If you're considering taking, or have already signed up for, our online cook school class on Middle Eastern Street Food, you'll find all the details on how to prepare for it on this page.

Below, we have detailed what you'll cook and learn; the equipment and ingredients you'll need; and any advanced prep necessary. Note: You will need to prepare the bulgur wheat an hour before class (instructions below).

Once you've signed up for the class, we will email you all the details on how to log onto the Zoom call and a reminder of the following information. This class is restricted to students aged 16 and older.

What You'll Cook (& Learn) 

- Chicken (or mushroom) shawarma
- Flatbread
- Tabouli salad

Using these examples, we'll teach you how to:

- Use a knife properly in any food prep
- Using yeast to make flatbread from scratch
- Properly season and marinate meat or vegetarian protein
- An introduction to Persian spicing

This class can be adapted for vegetarian diets. There are no nuts in these ingredients.

This class yields two portions of shawarma and tabouli, and five pieces of flatbread. If more than one person is taking the class, you have the option to divide the work or make the recipes individually and have plenty of leftovers.

Equipment

- Chef’s knife, sharpened if possible
- Chopping board
- Pestle & mortar, if using whole spices
- Large frying pan, for making flatbread
- Large frying pan, for cooking shawarma
- Sieve or colander, for preparing tabouli
- Spatula, for flatbread
- Tongs, for cooking chicken or mushroom
- 3 mixing bowls (for bulgur wheat, flatbread dough, and marinating meat)
- Rolling pin
- Small bowl (for salad dressing)

Shopping List

This is a complete list of the ingredients you will need for the class. We’ll go through the ingredients needed for each component (i.e. shawarma, flatbread and tabouli) in the ‘Advanced Prep’ section.

Meat & Dairy

- 6 (350g) chicken thigh fillets, boneless and skinless (if using)
- 300g Greek yoghurt

Fruit, Veg & Herbs

- 350g fresh portobello, field, oyster or shiitake mushrooms (if using)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 3 lemons
- 30-40g parsley
- 2 spring onions
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1 bunch fresh mint

Dry Goods

- 350g plain flour
- 100g bulgur wheat (fine)
- 3g dried yeast (or 5g fresh yeast)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder
- 1 tsp cumin (ground)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2-3 cardamom pods (optional)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves or 3 whole cloves, ground (optional)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 4 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp white or red wine vinegar
- 2-3 pickled or preserved gherkins

Advanced Prep

Please make sure to gather and measure out the following ingredients separately before class, and keep it nearby while we are in session. We recommend grouping the ingredients together like so:

Flatbread

- 130ml warm water
- 5g fresh yeast (use 3g dried)
- 1 tablespoon sugar caster
- 250g flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil

Shawarma

- 6 (350g) chicken thigh fillets or 350g fresh mushrooms
- 300g Greek yoghurt
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 2-3 cardamom pods (optional)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves or 3 whole cloves ground (optional)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- Sliced pickles (gherkin, for example), to eat on the side

Tabouli

- 100g bulgur wheat (fine)
- 30-40g parsley
- 2 spring onions
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 10 mint leaves
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil

> One hour or more before class, prepare the bulgur wheat. To do so, wash 100g of the wheat under running water in a sieve and drain. Place it in a bowl. Boil hot water and pour it over the bulgur wheat so it covers it completely. Leave to rehydrate for an hour. Drain and leave at room temperature until ready to use.

Any Questions?

Please feel free to reach out to us at cookschool@boroughkitchen.com. As a reminder: Once you've signed up for the class, we will email you all the details on how to log onto the Zoom call, including how to interact with our instructor and co-instructor, who will be on hand to answer any questions. We'll also send a reminder of all the information provided above.

To sign up for this class, click here.