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Raw lamb mixed with spices and herbs is a Lebanese delicacy, and once you've tried it, you'll be as hooked as Nayla Audi. Honest

Every time I offer a plate of this week's star ingredient to foreigners, they devour it in minutes. In fact, it is the most popular dish among westerners who come to my dinner parties. And, believe it or not, the ingredient in question is raw lamb.

In Lebanon, lamb takes centre stage at weddings, Easter feasts and any other big gatherings; the raw variety is especially highly prized. Similarly, any Lebanese table groaning under an assortment of mezza (a selection of small dishes) isn't complete without some kind of raw meat.

When I went to study in New York, I fell in love with American steakhouses and would always choose to go to one whenever a visiting relative offered to take me out for dinner. But then something odd happened - during one of those meals out, my usual order of rare steak repulsed me. I couldn't finish it. After that, I refused to touch meat of any kind and began to think of myself as a vegetarian. But that illusion was shattered on my next trip home to Lebanon - faced with an enormous plate of kibbeh nayeh, I felt a sudden urge to consume it.

My time as a vegetarian may have been over but, even so, for the next eight years I would eat meat only when I was back in Lebanon, and then only raw. These days, it is really only in the remotest villages in the north and south of the country that you find these raw meat dishes prepared in the traditional manner. For kibbeh nayeh, say, lamb leg is de-veined and pounded for hours in a stone urn to produce a smooth purée. It is then mixed with cracked wheat, onion, salt and pepper, and served immediately.

For fteeleh nayeh, lean fillet of lamb is cut into small cubes and served on a platter, alongside two small plates, one filled with salt, the other with pepper. Diners scoop up the meat in a small piece of pita bread, then dip it into the salt and pepper. The principle is that the seasoning masks the raw taste of the meat. Lamb's liver, or kasbeh nayeh, is consumed in much the same way, though it is sometimes also accompanied by small cubes of fat.

Whichever of these dishes you try, though, serve it with the traditional accompaniment, namely Lebanon's favourite alcoholic drink, Arak (it's a bit like a cross between pastis and ouzo), served with ice and water.

All recipes serve six.

Kibbeh nayeh

6 fresh mint leaves
2 chilli peppers (or hot chilli powder)
1 onion, cut into eighths
400g cooked burghul (cracked wheat)
1kg leg of lamb, boned
1 pinch each white pepper, black pepper and salt

In an electric mixer, whizz together the mint, chilli and onion, then slowly add a quarter of the cooked burghul. De-vein the lamb. If using an electric mixer, cut the meat into small cubes before processing; alternatively, pass it through a fine mincer (traditionally, it would be pounded in a mortar until puréed, but this takes a long time, so only try it if you're a real stickler for authenticity). Slowly add the onion, mint and burghul mix to the meat, then transfer everything to a bowl.

Add three or four ice cubes to the bowl to keep the meat cold, then quickly knead the mixture by hand, adding the rest of the burghul as you do so. Next, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once with a few stalks of fresh mint and some green or white onions cut into wedges. Spread the kibbeh over your individual plate, drizzle with olive oil and scoop it up with pita bread.


A traditional accompaniment to kibbeh nayeh.

1 onion, chopped fine
2 tbsp butter
400g leg of lamb, boned and finely ground
100g pine nuts
1 tbsp pomegranate syrup
Salt and pepper

Sauté the onion in the butter, then add the pine nuts and ground meat, and cook until browned. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in the pomegranate syrup, diluted in a little water, and cover for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Fteeleh nayeh

Heaven on a plate.

600g fillet of lamb
Salt and pepper
Pita bread

Cut meat into very small cubes. Unlike the previous dishes, do not sprinkle the seasonings on the meat, rather serve them alongside in separate dishes. Scoop up the meat with a piece of pita, dip it heavily into the salt and pepper, and eat with relish.

Kasbeh nayeh

600g lambs' liver (as fresh as possible)
Salt and pepper
Pita bread

De-vein the liver, then cut it into small cubes. Traditionally, the liver is prepared on a bed of pita bread, which absorbs the excess juices (throw it away afterwards, or give it to the dog). Again, do not season before serving. Serve at once with the seasoning in separate dishes.

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