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Pursuant to my never ending quest for new flavors, I did what I usually do - picked up a spice that I never heard of before I knew how to use it. I was in a Persian market and I picked up a sort of large (1 - 1.5 cups) jar of Za-atar. I really don't know how it is used. Is it something you put on or in other food? Any recipes to use it? (not recipes to make it, b/c I came across several of those). Thanks!
xnyorkr
Feb 20, 2007 09:16AM
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It's good on hummus or pita. It's yummy. Just sprinkle it all over.
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Love it on hummus and pita too. Sprinkle it over sauteed onion when making a rice pilaf or over cooked rice even. It's great on grilled meat and incorporated into meatballs.
Would be good in salad dressing, or simply sprinkled over cucumbers in a "greek" salad.
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So yummy on pita and then dipped into hummus- or with some mild cheese melted on top... oh so good! (try different middle eastern cheese)
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I cut up new potatoes of all colors, toss in olive oil,salt , pepper, and zatar, maybe a few sesame seeds. Then I raost them in a 375 degree oven till they get lovely and crisp. A nice side dish with lamb or beef, or even on top of a mediterranian salad with tahini dressing.
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its good with olive oil as a bread dip. you can either serve warm bread with olive oil with za'atar in it, or put out a separate bowl of za'atar to sprinkle on the oil dipped bread.
its also really nice on scrambled eggs, or on/with various cheeses, goat chevre, feta, etc.
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Good with olive oil on toasted pita
I've also dredged fish fillets in it.
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It's great on chevre or lebne as a spread on bread or toast. I've also used it on pizza and included it in various recipes for chicken and lamb. Use it with a heavy hand, it isn't very strong in flavor.
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I like to dredge 1/2 chickens in it and roast them.
Zataar is traditionally sprinkled liberally on a oiled pita and toasted.
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It's also v. nice in a tomato/feta salad - lots of olive oil.
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If you go to a Persian restaurant it's sometimes sitting as a condiment in a big glass shaker on the table, like pepper flakes in an Italian restaurant. I would shake it on anything that takes your fancy. Za'atar on flatbread is also great. I had a Middle Eastern style pizza from a little hole in the wall joint in NYC that heavily featured za'atar. Good stuff.
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Love it in Fattoush!
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I've never seen recipes for za-atar, like in fattoush (which I love love love). It sounds like it is used like sumac. They look different (I have both).
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I don't know where I got the recipe that called for it in Fattoush but it is an excellent addition
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za'atar is a blend of different spices.
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Yeah I know that. Just the recipe I used that called for it was really really good.
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>Pursuant to my never ending quest for new flavors, I did what I usually do - picked up a >spice that I never heard of before I knew how to use it.
<LOL> I did the same thing, and found that it was delicious sprinkled into olive oil as a bread dip, and also as a seasoning for roasted/baked chicken.
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I am not a big bread eater, or dipper. I hope I can use it some other way.
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Za'atar is actually a blend of Wild Thyme, sesame seeds and sometimes sumac. It's found all over the Middle East. As a matter of fact, it's one of the few things every one in the Middle East has in common. Hmmmm. Perhaps we could use Za'Taar as a starting point....
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I've used it to make savoury palmiers. You sprinkle it between the layers of puff pastry.
You can roll logs of goat cheese in it or add it to bread crumbs for a crispy coating.
Once, I had a poached egg on rice for dinner, and I sprinkled zaatar on top. Simple, but darn good.
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I first bought za'atar in order to make this recipe from Todd English's Figs Table cookbook, and boy was it worth it!
Roasted Carrot and Feta salad
Cut up a bunch of carrots into matchsticks (I used baby carrots because I had a bag sitting around, cut each one lengthwise into quarters or smaller). Toss with a little olive oil and s&p and roast at 425 until they are starting to brown (about 30 minutes depending on size - check them to make sure they don't become too soft). Let the carrots cool a little, then toss with about a tablespoon of za'tar and crumbled feta cheese (a nice crumbly briny feta, like Bulgarian). Y'all, I don't even like carrots but I could not stop eating this. The sweet carrots, salty feta and slightly sour taste of the za'tar . . . . mmm.
I've also heard it's good on roasted cauliflower, I'm trying that next.
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That sounds right up my alley. Wow. I may have to make a Kalustyan's run tonight.
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WOW, that sounds good...
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roast cut sweet potatoes or butternut squash with olive oil, salt, pepper and zaatar, and an extra pinch of sesame seeds- wonderful! My family never tires of these as side dishes
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You can sprinkle it on popcorn too
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I love za'atar sprinkled on the bread crumbs in the zuni bread crumb crusted fried eggs http://www.chowhound.com/topics/35598...
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