Fattoush is not fattoush without bread – that’s the whole point. Any kind of Middle Eastern flatbread will do (or, in fact, most kinds of flatbread); the important thing is it must be crisp. There are various ways to achieve this, from Baxter’s frying to Honey & Co’s grilling, but the most reliable, if you can bear to turn the oven on, is to bake it, which gives a dryer, crunchier result; the dressing should supply all the oil the dish needs. If it’s too hot for the oven, toast the pitta as Roden does. Some recipes season it with sumac, but as this intensely lemony spice is a key ingredient in the salad itself, the bread is, I think, better left plain as a contrast.

They also look very pretty, as do Comptoir Libanais and Honey & Co’s pomegranate seeds, which should supply a lovely burst of sweetness – but pomegranates at this time of year tend to be disappointingly dry, so I wouldn’t bother. Author of the Comptoir Libanais cookbook is Tony Kitous. He grew up in Algeria and moved to London when he was 18. He now has several Comptoir Libanais restaurants all over England and the one in Utrecht.

Roll the mixture into small, flattish balls, about 5-6cm across, and roll briefly in the sesame seeds. They do fast food properly in the Middle East: chargrilled meaty wraps; crisp, wafer-thin pastries; and, of course, the almost ubiquitous falafel fritter. Once almost exclusively the preserve of the vegetarian in the kebab shop, more authentic versions, heaped with nutty tahini sauce and punchy salads, are increasingly charming British punters away from the burger van. Hot and crunchy on the outside, fluffy and herby within, it's no wonder so many countries want to claim the falafel as their own. I’m also sharing a 20% discount on your next Comptoir Libanais restaurant bill if you visit the location in Utrecht! Radishes are also popular, although less ubiquitous; if you follow Ghayour in quartering rather than slicing them, they add a satisfying extra crunch, as well as a mild pepperiness (Is it me or have radishes become less peppery in the past 20 years?).

Kitous’ first foray into the restaurant business came at the age of 22 and in 1993, when he opened his first restaurant, Baboon. He drew on his cultural heritage to create Levant in 2000, the restaurant which raised the profile of Middle Eastern restaurant culture in the London scene, and in 2004 he opened Levantine. Middle Eastern dining is a social affair where dishes are selected and shared with friends. Customers can forget the knife and fork – mezze is finger food – and select a mezze platter and some wraps for a picnic outside, or in their own office. Alternatively, they can take a couple of richly-flavoured tagines home to pass off as their own cooking! Toss the dressing with the salad, then, just before serving, cut the radishes into quarters and use to top the salad, along with the bread and a final flourish of sumac.Heat 5cm oil in a deep pan to 180C/350F, then fry the falafel in batches and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with tahini sauce, toasted flatbreads and plenty of salad. The Cookbook is officially called Comptoir Libanais – feasts from the Middle East (translated in Dutch to ‘Comptoir Libanais Feest! – Feestelijke recepten uit de Libanees Mediterrane keuken’). The book is filled with recipes to make a party from every meal. It’s really inviting to ask your friends over and have a food party.