Fattoush: The Only Way
Most fattoush is a wet mess. Jeddo's version stays crisp, punchy, and worth fighting over.
Ingredients
- 1 headRomaine lettuce
- 3 mediumFirm tomatoes
- 3 piecesLebanese cucumbers
- 5 piecesRadishes
- 4 stalksGreen onions
- 1 bunchFresh mint
- 1 bunchPurslane(optional)
- 1 largeArabic flatbread
- 4 tbspOlive oil
- 2 lemonsLemon juice
- 2 tbspPomegranate molasses
- 2 tspSumac
- 1 cloveGarlic
Steps
- 01
Tear the lettuce into rough pieces. Cut tomatoes into wedges. Halve cucumbers lengthwise and slice thick. Thinly slice radishes. Slice green onions on the bias.
- 02
Tear the flatbread into rough squares. Fry in olive oil over medium-high heat until deep golden and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with sumac immediately.
- 03
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, crushed garlic, and salt.
- 04
Toss the vegetables with mint and purslane. Add the dressing and toss. Top with crispy bread. Serve immediately — fattoush waits for nobody.
The Problem With Most Fattoush
Fattoush should be crisp, acidic, and bright. Most versions are soggy bread floating in a puddle of sumac-tinted liquid. The problem is always the same: people dress it too early, and the bread absorbs everything.
Jeddo's rule was simple: the bread goes on last, the dressing goes on at the table, and nobody waits.
The Salad
This is not a recipe that needs measuring cups. It's a ratio and a feeling.
Vegetables
- Romaine lettuce, torn into rough pieces (never chopped fine)
- Tomatoes — firm ones, cut in wedges (soft tomatoes ruin fattoush)
- Cucumbers — Persian or Lebanese, halved lengthwise, sliced thick
- Radishes — thinly sliced
- Green onions — sliced on the bias
- Fresh mint — whole leaves, not chopped
- Purslane (baqleh) — if you can find it, add generous handfuls
The Bread
- One large Arabic flatbread, torn into rough squares
- Fried in olive oil until deep golden and crisp, OR baked at 200C until cracking
- Season with a pinch of sumac immediately after frying
The Dressing
- Good olive oil (don't be shy)
- Fresh lemon juice (2 lemons minimum)
- Pomegranate molasses (1-2 tablespoons — this is the secret)
- Sumac (generous)
- Salt
- One small clove of garlic, crushed to a paste
Jeddo's Notes
> "Fattoush waits for nobody. You sit down, it comes out. If someone is late, they eat it soggy. That's their problem."
> "Purslane is not optional. If you skip it, call it something else."
> "The bread must shatter when you bite it. If it bends, you failed."
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From Jeddo's kitchen to yours. No shortcuts, no compromises.