Forget photogenic. Warak malfouf won't do it. Unpronounceable, unphotographable, and yet inevitable.
But the sumac with the garlic, the lemon, the rice dissolved into the broth, that's the kind of thing that retrospectively justifies the two hours you just spent rolling cabbage. Barely. I love this dish even though I always dread making it. If you have some time to lose and a hungry belly, this one's for you.
From scratch: bones from the butcher, homemade broth. Cabbage blanched leaf by leaf, hard ribs trimmed, the filling prepared: beef, rice, seven spices. Then you roll. One by one. The first ones are a mess. You'll get better.
Everything packed tight into the pot: bones at the bottom, rolls stacked, garlic tucked in everywhere. Broth over the top, a plate to hold it all down, an hour on low heat. You wait, trying not to lift the lid.
Five minutes before the end: a generous tablespoon of sumac and a good squeeze of lemon. Non-negotiable. That's where Tanios comes in, and that's where the dish becomes itself.
Rest it. Let the juices do their work. Then eat.
Warak malfouf. Unpronounceable, unphotographable, and yet inevitable. Sumac, garlic, lemon, rice dissolved in broth. The kind of dish that retrospectively justifies the two hours you just spent rolling cabbage. Barely.
We start from scratch. Bones from the butcher for a homemade broth, cabbage blanched leaf by leaf, filling prepared: ground beef, rice, seven spices. Then we roll. For a long time. The first ones are a mess. We keep going anyway.
Everything packed tight in the pot, garlic tucked everywhere, broth poured over, a plate to hold it all down. One hour on low heat. You wait, trying not to lift the lid.
Five minutes before the end, a generous spoonful of sumac and the juice of a lemon. Non-negotiable. That's where the dish becomes what it is.
You let it rest. And you understand why you'll do it again.
Warak Malfouf with Sumac
Ingredients
1 whole cabbage
Beef bones (for the broth)
250g ground beef
250 to 300g basmati rice
1 pinch of Lebanese 7-spice blend (roughly cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, cumin, clove)
1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated
1 tablespoon sumac
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt (less if you've already salted your broth)
The broth: Put the bones in a large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Skim if needed. Set aside.
The cabbage: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Submerge the whole cabbage for 2 minutes, peel off the softened leaves, repeat. Continue until you have enough leaves. Remove the hard central rib from each leaf with a knife.
The filling: Mix the ground beef, rice, 7 spices and salt by hand. The rice goes in raw, it cooks inside the rolls.
Roll: Place a little filling at the base of each leaf, fold in the sides and roll tight. Set rolls seam-side down. Line the bottom of the pot with the damaged leaves and bones. Pack the rolls tightly on top, seam-side down. Tuck the garlic cloves in between.
Cook: Pour the hot broth over until just covered. Place a plate directly on the rolls to keep them in place. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for at least 1 hour.
Sumac and lemon: 5 to 10 minutes before the end, add the sumac and lemon juice. Adjust salt.
Rest: Turn off the heat and leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.