Murad says: “The Gulf countries are known for their elaborate rice dishes, of which there are many. Some of the best and most traditional are cooked in deep underground fire pits over charcoal and palm wood, the smokiness taking over every grain. Practically this isn’t feasible in most homes, but I like to think that we can still produce the most wonderful rice dishes with just a few simple ingredients and a lot of love. This one can be a side or a main dish. I like to eat this with pan-fried fish, a fresh chopped salad and a spicy pickle.”

Serves 4–6

Soaking time: 20 minutes–2 hours

Ingredients

• ⅓ tsp loosely packed saffron threads, finely crushed
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 400g floury potatoes like Maris Pipers (about 2 medium ones), peeled and cut into rough 2.5cm cubes
• 350g basmati rice, washed until the water runs clear and soaked for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours, then drained
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 5 cloves
• 5 cardamom pods
• 50g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 4 large ripe plum tomatoes, halved lengthways (approx 600g)
• 2 green chillies, left whole
• 1½ tbsp parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Add the saffron, 1½ tablespoons hot water and the rosewater to a small bowl and set aside to infuse for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight if getting ahead.

Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, the onion and ½ teaspoon salt to a lidded non-stick sauté pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are nicely golden. Add the potatoes, 2 tablespoons of water and another ¼ teaspoon salt, give everything a good stir, cover with the lid and turn down the heat to medium low.

Cook for 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until the potatoes are cooked through and have taken on some colour.

Meanwhile, fill a large, lidded, non-stick saucepan (roughly 26cm in diameter) with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat. Add the rice, bay leaves and spices and boil for just 5 minutes, until half cooked. Strain through a sieve set over the sink. Rinse out and dry the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and half the butter. Sprinkle the cut side of the tomatoes with ¾ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper and arrange them cut-side down with the chillies in the bottom of the pan. Top evenly with half the rice (including the aromatics), spoon over half the saffron water and half the potato mixture, then repeat with the remaining rice, saffron water and potatoes. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke three or four holes into the rice mixture and dot with the remaining butter. Cover the pan with a clean tea towel, followed by the lid, bringing the ends of the towel up and over the lid and securing them together with a rubber band or by tying the ends together. Place over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to low and steam the rice for 45 minutes, undisturbed.

Remove the lid and the towel and set aside for 5 minutes or so. Place a very large plate over the pan and, in one swift movement, invert the whole thing onto it. If some of the tomatoes stick to the bottom of the pan just remove these and arrange them on top of the rice. Shake the plate a little to spread things out and then sprinkle with the parsley.

Murad says: “I love this dish for two reasons: the first is that spatchcocking a chicken means super-juicy meat every time. The second is that it celebrates loomi (aka black limes) in its very dramatic-looking appearance, and I really appreciate that. Serve with some lightly dressed greens or the pan-fried tomatoes with za’atar, pine nuts and halloumi.”

Serves 4

Marinating time: 2 hours to overnight

Ingredients

• 1 whole large chicken (1.8kg)
• 2 black limes (10g)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, finely crushed using a pestle and mortar
• 1¼ tsp paprika
• 1½ tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp soft light brown sugar
• 1 head of garlic, halved widthways, plus 1 extra clove, crushed
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 x 1cm rounds, seeds removed
• 2½ tbsp olive oil
• 25g  unsalted butter
• 75g natural (plain) yoghurt
• 1½ tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pat the chicken well dry with paper towels, then flip it over, breast side down, so the backbone is facing you. Use a pair of poultry shears (or a very sharp knife) to cut along each side of the backbone to remove it (save it for making stock or gravy!).

Flip the chicken back over and push down firmly on the breast to flatten the bird – you want to snap the wishbone. Pat the chicken dry again and season all over with 1½ teaspoons salt, using your fingers to push some salt in between the skin and flesh. Set aside.

Use your hands to press down on the black limes to roughly crush them. Open them up and pick out and discard any pips (these are bitter). Add the black lime to a spice grinder and blitz to finely crush (you can also do this in a small food processor with a large quantity of black limes). Measure out 1½ tablespoons (store any extra in a sealed jar) and add to a small bowl with the cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and a generous grind of black pepper and mix well. Rub this all over the chicken (try to get some underneath the skin as well), making sure it is well coated. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least a couple of hours, or up to overnight. If the latter, remove the chicken from the refrigerator an hour before roasting.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and then preheat the oven to 190°C fan/210°C. Place the garlic halves, the lemon slices and 100ml of water in a large cast-iron skillet. Place the chicken on top, breast-side up, and drizzle all over with the oil. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, then carefully remove and use a spoon to baste the chicken. Return to the oven, rotating the dish, and roast for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan. When ready, remove the chicken and pour the butter all over the skin. Return to the oven for about another 10 minutes or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reads 75°C on a digital thermometer. Set aside to rest for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the chicken to a large platter.

Pick out 3–4 lemon slices and the roasted garlic. Squeeze the garlic flesh into a medium bowl, discarding the papery skins, and use a fork to mash until smooth. Finely chop the lemons, peel and all, and add to the bowl along with the yoghurt, the crushed clove of garlic, the parsley and a tiny pinch of salt.

Pour the pan juices and remaining lemon slices all over the chicken and serve with the yoghurt alongside.

Murad says: “This date loaf is inspired by a multitude of things. The idea landed while eating a Welsh bara brith, similar to an English tea loaf, where dried fruit is soaked in tea to create a bread loaf that’s then sliced and slathered in butter. I knew then that this would be the perfect template for a cardamom date cake, which I had wanted to include in Lugma somehow. Then there’s the topping, which sets this loaf apart in a very lovely way. The combination of fennel, sesame and nigella seeds is often sprinkled onto khobez hamar, a type of date-based flatbread made in Bahrain but perfected in Al-Ahsa in eastern Saudi Arabia. This really is a special loaf, so easy to make and one that improves with time, so make it a day before you want to serve it if you can. I like to have it drizzled with tahini and date molasses, which is quite rich, so feel free to just spread it with lashings of salted butter.”

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 320g pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
• 400ml  boiling-hot strong brewed tea
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 110g olive oil (by weight not volume), plus extra for greasing
• 140g dark soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp date molasses
• 275g plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• seeds from 25 cardamom pods, finely crushed using a pestle and mortar
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• For the topping
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed using a pestle and mortar
• 1 tsp nigella seeds

To serve

• tahini or salted softened butter
• date molasses

Method

Put the dates in a medium heatproof bowl and add the tea and bicarbonate of soda. Mix to combine and set aside to soften for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C. Grease and line the base and sides of a standard 1-litre loaf tin (about 23 x 13 x 6cm) with a piece of baking paper.

In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and molasses until smooth, aerated and without lumps, about 2 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt.

Use a fork (or your hands) to roughly mash the dates into the tea, then whisk this into the sugar mixture until combined. Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the flour mixture,

just until evenly combined (do not overmix). Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and place it on a baking tray. Sprinkle the top with the sesame, fennel and nigella seeds, then bake on the middle rack of your oven for 65–70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Check your loaf at the 35-minute mark; if it looks too dark on top, cover loosely with foil. When ready, lift the loaf out the tin using the baking paper to help you and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve sliced with a drizzle of tahini or a generous amount of softened butter, followed by some date molasses.