“Bubala: Middle-Eastern Inspired Vegetarian Recipes to Share” by Marc Summers (Quadrille, RRP £28) | Photography © Patricia Niven
Few London restaurants have built the kind of following Bubala has in such a short time. What began as a 2018 East London pop-up has grown into three much-loved sites across Spitalfields, Soho and King’s Cross, known for bold, vegetable-led dishes and a room that hums with warmth and generosity. Now, with “Bubala: Middle Eastern-Inspired Vegetarian Recipes to Share” (RRP £28), founder Marc Summers brings that energy into the home kitchen.
The book gathers more than 100 vibrant, Middle Eastern-inspired recipes designed for sharing, from Hummus with Harissa, Apricot and Jalapeño Oil to Halloumi with Black Seed Honey and Falafel with Tahini Sauce, Sumac Onions and Amba. Organised into chapters spanning Sides & Salads, Skewers, Mezzes, Mains and Sweets, it reflects the restaurant’s ethos: vegetables as the focus, flavours dialled up, and food made to be passed across the table.
In this extract from the debut cookbook, expect the kind of dish that has come to define Bubala’s appeal—confident, playful and rooted in the pleasure of feeding others.
CHEF’S NOTES:
“London-based restaurant critic Jay Rayner coined these the most inauthentic latkes ever seen. He’s not wrong. These are inspired by the classics, served at the famous Quality Chop House in London, and they’ve been on our menu since our first-ever pop-up. We serve them with the mind-blowingly garlicky, Turkish condiment toum—which can really be paired with anything, if you have leftovers. These are the perfect side to any meal.”
“It’s best to start this the day before you want to serve the latkes, as the potatoes need to be cooled and chilled before cutting.”
Makes 12
For the Potato Latkes
Ingredients
- 800g (1lb 12oz) chipping potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward
- 125g (4½oz) unsalted butter
- small handful of thyme leaves
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
- rapeseed (canola) oil, for shallow frying
- pinch of aleppo chilli flakes, to serve
- pinch of flaky sea salt, to serve
Method
- Peel the potatoes and slice them very finely, using a mandolin, to a width of about 3mm (⅛in). Put in a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in a pan, add the thyme leaves and garlic and leave on a low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Remove from the heat, strain through a sieve (sifter), then pour the strained butter mixture over the sliced potatoes. Season with the salt and crushed pepper and mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Line a 40 x 30cm (16 x 12in) baking tin with baking paper, then add the potato slices in even layers. Cover with more baking paper and place a second baking tin, slightly smaller than the tin holding the potatoes, on top to weigh down the potatoes as they cook. Cook in the oven for 90 minutes, or until a knife passes through easily.
- Cool, then transfer to the fridge and add heavy weights, such as full cans or jars, on top of the baking tin. Leave to chill until completely cold.
- Turn the potatoes out of the tin. To portion the latkes, trim off the edges, then cut into 12 portions measuring about 5 x 8cm (2 x 3¼in) and 2.5cm (1in) deep.
- Heat 1cm (½in) rapeseed oil in a frying pan (skillet) and, working in batches if needed, shallow fry the latkes until they are golden on both sides, 5–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- To serve, stack the latkes on a plate, adding a generous dollop of toum alongside, and sprinkle with the aleppo chilli flakes and flaky sea salt.
For the Toum
Ingredients
- 6 thick-skinned lemons
- 1.75L water
- 35g salt
- 1kg sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 3 star anise
Method
- Put the egg white, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil, blending well between additions, until the toum is thick, creamy and emulsified. Set aside.
- Any unused toum can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.