Middle Eastern cuisine brings a wealth of aromatic flavours, and Lebanon has its own taste and uniqueness, with ingredients, such as pomegranate, sumac, herbs and spices, to uplift the barbecue experience as well as wines of great value and quality to share around the flames.

Wine

Lebanese wine comes from Bekaa Valley and I have picked the most famous wineries: Chateau Musar and Chateau Ksara. Using international and local grapes, both offer wines to suit most budgets.

Chateau Ksara, Merwah 2020

Merwah is an ancient indigenous grape, with lovely aromatic citrus notes with floral perfume and opens up on the palate offering clementine, blood orange, pomegranate and fresh herbs. It has a creamy finish, with fresh melon and almonds giving it texture.

Chateau Ksara Blanc de Blancs 2022

Sauvignon, Semillon, Chardonnay – crisp and fresh, then layers of stone fruit and grassy herbs. Think pears, peaches and nutty notes, with a refined, clean-cut finish.

Chateau Ksara Blanc De l’Observatoire 2022

Obeideh, Clairette, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh and fruity, it reminds me a bit of white Bordeaux. It is a beautiful, clean, focused wine that offers citrus, stone fruit and freshness.

Chateau Musar Jeune White 2021

Viognier, Vermentino and Chardonnay give flavours of pineapple, pear, apricots and passion fruit. As the wine evolves on your palate, think peaches and cream, before a fresh, clean, delicate finish. This lingers on the palate giving a fabulous freshness, with lemon and thyme perfume. A great summer wine.

Chateau Musar White 2014

Obaideh and Merwah grapes. These grapes are said to be related to Chardonnay, giving plenty of texture and weight to the wine. Citrus, lemon wax, beeswax, with rich, citrus notes.

Chateau Ksara Le Prieuré Rouge 2020

Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Grenache. Spiced black fruit, fresh and clean, this is very Rhone in style. I loved the vibrancy – raspberries, pomegranate, chilli, rosemary and black cherries.

Chateau Ksara Reserve Du Couvent Rouge 2020

Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. A classy modern Syrah/Cab blend giving texture, style and freshness. Black and red fruits with cedar spice, smoking nose and silky smooth, with bright precise dark red fruits with luscious dark blueberries and hedgerow blackberries. A wonderful wine.

Chateau Ksara Rouge 2019

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot. Think a young Bordeaux. This is excellent quality. Cassis, cedar, cigar, violets, blackcurrant and silky smooth. A luscious basket of red, blue and black fruit and vanilla that lingers an age on the palate.

Chateau Musar Jeaune Red 2021

Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon. This is unoaked, giving a clean, focused, precise wine. Luscious red cherries, blackcurrants and blackberries, as well as dark chocolate and cocoa spice, with the Syrah dominating.

Chateau Musar Hochar Pere et Fils 2019

Cinsault, Garnacha Tinta, Cabernet Sauvignon. This barrel aged, second wine of Chateau Musar offers a good insight into its top wines – 35-year-old wines from a single vineyard estate. Attractive spices, with dark red fruits, nicely balanced with savoury (dried herbs and meat juices) notes, fresh and vibrant in its youth.

Chateau Musar Red 2018

Inky and full flavoured, dark black fruit, cassis and violets with a silky, long, perfumed feel. This will age for years, but is already drinking well and packs a punch.

Food

Cauliflower Shawarma

Sumac, all spice, cumin, cardamom, chopped coriander, garlic, shallots; combine with tahina paste. Coat a whole cauliflower and chargrill for 30 minutes. Finish with parsley and pomegranate.

Lobster Sayadieh

This is a classic Lebanese dish, a distant cousin of paella, traditionally using cod, but I have replaced the cod with lobster and shrimps. I used a paella pan, but a frying pan would also work. It is all about spice, and you can use any rice, with basmati my preference. Finely chop shallots, red pepper, ginger, red onion and garlic. Pan fry on the BBQ with rapeseed oil and sesame oil and add Lebanese 7 Spice. Add the rice. Once sealed, add vegetable stock to the rice, cook for 15 minutes before adding the shellfish. Near the end of cooking, add sesame seeds, almonds and a dash of pomegranate sauce. Garnish with lots of chopped parsley, coriander and parsley, with lashings of squeezed unwaxed lemons.

Kafta Kebabs

The classic kebab on skewers and the trick is to get the meat to stick to the skewer; easily done with a splash of ice-cold water added to the minced meat. Use chicken, beef or lamb, with very finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger, and a range of spices, including ground cardamom, cumin, sumac, cinnamon, and dried herbs such as mint and sage (dried herbs give an intense aromatic flavour). Serve with pitta bread, yoghurt and salad.

Whole Grilled Sea Bream

The secret here is to get the skin crispy and left in one golden state. Gently wipe the scaled and gutted bream with olive oil and salt and place a small, preserved lemon inside. Grill till golden and crispy. Make a dressing from fresh pomegranate, chopped mint, parsley, wild garlic leaves and coriander. Pour over and serve.

BBQ Whole Poultry

I used a guinea fowl but a chicken works equally well. Stuff the whole bird with mini preserved lemons, sage, bay leaf, and wipe the outside with olive oil and coat in Lebanese spices and a teaspoon of curry sauce. Cook till golden in colour.

Dressings and Sides

Very similar to Greek and Turkish but with a unique Lebanese twist. I made dips from butter beans and fava beans, as well as chickpeas, while pomegranate molasses give a wonderful lift to traditional hummus. There is also a lovely hummus where pickled red peppers are added, for flavour and colour. Always dress and uplift dips with a garnish such as chopped herbs with olive oil, pomegranate, blended flavoured oil, sesame seeds or Nigella seeds.

Lebanese Spices

Sumac is a ground spice made from dried berries, with a citrus feel, quite tarty, which uplifts dishes. Lebanese dried herbs are a combination of sage, coriander, mint, parsley and bay, a powerful spice for meat dishes, while Lebanese biryani spices are coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, cloves and garlic. Za’atar is sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, oregano, marjoram, cumin and salt, while Ras El Hanout consists of paprika, ginger, black pepper, coriander, cardamon, all-spice, turmeric, mace, nutmeg, chilli, cloves and rose petals.