Entree: Egypt – Cairo & Delta – فتة ➤ Fattah (Layered dish of crispy flatbread and rice topped with spiced meat and garlicky tomato and yogurt sauces)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 45 min

Cook 1 hr 55 min

Total 2 hrs 40 min

Ingredients

- 1.5 lb (680 g) beef brisket or chuck, trimmed
- 3 cups (600 g) cooked long-grain white rice, kept warm
- 4 pita breads (about 12 oz / 340 g total), torn into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus more for frying
- 2 tbsp (30 g) butter
- 1 large onion, halved and thickly sliced (about 8 oz / 225 g)
- 4 cups (960 ml) beef stock or water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp (7 g) salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) black pepper
- 1 cup (240 g) plain yogurt (for serving)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) white vinegar (for garlic-vinegar dressing)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) tomato paste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil for sauce
- 1 cup (240 ml) reserved beef cooking liquid
- 1 tbsp (15 g) sugar (to balance tomato)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup (15 g) fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
- Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the beef: place beef, halved onion, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, and pepper in a pot with 4 cups beef stock or water. Bring to a simmer, skim, then cover and cook gently until very tender, 1.5–2 hours. Remove beef, reserve 1 cup (240 ml) cooking liquid, and shred beef into bite-sized pieces.
2. Prepare the bread: heat 2–3 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry torn pita pieces in batches until crisp and golden, drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt.
3. Make the tomato-garlic sauce: in a saucepan heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil over medium heat, stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Add reserved 1 cup (240 ml) beef liquid, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp cumin; simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning.
4. Make the garlic-vinegar dressing: mash crushed garlic with a pinch of salt, then whisk into 1/4 cup (60 ml) white vinegar and 2 tbsp (30 ml) warm water. Taste and adjust; this should be sharp and garlicky.
5. Warm the yogurt: whisk plain yogurt until smooth and thin slightly with 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) warm water if needed; keep warm or at room temperature.
6. Assemble layers: in a wide shallow serving dish, spread the fried pita to form the bottom layer. Spoon an even layer of warm cooked rice over the bread. Distribute shredded beef evenly over the rice.
7. Finish with sauces: pour the warm tomato-garlic sauce over the beef and rice so it soaks into the bread. Drizzle garlic-vinegar dressing over the top in spots, then spoon yogurt across for contrast.
8. Garnish and serve: scatter toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley over the piecelayers. Serve immediately with lemon wedges so diners can squeeze fresh lemon over each portion.