This salad is used as a bed for grilled meat and poultry throughout the Levant. The dressing varies slightly from country to country. In Turkey, cooks use only sumac, while in Egypt they favor lemon juice. In Syria and Lebanon, the seasoning combines both. I learned to soak the onion in boiling water from Sami Tamimi, Ottolenghi’s partner, to slightly soften it and, more important, to take away some of the sharpness. You can chop the parsley or you can leave the leaves whole, that is if the parsley is not overgrown. I normally chop mine unless I buy parsley imported from Lebanon, Syria, or Jordan where they pick it quite young, in which case I leave it whole. Serve this with your choice of grilled meat by spreading the salad on a pita or any other flatbread, then laying the grilled meat on top.
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 medium onions (10½ ounces/300 g total), halved lengthwise and cut into thin wedges
- ¼ bunch flatleaf parsley (2 ounces/50 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, coarsely chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ground sumac, to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
- Salt and finely ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Soak the onions in 2 cups (475 ml) hot water for 5 minutes.
- Drain and spread to dry on a clean kitchen towel, then transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the parsley, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
