A Lebanese Dinner by

Naji at the Southside Supperclub

Kibbeh Nayeh

Kibbeh is the definitive Lebanese festive food: in the era before electronic meat grinders, the Lebanese pounded meat mortar-and-pestle style. It is a tradition still followed in villages where families gather for a weekly Sunday feast. The North of Lebanon is most famous for this dish, using goats meat and sticking close to tradition. Kibbe nayeh is considered by Lebanese to be the masterpiece on our mezze table, and we are always certain of the meat’s provenance.

Lamb brains and Lamb testicles

Harkening back to a tradition with roots in the Days of Abraham, a lamb or goat is slaughtered for festive Sunday feasts. Brains and testicles became part of our rich menu, and an essential BBQ item in the south of Lebanon!

Beef Tongue Fatteh

Fatteh is one of our authentic dishes that differs from village to village in Lebanon. ‘Fatteh’ translates to ‘crumbs,’ and refers to the way the dish is prepared, where crumbs of toasted Lebanese flatbreads are mixed with a garlic yogurt sauce. During the dinner we are going to the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, preparing a regional Beef tongue Fatteh as a variation on what is often a vegetarian dish.

Moughrabiyeh

Moughrabiyeh is a dish for special occasions prepared with large-grain couscous, very popular in Tripoli and Beirut. Usually in Lebanon the dough is rolled by hand and cooked fresh, served with chicken or lamb and marinated with caraway seeds.

Ashta dessert

The Ashta dessert has a sweet and aromatic flavor that is often compared to the atemoya fruit. In fact, the Lebanese refer to the atemoya fruit as ‘ashta,’ even though it has no relation to the dessert you will enjoy tonight! This dish is prepared similarly to sweetened cottage cheese, and tonight’s homemade ashta is topped with fruit and garnished with crushed pistachio.

This dinner is BYOB, with a complimentary glass of Arak