This started out as a recipe post. Sadly, it has become a eulogy to a gifted chef.
Greg Malouf has died.
He and his former wife, food writer Lucy Malouf, did much to introduce the western world to the delights and subtleties of Middle Eastern cooking. He was often credited with being “the godfather of Middle Eastern cuisine.”
Greg Malouf was a celebrated Australian chef. His familial background was Lebanese. He operated several important restaurants in Australia, London and Dubai.
This recipe is from Greg and Lucy Malouf’s cookbook A Chef’s Travels in Turkey.
You can find this cookbook through your local bookstore or on Amazon here. This cookbook was first published in 2008, so you may have the opportunity to pick up a good used copy.
In addition to being a fine cookbook, the description of travel throughout Turkey is excellent. This cookbook is one of a series of Malouf cookbooks including Saha, Moorish and New Middle Eastern Food. You may well find yourself captivated by this series and travelling (at least in your kitchen) to the far-flung areas of this fascinating region.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.
Rustic Red Lentil Soup With Sizzling Mint Butter
Ingredients
- For the Soup:
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (finely diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 T. ground cumin
- 1 t. hot paprika
- 1 1/2 t. sweet paprika
- 1 T. tomato paste
- 7 oz. red lentils
- 1 1/2 quarts vegetable broth
- 1/4 C. fine bulgur
- 1 fresh tomato (quartered)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- For the Sizzling Butter
- 2 ounces unsalted butter
- 1/2 t. dried mint
- Lemon wedges to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Saute onion, carrot and garlic in hot oil in a large soup pot, adding cumin, hot paprika, and 1 t. sweet paprika. Saute until vegetables begin to soften.
- Step 2 Add tomato paste and stir for about a minute. Add lentils and vegetable stock. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to be sure lentils are not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Step 3 Once the lentils have softened, stir in the 1/4 C. of bulgur and add the quartered fresh tomato. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Step 4 Heat the butter, remaining sweet paprika, and mint in a separate pan until the butter foams. Serve the soup with a spoonful of the butter mixture swirled into the soup. Garnish with wedges of lemon and/or a bit of chopped cilantro.
