How to Host a Mezze Night at Home

Why mezze works for hosting

Most mezze dishes are served cold or at room temperature and can be made ahead. You assemble and carry plates rather than cooking while guests wait.

A menu of five

Add mutabbaq if you want something warm and savoury. The 720 minutes for labneh is passive draining time in the fridge, not work.

The timeline

• 2 days before: Start the labneh. Shop for herbs and vegetables.
• 1 day before: Make hummus and the fattoush dressing. Chop the tabbouleh ingredients, but keep the herbs dry.
• Morning: Prepare the manakeesh dough, which needs about 90 minutes of rising and shaping.
• 1 hour before: Bake the manakeesh, assemble the salads, and put out the dips.
• When guests arrive: Dress the fattoush and tabbouleh. Warm the bread.

Tips

1. Serve at room temperature. Take dips out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes early. Cold hummus tastes flat.
2. Add the finishing touches last. Olive oil, a dusting of paprika, mint and nuts.
3. Keep fattoush bread crisp. Add the fried or toasted pieces at the last minute.
4. Mix hot and cold. One warm item makes the table feel generous.
5. Allow for dietary needs. Most of this menu is vegetarian. Check each recipe for allergens if you cook for guests.

What to put out and how much

A mezze table works best when there are a few dips, a couple of salads, bread and something warm. A rough guide per person, if mezze is the whole dinner:

• Hummus and labneh: about 3 to 4 tablespoons of each (roughly 50 g each).
• Salads: about 1 cup (150 g) of tabbouleh or fattoush per person.
• Bread: 1 flatbread or 2 manakeesh pieces per person, plus a few spare.
• Olives and pickles: a small handful each (about 30 g).
• Something warm: 2 small pieces of mutabbaq or a few falafel each.

For a starter before a main course, halve all of the amounts.

Small details that make the difference

• Hummus: blend the chickpeas while they are still slightly warm, and add the tahini and lemon first so they whip into a pale paste before the chickpeas go in. If it is too thick, add ice-cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. If it tastes flat, add salt and lemon, not more tahini.
• Labneh: line a sieve with a clean cloth, put in 500 g (about 2 cups) of full-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and leave it in the fridge. After 12 hours you get a soft spread. For rolled balls, leave it for 24 hours.
• Tabbouleh: it is mostly parsley, not bulgur. Dry the parsley well after washing, because wet herbs go limp and bitter. Cut the tomatoes last so their juice does not flood the bowl.
• Fattoush: salt the cucumbers and tomatoes lightly, and add sumac to the dressing. The bread should be crisp, so toast it separately.
• Zaatar bread: mix 3 tablespoons of zaatar with 4 tablespoons of olive oil to make a spreadable topping. A hot oven (230 C or 450 F) gives a better crust.

Serving and layout

Use flat platters and shallow bowls instead of deep ones, so guests can reach everything. Swirl the hummus with the back of a spoon to make a shallow well, and fill it with olive oil. Top the labneh with olive oil and a little dried mint. Put the herb salads in the middle, since their bright colour makes the table look generous. Keep bread in a covered basket or wrapped in a clean towel so it stays soft.

Hosting questions, answered

What can I make ahead for a mezze night if I work all day? Labneh, hummus and the fattoush dressing keep for a day or two. Dishes like tabbouleh need chopping on the day, but that takes only 20 to 30 minutes.

How do I adapt it for vegan guests? Hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush and zaatar bread are naturally vegan if you skip any yogurt or cheese topping. Labneh is dairy, so serve it separately and label it.

Can I buy some of it? Yes, and nobody will mind. Buying good pita and olives, then making the dips and salads yourself, is a sensible split.

How do I keep the table safe for a long evening? Dairy and cooked foods should not sit out for more than about 2 hours. Keep the spare labneh and hummus in the fridge and refill small bowls as needed.

How much to make

For 8 guests, doubling the dips and salads and serving two or three warm items works for a main meal. For a starter, the single recipe is enough. Use the servings scaler in the app to adjust amounts in metric and US cups.

Plan it in the app

Set the menu, let the app work out what is missing from your pantry, and share the list with whoever is shopping. See the shopping list guide.