Buttermilk Fattoush

One of my very favorite salads is Fattoush. There are various versions of the salad, whose name comes from fatta, which refers to the crumbled or torn pieces of flatbread in the salad. But I’ve never had Fattoush with buttermilk dressing, so was intrigued when I saw a recipe for it in Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley, a book which eloquently presents and reflects on Palestinean cuisine, its history, its people, and its culture. As soon as I got the book, the first thing I said to myself was, “This is one of the best books of the year.” It’s a great book.

A few years back, Sami told me that he was going to do a cookbook that updated the dishes and recipes of his homeland, making them relevant to today, just as he and Yotam Ottolenghi did for the diaspora of Middle Eastern foods in their previous books. Sami admits that this is a non-traditional Fattoush, one that his mother made, but likes it so much that he wanted to share it.

This is the kind of salad that I really like. Loads of chopped vegetables, plenty of fresh herbs, and a sharp dressing accented with tart sumac-seasoned onions. As an American, when I read the words “Buttermilk Dressing” I think of a thick, spoonable salad sauce, using made with blue cheese and sour cream, or something similar to give it heft and richness. But here, the buttermilk adds a pleasant tang and doesn’t drench the salad, but livens things up. It gently bathes the ingredients, rather than overwhelming them.

People are surprised to know that buttermilk is available in most French grocery stores since Bretons (people from Brittany) drink lait ribot with crêpes and buckwheat galettes, which I like too. But lait fermenté is also available in shops that sell Middle Eastern foodstuffs, where you’ll often find me prowling the aisles, picking up things like pistachio nuts and sesame seeds, halloumi cheese, olives sold in bulk, flatbreads, and sumac.

The “stick to food” folks should know that the book touches on social or political issues. Falastin doesn’t shy away from discussing the conflicts and problems which are part of the bigger picture, which frames Palestinean culinary culture. (The glossary in the back of the book lists both the pantry ingredients, and the politics.) Like in his book Jerusalem, written with Yotam Ottolenghi, it’s hard not to mention that the complexity and struggles that come with the turf. But as Palestinean cookbook author Reem Kassis notes, Palestinian cuisine deserves to be known for something beyond the conflict, and just as her cookbook does, Falastin achieves that goal.

Like all of the foods of the Middle East (this salad is widely considered to have originated in Lebanon), wherever it’s made, Fattoush always starts with lots of fresh ingredients. Tomatoes, crisp radishes, onions, crunchy cucumbers, garlic, aromatic mint, and parsley are all tossed together with crispy bits of flatbread. Then, at the last minute, it’s doused with a lemony buttermilk dressing. The icing on the salad is the sumac onions; sliced raw onions are marinated with the astringent, puckery seasoning made from dried berries. It’s an unmistakable flavor and worth searching out. You can find it in Middle Eastern shops or online. (The Ottlenghi shop sells it, as does Kalustyans, Penzeys, and La Boîte in the U.S.) Wherever you get it, try to find sumac that’s fresh and aromatic, not stale. You’ll notice the difference.

I’ve got my eye on several recipes in this book, which truly exceeded my expectations, but wanted to get this salad on the table while fresh tomatoes were still in season. If you can’t find good-tasting slicing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes will fill in for the standard tomatoes just fine. Bookmarked recipes in Falastin include Sticky Date and Halvah Puddings with Tahini Caramel and Sweet Tahini Rolls, in the baking chapter.

Roast Squash and Zucchini with Whipped Feta and Pistachios, Shatta (fresh chile sauce), Shush barak (meat dumplings with yogurt sauce), and especially the Chicken musakhan, golden-brown chicken roasted with cumin, sumac, and allspice, are on the savory side, and are bookmarked as well. Congratulations to Sami and Tara for being our hosts and guide, as they call themselves, respectively, for creating a collection of stories and recipes that focus a sharper lens on Palestinean cuisine.