Middle Eastern Beer Cuisine

Last month, we explored how beer can be combined with the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine. Middle Eastern dishes are also enjoyable in hot weather, perfect for the late summer months. Most of these recipes can be made in advance, pulled out at a moment’s notice, or packed up and brought to the beach, the park or a gathering with friends. Pair the recipes from last month’s issue with those below, and you will have all the components for a zesty summer spread, simple dinner or nutritious snack.

Middle Eastern Falafel
I love falafel. It’s full of great texture, flavored with mint, parsley, nuts and sesame seeds that add crunch and extra nutrition to the finished dish. Use this falafel in a pita, served alongside some baba ghanoush and hummus; rolled, it can make a shawarma, or break it apart after they are cooked to make a Middle Eastern flatbread.

Makes: about 20 ping-pong-size falafel patties

Ingredients:
3 each garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup nuts (pistachios, cashews or almonds), shelled and lightly toasted
1/2 cup onion, yellow, peeled and chopped (about half of a small bulb)
1/4 cup parsley, Italian leaf, stems removed
1/4 cup mint, leaves only
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked or canned, drained
3 tbsp white sesame seeds
3 tbsp black sesame seeds
3 tbsp hemp seeds, hulled

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic cloves, nuts of choice, onion, parsley, mint, cumin, baking powder and salt. Pulse several times to mix and chop all the ingredients to a semi-fine meal, similar to very coarse sand. Add the cooked and cooled chickpeas, 1 tablespoon each of sesame seeds (white & black) and the hemp seeds. Measure the remaining seeds into a medium-size bowl, as they will be used to coat the outside of the falafel balls. Pulse several more times, until the mixture is the consistency of wet, coarse sand. Do not make the mixture into a paste, like hummus, or the final product will not have the right texture and mouthfeel.

Using a medium-size ice cream scoop, falafel ball maker or a soup spoon, make ping-pong-size balls and place into the bowl of mixed seeds. One at a time, gently roll the ball, first in the seeds to coat, then in your palms to lightly press the seeds into the mixture. Be careful not to squish or compact the falafel, as that will result in a denser finished product. Place the finished ball onto a sheet tray (lined with either a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper) if baking, or onto a plate if frying.

To Bake:
Baking the falafel results in a final product that is less greasy, but still crunchy. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the sheet tray with the falafel balls into the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through on the inside.

To Fry:
Fill a medium-sized pot with peanut oil or other high-temperature frying oil and heat to 375°F. Once the falafel balls are formed, place 3–4 balls onto a skimmer and gently set them into the hot oil, frying for about 4–5 minutes a batch. The balls should be golden brown and the seeds nicely toasted. Remove from the oil and place onto paper towels to allow any excess oil to drain, and repeat with the remaining balls. These are best served hot.

Tahini Orange Brown Ale Sauce
This is a perfect sauce to go with falafel or alongside most any Middle Eastern meal.

Makes: about a cup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds, hulled
6 each garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 each orange zest
1/2 each juice of an orange
1/4–1/3 cup Toasted Hemp Brown Ale (Dangerous Man Brewing) or other malt-forward beer

Directions:
In the pitcher of a blender, add the sesame seeds, hemp seeds, garlic, salt, olive oil, zest, orange juice and a malty-style beer. Seal the pitcher’s lid and turn the blender slowly to high speed. Process the mixture for 1–2 minutes, or until the sauce is completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add more beer, about a tablespoon at a time.

This sauce can be served right away, or it will keep refrigerated for up to a week. Note that after the sauce has been refrigerated, it will be thicker.

Cooking Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
Cooking beans involves more than just boiling dried legumes in water. It is best to soak dried beans in water with an addition of vinegar, which helps break down the phytic acid in the beans (this applies to grains too); we want the acid broken down because phytic acid binds together many of the bean’s nutrients, inhibiting the body’s ability to fully absorb all the minerals that the beans have to offer. Plus soaking the beans makes them easier to digest.

Makes: 2 1/2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans

Ingredients:
1 cup dried garbanzo beans, cleaned of stones and debris
1 tbsp malt vinegar, preferably homemade or raw
3 cups filtered water
12 oz beer, something malt forward like a Brown Ale, Bock or Bruin
1 each yellow onion, large, peeled and sliced
4 each garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crusted
1 tbsp kosher salt

Directions:
In a quart-size jar, add chickpeas and malt vinegar, and top off with enough water to fill the jar. Seal with a lid and let the beans sit for 24–36 hours at room temperature. This will rehydrate the beans and remove about 50 percent of the phytic acid. After the time has passed, drain the beans and lightly rinse them in cold water.

Place the soaked beans into a medium-size pot and add the beer of choice, prepped onions and garlic, and enough water that the beans are covered by about 3 inches. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Cook the beans for about an hour, adding more water if it evaporates. The beans should be tender, but still a little firm. Now add the salt and continue to cook for another 30–45 minutes. The cooking time varies on beans according to their age. The garbanzo beans are ready when they can be squeezed between two fingers with little resistance. Drain and cool the beans.

To Serve:
Use these cooked beans in hummus, falafel, mixed into a salad, as a side dish with sautéed spinach or in any recipe that calls for cooked or canned garbanzo beans.

Baba Ghanoush
This eggplant dip is very easy to make. Full of wonderful smoky flavors, it compliments any Middle Eastern meal. Once you make your own baba ghanoush, you’ll wonder why you ever bought it.

Makes: about 6–7 cups

Ingredients:
2 each eggplant, medium
3 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
3–4 each garlic cloves, roasted (or 2 cloves raw, crushed)
3 oz beer, Brown Ale, Hemp Ale, Rauchbier or a Smoked Porter
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp cumin, ground
1–2 pinches pepper, such as cayenne, chili flakes or habanero (depending on desired heat)
3 tbsp parsley, Italian leaf, washed and chopped, for garnish
1 tsp paprika, Hungarian or smoked Spanish, for garnish
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
First, take the stickers off the outside of the eggplant. To get a great smoky flavor in the dip, use a barbecue (wood or gas) or a gas burner on the stove set to high heat and roast the outside skin until it starts to burn and smoke. This will take about 6–7 minutes, as it is important to evenly roast all sides of the eggplant. Transfer the charred eggplant to a sheet tray lined with either a silicone baking mat or aluminum foil, and place into a preheated 400°F oven for about 30–35 minutes. The eggplant is done when it starts to release its juices, and the flesh is soft and tender. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully peel the outside charred skin away from the soft flesh and discard the skin.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the sesame and hemp seeds, olive oil, garlic, beer (to make the dip even more roasty and smoky, try a Rauchbier, or a smoked Porter or Stout, or use a malty brew like a Hemp Brown to add extra richness), salt, cumin, pepper of choice and the prepared eggplant. Fit the bowl with a lid and pulse several times to mix all the ingredients, then purée the mixture into a smooth paste, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer the eggplant dip to a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped parsley and a healthy sprinkle of paprika (using the Spanish smoked variety will really play well with the smoky flavors of the charred eggplant and smoked beer).

Lavash Beer Bread/Cracker
This Armenian bread staple can be used like a chip, a wrap or as bread on the side to accompany many different Middle Eastern dishes.

Makes: 4 large crackers

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup barley flour
2 tbsp flour, whole wheat or spelt
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup coconut oil or vegetable shortening
1/2 cup beer, like a Brown Ale, Bock or Dunkelweisse, room temperature
1/4 cup hot water

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, measure out the all-purpose flour, barley flour and whole wheat or spelt flour, and add the salt and the coconut or vegetable shortening. Pulse several times to cut in the oil/shortening, much like a pie crust. Then add the beer and hot water, pulsing until the dough forms a ball. Remove from the bowl, and lightly roll out the dough to make sure it is evenly mixed together. Place into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for an hour (up to 4 hours) to hydrate and relax the gluten.

Divide the dough ball into 4 equal-size pieces. Lightly flour a dough ball and roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle or oval shape, to an even thickness of 1/8 of an inch. Place onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet, and place into the oven. If you want to make sure the dough does not puff up with irregular bubbles, similar to a pita, dock (placing small holes allowing the steam to escape) the dough with the prongs of a fork all over the surface of the soon-to-be lavash.

Lavash Bread:
To make a softer lavash (for use as a wrap or soft bread), preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake for 8–10 minutes and flip over, cooking for another 2–3 minutes. The finished bread will be very pale in color, with just a few areas of light brown, but the texture will be soft like a flour tortilla.

Lavash Cracker:
To make a crisp, cracker-like lavash (for use as a pizza base or a scoop to serve alongside hummus and baba ghanoush), preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the cracker dough for 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the sheet tray. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving. The cracker will crisp up as it cools.

Variations: Here are a few variations to the basic lavash recipe that can spice it up. Spread oil or fat across the lavash dough, then evenly distribute the toppings accordingly. Bake as directed above. ■

• Garlic Lavash | 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 each garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• Black Pepper Lavash (or Mixed Peppercorn) | Add 1 tablespoon cracked peppercorns to the flour mixture
• Sesame Lavash | 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp white sesame seeds; 1 tbsp black sesame seeds