an hour or overnight.
5. Skewers the cubes and grill them for 10 to 15 minutes over medium to high heat turning occasionally. The more authentic option is to grill over coals.
6. Serve with pita, hummus, a parley salad, some olives and french fries.

This article is posted on behalf of Pharaoh's Lounge Menai, a restaurant that offers delicious and well prepared Middle Eastern and Egyptian & Mediterranean cuisines at their Menai restaurant. To look at their menu visit their website and to leave a review or to know more about Pharaoh's Lounge Menai check their Google business page.