Takeover: Chef Fadi Kattan
Franco-Palestinian chef and author of "Bethlehem: a celebration of Palestinian food"
Hi and welcome to my newsletter, a celebration of cooking, vegetables and life. It’s great to have you here. If you have found yourself here but are not yet subscribed then you can sort that out below….
My cookbooks (there are five) are available here. The latest is Easy Wins - a Sunday Times bestseller. There are hundreds of free recipes on my website which you can find here.
From Anna:
I am very happy to be handing this week's newsletter over to Franco-Palestinan chef and author Fadi Kattan. I have been following Fadi, his story and his restaurants for a while. The way Fadi talks about the lineage of the food he cooks always stops me in my tracks.
I've been diving into his book ‘Bethlehem’ over the last few weeks. It’s a special book. In its pages, Fadi takes your hand and leads you through the food he cooks, and at the same time leads you to the people behind it, the people of Bethlehem. From the deep-rooted influence of his Grandmother to the farmers and cooks of his homeland. Fadi in his writing and his restaurants celebrates the food of his homeland and I'm captivated by it all.
This week Fadi tells us a bit more of his story and has a really great list of recommendations that I’ve been reading and bookmarking. From his most beloved Maftoul (also a favourite in this house) to some soulful music I’ve been writing to. From Palestinian grannies and to books on Irish cooking. It’s a very joyous list.
Thank you Fadi for your time, your food and your heart.
From Fadi
When, years and years ago, in my grandmother Julia’s kitchen, young me stared at my grandmother cooking in her kitchen in full admiration, something clicked! I wanted to become a cook! A few years later, in my parents home, helping out my mother setting up her dining room for a dinner my parents were hosting, the sound of the silverware and the plates being polished and placed meticulously, something else clicked, I wanted to be involved in hospitality!
Being Palestinian meant I grew up with flavours and memories of this land, this terroir so ancient, so beautiful and yet so torn by occupation. Always a mix of bittersweet feelings and emotions but I persevered in wanting to share with the world the beauty of it without shying away from its realities.
In 2015 I opened Fawda, a small gastronomic restaurant nestled in the heart of the old city of Bethlehem, in a building dating from 1738 where I cooked everyday from produce sourced from farmers in the next-door souk and served Palestinian wines only. The excitement of guests walking through this door in Bethlehem made me certain that our cuisine deserved to be shared, celebrated and the wonderful artisans, crafts people and farmers represented in dishes and drinks that reflect the terroir.
A few years later, when Rasha Khouri reached out, we thought of akub, a partnership to bring Palestinian modern cuisine, wines and spirits to London. It has been 2 years that we are happily serving Londoners a cuisine reflecting Palestine, developed with local British produce, drinks crafted with Palestinian flavours, ancient spirits and a wine list telling the story of that land that was the first to see grapes planted by humans.
Then again, always attached to the old stones of Bethlehem and the charm of our history, when Chilean- Palestinian entrepreneur Elisabeth Kassis offered to join the adventure of creating the first boutique hotel in Bethlehem, I said yes! And Kassa saw the day.
Recently, I joined another adventure, at the invitation of Palestinian Canadian Nicole Mankinen, that of opening Louf in Toronto, bringing to this vibrant food scene my take on Palestinian cuisine and again celebrating the local terroir of Ontario.
In the middle of all of this, “Bethlehem: a celebration of Palestinian food” saw the day. When the book was released, the horrible genocide against my people was underway, a moment of great distress and confusion yet a moment where more than ever, I am determined to contribute my little offering in celebrating Palestine.
Things to read
The Irish Cookbook by JP MacMahon. JP’s engagement towards locality, sustainability and humanism is remarkable. An excellent chef with incredible art.
Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza by Refaat Alareer. Poems from the devastated Gaza. Refaat’s words ring powerful in our hearts, “If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a story.”
A New Way to Bake by Phil Khoury. Definitely the most talented pastry chef I know, Phil brings his creative genius to that sweet world of baking.
Zaatardiva by Suheir Hammad A voice that rings strong and spreads light infused by Palestinian Zaatar. Poems from the heart.
Monsoon by Asma Khan. Asma, a role model and a great friend, brings the beauty of the India my father was born in and that I was lucky to visit many times while being the strongest voice for much needed equity within our world of chefs.
Palestine, the Land of Grapes and Wine co-written by Anna Patrowicz and me. An article that looks into the terroirs of Palestine and the history of wine making in this land of beauty. Pop into akub to taste those wines and spirits that she curated on the list there or to Louf if you are in Toronto.
And while I am at it “L’eden a l’aube” by Karim Kattan. My young brother’s third book that just came out in French.
Things to eat and drink
Maftoul from Zaytoun, one of my favourite grains, hand-rolled by women in a cooperative in the north of Palestine, those grains are ideal to be cooked traditionally or integrated into a salad.
Doer, from the Ashkar Winery: An exceptional wine made on the hills of the Galilee by a talented Palestinian family. Online at akub.
Things to watch and listen to
Radio Al-Hara, a community based radio transmitting out of Bethlehem
Teta’s Kitchen, a journey across Palestine where I was lucky to cook with Palestinian grandmothers in cities in the country:
Who is killing the greatest Chefs of Europe? A 1978 comedy that fascinated me from my youth, bringing already at this time the essential question between cuisine of terroir and technique and fast food junk.
The Trio Joubran , the three brothers, Samir, Wissam and Adnan are Palestinian oud musicians, total foodies and great friends! Don’t miss the tracks that have the voice of the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish reading his poetry.
Fadi’s recipe for Mujadara
When I close my eyes and try to think of a dish that says home, many appear. Mujadara is one of them. At the beginning of the pandemic, when I started my radio show, Sabah Al-Yasmine, Ramblings of a Chef, the recipe most requested by people locked up in their homes across the world was mujadara, a humble but satisfying meal. It is worth noting that there are probably as many variations of mujadara as there are Palestinians.
280 g / 10 ounces green lentils
½2 teaspoon salt
125 ml / ½/ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
Salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
350 g / 1¾ cups medium-grain rice
600 ml / 2½ cups hot water
DRESSING
2 spring onions (scallions, chopped)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon ground sumac
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
SERVES 4
Soak the lentils in water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain and discard the soaking water.
In a pot, combine the lentils, salt, and 750 ml / 3% cups water. Cook over medium heat until the lentils are al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse the lentils with cold water to stop the cooking, then leave to drain.
Pour 60 ml / ¼ cup of the olive oil into a medium-size frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Sprinkle the sugar on the onions and cook for 6 to 8 more minutes, until the onions are caramelised.
Drain half the onions on paper towels and leave the other half in the oil.
In a large pot, heat the remaining 60 ml / ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir well until the spices release their fragrance, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, stir well to coat with the spices, then pour in the hot water. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat to medium. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lentils and stir well. Continue to cook until the lentils and rice are tender with a slight crunch-almost done, about 12 minutes.
Pour the reserved onions and oil into the pot, stir well to mix with the rice and lentils, and leave on low heat until the water reduces. Turn off the heat and keep the pot covered for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the dressing, combine the spring onions, lemon juice, sumac, and remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Transfer the rice and lentils to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Sprinkle the dressing on top. Garnish with the reserved caramelised onions and serve.
Kindly shared from Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food
I appreciated reading Fadi's story very much and have mow ordered Bethlehem. I just know it will be a treasured book.
Thank you Anna and Fadi. For a wonderful post and recipe. I shall add it to my list of recipes to try.