23 Nov A Real Lebanese Christmas Feast!
With Christmas just six short weeks away, no doubt you’re all already planning what you’re going to feed family and friends – and if you’re wondering what kind of theme to go for, what about dishing up a delicious feast of incredible Lebanese cuisine?
Lebanese food is amazingly flavourful, with all sorts of wonderful herbs and spices thrown into the melting pot, and it’s incredibly colourful as well, so your Christmas dinner table will really pop, both in terms of look and smell! So, with that in mind, here are a few ideas for the kitchen to help you really get in the festive mood. Enjoy!
Stuffed breast of lamb
Lamb is one of the most popular options for holiday celebrations because it’s so readily available in the Middle East and, even better, it’s incredibly delicious!
It can be stuffed with anything you want but a perfectly seasoned mix of rice, meat and nuts will really wow the crowds this Christmas. Where your spices are concerned, go all out with the allspice and cinnamon, and you can’t go wrong!
Small plates
Lebanese food is characterised by lots of appetisers – one of the most important parts of any meal in this wonderful part of the world, so make sure your dinner table is crowded with small plates of all kinds… a lovely Christmas mezze that is sure to impress your guests.
Pile the table high with the likes of hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves, kofta, labneh, pitta bread… you’ll never have a Christmas quite like it!
Side dishes
If there’s room on the table (make room, you won’t regret it!), make sure you include some delicious side dishes as well.
Everything from fried baby aubergines and green beans in oil to okra in oil, awarma (which is hummus with meat on the top), batata harra (amazing spicy potatoes), pumpkin kibbeh balls, fried asparagus… there’s a lot of fun to be had in the kitchen.
Desserts
And, of course, Christmas is a time for real self-indulgence so make sure you don’t forget about the desserts. You can make these ahead of time as they’ll keep for a fair few days, so that will help take the stress out of December 25th… and you can get the whole family involved in the baking, adding to all the fun!
Check out recipes for maamoul, which are date-filled cookies that last for a few weeks before going stale. Or what about baklava, an amazingly delicious traditional dessert that you’re sure to want to make again and again. This is layers of filo pastry with crushed-up pistachios and a yummy sugar syrup made with rosewater – and the end result is ridiculously tasty!
And then, of course, there’s kanafeh, a really popular dessert that features filo pastry, mozzarella cheese, pistachios and sugar syrup. Trust us – it really works!
Looking for further inspiration? Check out our Lebanese cuisine menu – and come down to the restaurant to try our dishes out!