Recipe
June 20, 2019
Cherry, Herb And Freekeh Tabule
Try this Cherry, Herb And Freekeh Tabule recipe from the cookbook Honey & Co. At Home by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich.
Throughout the Middle East, freekeh is prepared in the spring. The wheat is picked while the sheaves are still green and the wheat kernels are still soft. The crops are harvested and arranged in piles to dry, and then are carefully set on fire to burn away the chaff and straw. The moisture in the wheat kernels prevents them from burning; they just take on a very subtle smokiness. Once cooled, the wheat is rubbed by hand (hence the name: farik means rubbed in Arabic), then dried and stored for use throughout the year.
Directions
Yield: Makes enough salad for a party or for 8–10 as part of a spread
- Rinse the freekeh under cold water, then place in a large pan and cover with 1 liter/1 3⁄4 pints/4 1⁄3 cups of fresh water. Add the celery, carrot and bay leaf, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Remove any foam that comes to the top and reduce the heat to medium. Add the olive oil and salt, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the freekeh is just al dente. The timing may vary as there are different grades of grain.
- Drain the freekeh and use tongs or a fork to remove the vegetables and bay leaf. Taste to see if you need to add a little more olive oil and salt. Best to do this when the freekeh is hot, as it will absorb the flavors better.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool before mixing in all the salad ingredients. Toss with a light hand to combine, and taste for seasoning again before serving.
Excerpted from © Honey & Co. At Home: Middle Eastern Recipes From Our Kitchen by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, Pavilion New York, 2019. Photography © Patricia Niven 2018.