Sabrina Ghayour - Sirocco: Fabulous Flavours from the East

Dedicated to two very special sisters

My beloved late Grandmother, Maman Malekan incredible woman to whom I was very close and loved so much. Miss you and think of you every single day.

My late, Great Aunt Mama Gohar the best cook in the family. How I wish Id spent more time in your kitchen learning from you and not just eating.

They just dont make women like you, anymore. Hope Ive done you both proud.

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Sirocco noun / si-roc-co /

Origin: Early 17th century; from Italian scirocco, based on Spanish Arabic sharq east wind

A hot, dry wind blowing from east to west sometimes described as warm, spicy and sultry.

My heritage has given me great insight into understanding the favourite ingredients and flavours of Eastern cuisine, which gives me confidence when using Eastern ingredients. I am never afraid to be bold with my use of spices or flavourings, and I dont hold back when it comes to combining flavours and ingredients. But, in stark contrast to my heritage, I was raised in England and have the advantages of growing up with entirely different produce, ingredients, recipes and cooking techniques to those of my heritage. The result of this culinary cultural blending is that I have gained an understanding of how to combine the beautiful produce Ive grown up knowing with Eastern flavours to achieve perfectly balanced flavour combinations that whether subtle and aromatic or bold and punchy often improve on the natural flavour of an ingredient.

These recipes are all inspired by flavours of the East but use the fresh produce, techniques and cookery styles of the West; hence the name Sirocco. None of these recipes are authentically Middle Eastern instead, I wanted to share my own style of uncomplicated, full-flavoured recipes that reflect the kind of cooking I do the most.

I learned so much from the comments and wonderful feedback I had from my last book, Persiana, which prompted me to continue writing recipes that were straightforward and didnt rely on any particular ingredient to make them successful. I realized that many people feel the pressure to follow recipes to the letter, but Middle Eastern cookery just isnt rigid in that way. In fact, most home-style cookery isnt that way and the best recipes, the ones we keep making time and again, are those in which we can easily substitute an ingredient or two if needed, because in todays world, convenience and time are key factors.

Not everything has to be aggressively spiced or full of chilli heat. Sometimes, a wonderful balance and delicate contrast of flavour can deliver a refined subtlety that initially you wouldnt have thought possible. It frustrates me when Middle Eastern food is summed up using the word spice or spicy because this isnt always the case and, often, it is about aromatics, citrus, the fragrance of herbs or even the way in which something is cooked and served. Other times, it can be incredibly simple and pared right down to a key ingredient an aubergine, simply grilled and served with yogurt, for example. Often, the simplicity of Eastern cuisine is overlooked when, in most cases, the real food of the East is humble, uncomplicated and simple.

I use many of the same spices and store cupboard ingredients from summer into winter. They see me right through the year, from creating the much-needed comfort of wintery, warming stews to the light and refreshing dishes we crave during the warmer months, when fresh produce is green and abundant. Sirocco contains bold, vibrant flavour combinations that are great for everyday cooking or for more elaborate get-togethers, in recipes that are still very much steeped in the roots of Middle Eastern cookery, but with a fresher, lighter approach thats more conducive to everyday cooking and enjoyment.

Whether you are looking to prepare several dishes for a family meal or for just a single simple recipe, you can take what you want from this book. If you need a little useful inspiration for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or simply ideas for something to snack on alongside drinks with friends, there is something for everyone. The recipes use accessible ingredients to create unique but familiar dishes that are perfect for any occasion. If you are missing an ingredient, dont stress just leave it out.

Hopefully, in your kitchen this book will get covered in oil splatter and food stains and remain close to hand (rather than buried under a pile of other books), full of recipes you turn to, time and time again, change and make your own food that is simply delicious, not Eastern or Western, just straightforward and satisfying.

The contents of your kitchen cupboards say a lot about the kind of cook you are. Mine are so messy and crammed full of every little ingredient possible that I shudder to think what they say about me. There is no order, just chaos: my own kind of comfortable, organized chaos. If there is an inch of unused space, I will find a way of stuffing something into it but I can live with myself because I always have something in there to transform simple ingredients into something a little more special.

I am the kind of cook who relies on ingredients from the store cupboard to help give a simple dish a little extra flavour. Whether that comes from a single spice or spice mix, a flavoured oil, preserve or unique ingredient, I find great comfort in knowing that I can always combine fresh produce with a little something from the cupboard to make a simple meal more interesting.

The truth of the matter is that we all have tons of ingredients and spices, both familiar and unfamiliar, in our cupboards, often purchased for a single recipe where you use a teaspoon of it, then you are stuck with the rest and dont know what else to do with it. My ethos is very much based on getting the best out of your purchased ingredients knowing how to use them time and again in different recipes and a myriad of different guises to achieve varied and delicious results every time.

Understanding an individual ingredient and how best to use it is key to ensuring you use up what youve purchased and none goes to waste. I think people can become nervous with an unfamiliar product and use it just the once, and might never learn how to utilize it to its full potential. My recipes are simple and flavourful and that almost all ingredients can be substituted, and most can be left out entirely. Trusting your own instinct, as to what you do and dont like and what you can and cant live without in a dish, is still the secret to becoming a more competent (and confident) cook.