Lebanese Manakeesh ki Za'taar with Sweet Slow Roasted Tomatoes and Labneh...

It was not for breakfast in Beirut or in Hadath el Jebbe on a sunny early morning overlooking the famous Cedars of Lebanon that I first tried Manakeesh ki Za'taar. It was in Paris, early on a chilly Sunday morning in October at the Richard Lenoir market. This sprawling market open only on a Thursday and Sunday, from around 8 o'clock until lunchtime is the largest outdoor, fresh produce market that Paris has to offer. If you like food and you like markets then this is a wonderful place to explore and lose oneself. Frequented by local people from the 11th arrondisement and rarely a tourist to be seen, which is surprising due to its closeness to the bustling Bastille. 

Here, amongst the winding alleys of stalls, groaning with fresh fruit and artisanal cheese, mingled the pungent scents of garlic and coffee with the fresh scents of mint and warm, sweet apricots. I found a busy stall. A Lebanese family were speedily making Manakeesh ki Za'taar for breakfast. Sitting at a battered tin table I drank mint tea and waited for my order to arrive. Eventually, a toppling pile of hot Manakeesh appeared smelling of fragrant thyme. These flat discs of Levantine bread were thinly spread with a paste prior to baking made from olive oil, herbs and spices which is known in many middle eastern countries as Za'taar. They slapped the bread dough in a hot wood-fired oven for seven minutes, or so. I was given a bowl of cold Labneh, a traditional yoghurt cheese which is cooling and creamy and eaten religiously every morning across the Middle East. More bowls followed containing small olives, sliced cucumber and tomatoes, fresh mint and flat leaf parsley.  Silently I swiped the bread into the Labneh, taking a sprig of mint and a slice of tomato or a crunch of cucumber. Each piece of this earthy tasting broken bread was matched with a different combination from the array laid out before me. Delicious.

In the following version of a Lebanese breakfast I have made a slow roasted tomato confit instead of using fresh tomatoes. These sliced tomatoes are slowly cooked in a cool oven for two hours and adorned periodically with a sweet garlic infused marinade and strewn with bay leaves prior to cooking. The tomatoes when prepared in this way impart a deep, almost smoky flavour to the breakfast and eaten alongside the rich cool taste of the Labneh, is really memorable. The Za'taar used here is made using fresh herbs, however you could use dried herbs if you wish. Alternating between mouthfulls of Manakeesh ki Za'taar and small olives sprinkled sparingly with crushed coriander seeds, slowly sipping on a fresh mint tea sweetened with honey is a healthy breakfast and one worth savouring on any morning of the week. Serves four people well.

Labneh Yoghurt Cheese

This needs to be prepared the day before serving.

2 x 500ml pots of either sheeps yoghurt or thick Greek yoghurt

1.5 tspns sea salt

Stir the salt well into the yoghurt. Take a sieve which fits snugly over a bowl one that will sit comfortably in your fridge without getting in the way. Into the sieve place a piece of cotton muslin or cheesecloth, enough to be able to make into a ball once the yoghurt has been poured in and secured with a rubber band. Spoon in the yoghurt and secure,  weight the top with a plate and a can of beans or similar, leave overnight. Next morning, give the ball of yoghurt cheese an extra squeeze to get the last bit of whey out. You will now have a thick, creamy, spreadable cheese to roll into balls and serve with your Manakeesh.

Slow Roasted Tomato Confit

6 large ripe tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

1.5 tspn sea salt

1/2 tspn castor sugar

150ml extra virgin olive oil

Preheat your oven to a cool 140C/275F/Gas Mark 1. Line some baking trays with baking parchment. Wash and dry your tomatoes well and slice into fairly thick slices, it's your choice and remove as much of the core as you can without breaking the tomato too much. Spread out over the paper, do not let them overlap but it is fine if they touch. In a small food chopper or coffee grinder, place the garlic, salt, sugar and olive oil and blend until the garlic is completely pureed. Baste this marinade onto the tomatoes and place in the oven to cook. Occasionally check on them and brush a little more of the garlic marinade over the tomatoes. The tomatoes are ready when they are smaller in size and caramelised slightly.

Fresh Za'taar

Large handful of fresh oregano

Large handful of fresh thyme

Large handful of fresh marjoram

2 stems of winter savory

1 generous tblspn Sumac powder

1 generous tblspn cumin powder

1/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds

2 tspns sea salt

250ml extra virgin olive oil

Firstly heat a dry non stick pan over a medium heat and lightly toast the sesame seeds until golden, moving them around the pan. The oil from the seeds will start to make them look glossy and you will notice a nutty aroma. Be alert because when they start to turn it will happen quickly. Take them from the heat and place on  a plate to cool until you need them. Next prepare the fresh herbs by tearing the leaves from the stems and placing into a small food chopper or coffee grinder. Pour in the olive oil and blend until the herbs have broken down and are dispersed throughout the oil. Stir in the toasted sesame seeds. Place in a bowl until needed. The smell of fresh Za'taar is sensational.

Lebanese Manakeesh Bread

500g strong bread flour

1/2 tspns sea salt

2 tspns dried yeast powder

1/2 tspn castor sugar

310 ml blood heat water

Preheat your oven to 220C/425F/Gas mark 7 and place baking sheets in to heat.

In a jug mix the sugar and the yeast powder together and stir in the water. Stir together well and leave in a warm place for at least five minutes. A frothy foam should start to appear on the surface, if this does not happen throw it away and start over again. In a large bowl sift the flour and add the sea salt. Once the yeast mixture is ready stir it into the flour and mix together well. After a few minutes the dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl. It is now ready to turn out onto a floured board and knead for ten minutes. During this time it will become glossy, elastic and pliable. Return it to the bowl and cover with a clean tea towel, place somewhere warm for an hour and a half and let it double in size or to prove. Divide the dough into 12 balls and press them down individually into discs and roll out with plenty of flour. The flour really is the trick here and by keeping your hands, rolling pin and surface floured you will prevent them from sticking. Make a pile until you are ready to put them in the oven. Lightly brush the baking sheets with some olive oil, place the bread discs onto the sheets and spread with your fresh Za'taar. Place in the oven for five to seven minutes. Keep checking them and shaking them on the sheets. They should be soft and pliable with a light crunch to the edges.

Once all the components are ready it is time to assemble this delicious fresh tasting breakfast. I like to serve with some small olives with a very light sprinkle of freshly crushed coriander seeds. The Labneh  served in small balls needs a drizzle of good olive oil and a little black pepper. Fresh mint and flat leaf parsley are synonymous with this breakfast and the inclusion of a smoky and sweet tomato confit makes it feel like a treat. I like to slice the bread into three triangles and load them up with whatever I like from the bowls.

'