Life

I prefer comfort food to high end says Persian cook Sabrina Ghayour

Persian cook Sabrina Ghayour tells Ella Walker that her dishes are all about love, honesty and simplicity – in generous portions

Chicken shawarmas, from Sabrina Ghayour's new cookbook Feasts
Chicken shawarmas, from Sabrina Ghayour's new cookbook Feasts Chicken shawarmas, from Sabrina Ghayour's new cookbook Feasts

FEEDING people is integral to Sabrina Ghayour. Even if you're a stranger meeting the Persian cook for the first time, she'll tell you: "I want to spoil you and the only way I know how is to feed you senseless."

The Tehran-born cookbook writer, famed for her bestselling debut recipe collection Persiana, will be helping the rest of us feed each other senseless with her opulent new volume, Feasts.

"I would describe it as a serious business," she says wryly, when asked to explain traditional Persian feasting. "We are really lighthearted; we're the 'fun bunch' of the Middle East. We're the busybodies, all up in your business, we're loud and we're fun and we like to dance."

And the food? There is volume and variety "but all in a strange balance. Lots of vegetables, an aubergine dish on the side, yoghurt dishes [on huge platters], lots of tearing flatbreads, fresh herbs, blocks of cheese, fresh wet walnuts, rice and stew – stew is the cornerstone of Persian family cooking."

Then, if it's a really special occasion, there'd be kebabs. Not 3am-after-a-night-out kebabs, explains Sabrina (41), but meat roasted over flames until golden and spitting with flavour.

While Feasts, the book, is not wholly traditional and not wholly Persian, volume and variety are still key.

"There'll always be five or six things on the table because it's in my culture," says London-based Sabrina. "If I'm going to the takeaway, I'll always order eight things even if there's only two of us eating."

But that doesn't mean the recipes are tricky or time-consuming. Whether it's tamarind-doused ribs or butterflied leg of lamb, ingredients are pared back to the essentials, and comfort is crucial.

"Comfort is pretty much what I eat all the time – I can't do fuss," says Sabrina, who admits she had beans on toast for lunch.

The self-taught cook has been interested in food ever since she "ousted" her mother and grandmother from the kitchen as a child.

"My mother pushed me into the kitchen to mess around, because clearly I wanted to," she remembers. "Teaching yourself is a good way to go because it makes you fearless. I'm not trying to please anyone. It's made me much braver, it's made me trust my instincts and it has made me more creative."

Sabrina, who spends chunks of the year exploring Asia to find new flavour inspiration, says her food is about love, honesty and simplicity, whether she's cooking it herself or eating out.

"It's not that I don't like fine dining but it is not where I get much inspiration. The fact you have to try to understand [what you're eating] winds me up. I'd much rather sit down with a good bap filled with pork and apple sauce, or a bao bun, or just a really good plate of pasta."

:: Feasts by Sabrina Ghayour is published by Mitchell Beazley (octopusbooks.co.uk), priced £20. Below are two recipes from the book for you to try.

CHICKEN SHAWARMAS

(Serves 2-8)

600g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets

1tsp ground turmeric

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp cayenne pepper

4 fat garlic cloves, crushed

Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4tbsp Greek yogurt

Olive oil

Maldon sea salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

6-8 round flatbreads of your choosing (or use pittas)

200g Greek yogurt

4 large tomatoes, sliced, then each slice cut in half

1 large red onion, halved and finely sliced into half-moons

1 small bunch (about 30g) of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Gherkins or cucumbers in brine (as many as you like), finely sliced

Place the chicken thigh fillets in a bowl. Add the spices, garlic, lemon zest and juice, yogurt, a good drizzle of olive oil (about two tablespoons) and a generous amount of salt and black pepper. Using your hands, work the marinade into the chicken, ensuring it is mixed evenly and coats every exposed part of the fillets. Cover the bowl with cling film and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Drizzle a little olive oil into a large frying pan set over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken - reduce the heat if the thighs begin to cook too quickly. Fry gently for 10-12 minutes on each side, or until the thighs have a nice, deep, golden brown crust and are cooked through. When done, remove and cut the thighs widthways very thinly.

To serve, lay a flatbread on your work surface. Spread Greek yogurt across the surface. Place a line of tomato half-moons down the middle. Stack some shredded chicken over this, then follow with the onion, coriander and a few slices of pickled cucumbers.

Fold up the bottom of the flatbread, then fold over the sides to enclose the filling as tightly as possible. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads and filling. To make eating the shawarmas a little easier, wrap the base with some doubled-up baking paper or a square of kitchen foil, to hold the juices in.

WHIPPED RICOTTA AND FIG TOASTS

(Makes 4)

200g thick-cut unsmoked streaky bacon (approximately 14 slices)

1tbsp pul biber chilli flakes, plus extra to serve (available online, or use standard chilli flakes)

4tbsp clear honey

200g ricotta cheese

1 heaped tsp dried thyme, plus extra to serve

zest of 1 unwaxed orange

4 large slices of sourdough bread

4 figs, each cut into 5-6 segments

Maldon sea salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Line a plate with a double layer of kitchen paper. When the frying pan is hot, add the bacon and dry-fry for a few minutes on each side, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden brown, completely crisp and can be crumbled with ease. Transfer to the paper-lined plate to drain excess oil.

When the bacon is dry, crumble it into a small bowl and crush it finely with a fork. Mix in the pul biber and honey and set aside. Put the ricotta, dried thyme and orange zest into a large bowl, season generously with salt and pepper and whip until smooth and a little aerated.

Toast the bread, then divide the ricotta mixture between the slices. Reserve a little of the bacon mixture for sprinkling, then divide the remaining mixture into four portions and spoon one portion over the ricotta on each slice of bread. Arrange the fig slices on top, then sprinkle over the reserved bacon and a little dried thyme and pul biber to serve.