First off – I’ve been away for a bit – it was elementary school spring break, and I was focused on getting away with my kids, so I haven’t written in a while.
Okay – on to the good stuff…
This is sabich (not sabik, it’s pronounced sabeech with the ‘ch’ like the first sound in the word “chanukkah”).
I first encountered it teaching self defense in Jerusalem in 2005.
That’s a whole other story.
Actually, that’s probably a whole other blog.
Anyhow… According to The Google it’s origins are in Iraq, where it’s street food. I’ve certainly never seen it in the US.
Think felafel, but with hard boiled eggs instead of balls of fried chick pea batter.
Like felafel, sabich is all about the toppings and the assembly. Some of the stuff I buy, some of it I make. It’s all optional. When I make it for my kids (they love it) they make it different than I like it. When you get it in Israel it’s sort of like a burrito place here – there’s an array of toppings and you choose what you want to add.
The store bought stuff is all available in mainstream grocery stores in Madison WI, so unless you’re more in the boonies than I am you can likely find it.
To make it the way we make it in my house you’ll need:
Hard boiled eggs
Pocket pita (and if you find good pocket pita in a grocery in the US, please let me know where)
Hummus (I like Sabra or Cava)
Tehini (I like Ziyad)
Harissa (Cava’s is excellent)
Roasted eggplant (recipe below)
Middle Eastern Salad (recipe below).
You could also add:
Olives
Sliced pickles
French Fries
Potato chips
Pickled beets
Use your imagination.

Warm the pita in the oven or the microwave, and cut the top off.
Add your sauces
Add your veggies
Drop one or two boiled eggs on top.
Take a knife and mash and mix the eggs into everything else.
That’s it. Best sandwich ever.

For the eggplant:
1 Eggplant
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Heat your oven to 425.
Slice your eggplant into 1/2 inch or so coins – they need to be a bit thick. You want them mushy, not crispy.
Arrange your coins on a baking sheet or in a shallow Pyrex.
Pour a generous amount of olive oil onto each coin.
Sprinkle kosher salt over the coins.
Let this sit on your counter for 10 minutes or so so the oil soaks into the eggplant.
Throw this in the oven. Check it in 20 minutes. You want them brown across the top, but not blackened.
Let them cool and slice them julienne.

For the salad:
There are thousands of variations on a middle eastern salad. I’ve been making this for thirty plus years. I like this way, but there’s lots of other ways.
1 good size English cucumber – chopped
4 Roma tomatoes – chopped
1 handful of flat leaf parsely – chopped
4 or 5 mint leaves – chiffonade (roll them all together and slice them into ribbons)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tb olive oil.
FG black pepper.
Mix all the veggies together in a non reactive bowl. Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together, add in black pepper. Toss it with the veggies.

That’s it. It takes me maybe a half hour to put it all together if I have the eggs boiled and peeled. This sandwich really is a revelation. It may take some trial and error to figure out your toppings, but once you get that down – well, I can’t think of something in the handheld food realm that I like better.