LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2016

ENTERTAINING  LATE NIGHT BITES

M I N I S U J U K L O G W I T H M I N T T A H I N I M A Y O & H A R I S S A L A B N E H This tasty little beef sausage is deeply flavour- ful with garlic, allspice, cumin and coriander seed. Look for sujuk at specialty butchers or Middle Eastern grocery stores. It’s generally available in mild and hot, large and mini; we used the mild minis so everyone can partake! If you can’t find sujuk, chorizo or any thick Italian sausage will work. Za’atar is a readily available spice blend of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds, typically. 1 lb (500 g) fresh, mini sujuk sausages 1 cup (250 mL) labneh or strained Greek yogurt or soft, spreadable cream cheese or ricotta 2 free-run eggs 2 tsp (10 mL) za’atar 2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil for egg wash 1 pkg frozen phyllo pastry, thawed according to package directions 1 Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside. 2 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). 3 If sujuk is tied into links, separate, then add to a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the sausage until browned. Transfer to plate and set aside to cool. 4 Into a medium bowl, combine the labneh, 1 egg and za’atar. Blend until smooth and well combined. 5 In a small bowl, whisk the second egg with olive oil and set aside; this is the egg wash. 6 Roll out the phyllo on the counter vertically away from you. Along the end closest to you, spoon and spread about ¼ cup (60 mL) of the labneh mixture. Lay a row of the cooled sujuk end to end—about 6 sausages—then gather 2 sheets of pastry, fold them over the sausages and start rolling away from yourself. 8 Brush the finished logs with egg and oil wash and sprinkle with sesame or other garnishes. 9 Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. 10  Serve whole on a cutting board with a knife so guests can serve themselves. These are tasty hot or at room temperature, but the pastry will lose its delicious crunch if not con- sumed within a few hours. 11  Serve with Mint Tahini Mayo and Harissa Labneh (recipes on page 148). Makes 4 to 6 logs a time, it will still be fine. Transfer log—seam- side down—to prepared sheet pan. Carry on with the remaining sausage and labneh.

WHAT TO SERVE Kourtakis Apelia Agiorgitiko (St George) LCBO 554527, 1.5 L, $13.95 Hoegaarden LCBO 554089, 6 pk, $14.25

Olive oil, melted butter or non-stick olive oil cooking spray for brushing or spraying the pastry About ¼ cup (60 mL) sesame seeds for garnish, divided (alternative garnishes can be a sprinkling of Aleppo pepper, sumac or za’atar)

7 Brush or spray the next layer of pastry with oil or butter and roll the log back toward you, gathering up 2 sheets of pastry. This isn’t cru- cial, so if you gather 3 or even 4 sheets at

114  FOOD & DRI NK SUMMER 2016