Basic bulgar wheat

For every 75g of bulgar wheat you will need a pinch of salt, a splash of olive oil and 75ml of boiling water (90ml for coarse grind). Place the bulgar wheat, oil and salt in a bowl and stir well till the grains are all coated in the oil. Pour over just-boiled water and quickly cling film the bowl to seal in the steam. Leave for 5 minutes and then carefully uncover. Use a fork or a small whisk to fluff the bulgar wheat up and break the mass into individual grains (or rub it between your palms to break it up). Allow to cool uncovered and then it is ready to use. It will keep like this for 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. 75g of dried will make 150g of cooked bulgar wheat. This is the amount we use in most of the following recipes, each of which should be enough for 4–6 as part of a mezze selection. As these salads are all about freshness, at the restaurant we make a new batch for each service and only serve them that day. That said, whenever we have some left over, we eat it as staff lunch with tahini or yogurt the following day, and no one complains.