--- A Middle East Feast premieres 8.00pm Thursday 24 June on SBS Food, or stream it free via SBS On Demand. For recipes, articles and more head to the program page here. ---
A Middle East Feast presents dishes created by Shane Delia, as well as special guests and friends, from his vibrant studio kitchen.
Shane's trademark smile and his incredible energy and passion for Middle Eastern cuisine are revealed in his stunning series of simple, rustic and mouthwatering recipes.
Episode 1 | Joseph Abboud
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 24 June, 2021on SBS Food
Whole grains, legumes and fresh vegetables are the staples of Middle Eastern cuisine and the foundation of many vibrant and aromatic dishes. Join Shane Delia in the kitchen for his secrets to a flavoursome fattoush salad and a winning meza dish featuring braised chickpeas.
M'nazaeleh is a light stew made with eggplant, tomato and plenty of spices. It's vegan-friendly and can be served with bread or a Middle Eastern main.
An easy side dish of deep-fried cauliflower florets drizzled generously with a creamy tahini, garlic and lemon sauce.
Episode 2 | Tom Sarafian
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 1 July, 2021on SBS Food
Food is the binding agent that brings families together, and for a Sunday lunch, the entire table is usually filled with colourful plates of food. Shane Delia and guest chef Tom Sarafian bring their family favourites to today's episode for the perfect family lunch.
This is a wonderful traditional Lebanese chicken and rice dish with crisp onion, fried nuts, vermicelli noodles and a tahini dressing.
Muhammara is an easy Middle Eastern dip made with crushed pieces of fried Lebanese bread, walnuts, capsicum and spices.
Whole bullhorn capsicums baked and drizzled with a thyme, garlic and olive-oil marinade. A perfect entree or side dish.
Episode 3 | Murat Ovaz
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 8 July, 2021on SBS Food
Unpretentious, homely and full of flavour, Turkish cuisine is a favourite across the world. Mostly the heritage of Ottoman cuisine and with influences from Europe and Asia, it has a diverse and rich food culture with much to offer. In today's episode, Shane highlights the best of Turkish home cooking.
Havuc is a simple and rich Turkish dip made with shredded carrot, garlic toum and Greek yoghurt. Perfect served with warm pita bread.
A jewel from Turkey's culinary crown, karinyarik are fried eggplants stuffed with beef mince and Turkish spices, topped with a green chilli for extra kick.
Episode 4 | Linda Jones
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 15 July, 2021on SBS Food
A good Middle Eastern breakfast is all about bringing the family together over a generous spread of shared plates. Layered with spices and full of flavour, Shane shares some inspiration and the art to a good Middle Eastern breakfast feast that is a guaranteed great way to start the day.
These stunning-looking boiled eggs are rolled in dill and served atop a hot mix of roasted capsicum, thin slices of basturma and Aleppo pepper for a good kick.
As if haloumi wasn't amazing on its own, we wrap it in stringy pastry, deep-fry it, then slather on a divine honey, pine nut and lemon dressing.
A dish popular in Egypt and the Levant, fatteh consists of zesty chickpeas and a garlic yoghurt heaped over toasted flatbread, dressed with toasted almonds and fresh chives.
These side dishes often accompany other centerpieces like haloumi wrapped in kataifi pastry and Turkish eggs rolled in dill with bastourma and capsicum.
Episode 5 | Joey El-Issa
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 22 July, 2021on SBS Food
'Sweet' is certainly the keyword in today's episode featuring Middle Eastern Sweets. With layered pastries, fragrant syrups, crunchy nuts and dried fruits on show, Shane offers the best of pure indulgent recipes that are the perfect end to any feast.
M'hencha is a filo pastry snake, rolled with a rich almond, white chocolate and ginger filling, with a few drops of rosewater for fragrance. Dress with rose petals for a truly stunning dessert.
Knafeh is a beautiful and intriguing Middle Eastern dessert made with stringy kataifi pastry and filled with mozzarella cheese.
This Middle Eastern rice pudding is sweetened with a boozy anise liquor-flavoured sugar syrup and fresh strawberries atop.
Standing somewhere between ice-cream and frozen yoghurt, Shane likes to pair this frozen dessert with a slice of sweet, crispy m'hencha.
Episode 6 | Ehud Malka
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 29 July, 2021on SBS Food
Israel has a diverse food culture, pulling influence from Arab and Jewish cuisines and with a strong connection to Mediterranean and European flavours. Shane is joined in the kitchen by special guest Ehud Malka and offers an entire feast of brilliant Israeli cuisine.
Turn your favourite bowl of hummus into a charcoal-scented treat with a few drops of liquid smoke. The hummus makes a great snack as-is but a mushroom topping takes it from dip to meal.
Malabi is a sweet milk pudding that can be eaten plain but is often topped with a rose-scented fruit syrup. Ehud Malka takes his to the next level with coconut milk instead of cows and pomegranate, pistachio, coconut and shaved halva as a garnish.
Episode 7 | Haikal Raji
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 5 August, 2021on SBS Food
The heady aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries is enough to make anyone hungry, and nothing says Middle Eastern hospitality like fresh pastries do. Shane and special guest Haikal Raji offer their best dough and bread recipes, the heart and soul of Middle Eastern food culture.
Fit for a feast, pull together these juicy chicken kebabs, homemade pita breads and fresh salad with a pomegranate molasses dressing and gather the clan.
Homemade hand pies filled with shredded haloumi cheese, baked and served warm for a delicious snack or party canape.
Episode 8 | Tom Sarafian
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 12 August, 2021on SBS Food
Slow-cooked meats are the ultimate comfort food. Pair it with Middle Eastern spices and flavours and they're a match made in heaven. Tom Sarafian joins host Shane Delia in the kitchen for today's episode on the best of slow-cooked comfort food, and Shane gives the secrets to his impressive slow-roasted lamb shoulder.
Episode 9 | Emir Ukur
Premieres 8.00pm Thursday 19 August, 2021on SBS Food
Using cooking techniques that have been passed down through generations, Middle Eastern BBQ is served with pride in knowing the art of barbecuing has been perfected. Shane brings beautiful smoky flavours to some prawns in today's episode, and Emir Ukur joins in with his recipe for the most famous Middle Eastern dish, kebabs.
Episode 10 | Linda Jones and Joseph Abboud
Premieres 8.00 pm Thursday 26 August, 2021on SBS Food
Meze is the term used to describe an assortment of small dishes and describes what Middle Eastern food is all about, a chance to connect over the shared experience of cooking and eating with loved ones. Shane is helped in the kitchen by special guests Linda Jones and Joseph Abboud to bring a perfect Middle Eastern Meze feast to the table.
Perfect as a snack or main meal, these flaky pastry parcels are packed with lamb, spices and a sweet touch of pomegranate molasses.
