Tag: Spices

Categories
MAIN COURSE

LAMB MINCE WITH BAKED EGG, SUMAC AND ROAST TOMATOES


Learning about the cuisine of other cultures and the fusion of flavors happening as a result of immigrants bringing their traditional cooking methods, herbs and family favorites into your country, has made cooking a very interesting and delicious hobby. This dish (inspired by fusion food served in Jerusalem) is a delightful and surprising result.  Yet another version of comfort food you can add to your repertoire.

Lamb mince with baked egg, sumace and harissa

360 h/12.7 oz Basmati rice

The lamb:
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
12 shallots, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
350 g/12 oz lamb mince
2 cups/500 ml lamb stock
2 tablespoons/30 ml sumac (availalable at well stocked supermarkets)

Sumac, from the berries of the sumac bush (vaguely related to Poison Ivy although not poisonous) are dried and in some instances you can buy the berries whole or already ground. It is dark brick red in color and adds a delightful color and zing to food without overpowering it — subtle and refreshing. Add it to scramble eggs, a vinaigrette, garlic mayonnaise, tomato salad, etc. Try it with chicken, fish, butternut soup …. the possibilities are endless. Use your imagination.

1 tablespoon/15 ml za’atar (available in shops that specialise in Middle Eastern spices or make you own)
1 tablespoon/15 ml cumin
2 tablespoons/30 ml pine nuts
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The tomatoes:
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
24 cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon/5 ml coarse sea salt
sprinkle of sugar
1 teaspoon/5 ml balsamic vinegar

The garnish:
4 fresh eggs
plain thick Greek yogurt
bunch coriander leaves

  • In a small bowl mix the vinegar with the salt and add the onion. Set aside for the onions to soften.
  • Boil the rice and keep warm.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  • In a heatproof baking dish mix the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, salt, sugar and vinegar and roast in the oven until the skins burst open and the juices start sizzling. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • For the lamb:  in a big enough pan, heat the olive oil and fry the shallots and garlic briefly then add the mince.
  • Break up the mince as much as possible to avoid having clumps of meat.
  • When it becomes nice and caramelized, add half the stock, sumac, za’tar, cumin and salt and pepper and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Add the rest of the stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • With a large spoon, move the meat aside to form four hollow spots. Break an egg into each hollow, then cover the pan with a lid and steam the eggs for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked but the yolks still soft.
I find it much easier to fry the eggs separately and place it on top of the dish when ready to serve.  But it is up to you. It does not affect the outcome of the dish or spoil its authenticity.
  • To serve: on each warmed plate spoon the rice and spread out quite a bit.
  • Spoon the lamb and a cooked egg over the rice, being careful not the break the yolk.
  • Dot the surface of the meat with spoons full of yogurt, scatter the roast tomatoes around and sprinkle over the coriander. Serve immediately.
Extra sumac sprinkled over gives the dish an extra tang and color but use sparingly.
Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

DATES, NUTS AND BRANDY TART WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE


DATE AND NUT TART

The tart:
125 g/4.4 oz dates, stoned and chopped
½ cup/125 ml boiling water
½ teaspoon/3 ml bicarbonate of soda
½ cup/125 ml butter, room temperature
100 g/3.5 oz soft brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup/250 ml cake flour
½ teaspoon/3 ml baking powder
a pinch salt
50 g /1.7 oz walnuts or pecan nuts (chopped)
½ teaspoon/3 ml cinnamon
½ teaspoon/3 ml nutmeg
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, minced
zest of 1 orange

The syrup:
2 teaspoons/10 ml butter
½ cup/125 ml soft brown sugar
⅓  cup/80 ml water
1 cinnamon quill
¼ cup/60 ml brandy
1 teaspoon/5 ml vanilla paste
pinch of salt

The garnish:
200 g/7 oz mascarpone cheese
or 200 g/7 oz fresh cream, whipped

Mascarpone is a thick, double or triple cream, soft cream cheese with a very high fat content. The texture is that of thickened cream that is on its way to becoming butter. Making your own mascarpone at home is simple, cheaper than the shop bought ones and utterly delicious. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes and enhances the flavor of the dish without overwhelming the original taste. Mascarpone is used in ie the Italian dessert, Tiramisu, cheesecake (see Baked cheesecake with blackberry sauce) or served alone with fruit or fruit syrup. It makes charming canopies, topped with anchovies, tomato, smoked salmon, etc in fact, any topping you would normally put on top of a cream cheese snack. Mascarpone needs to be consumed within a few days.

Preheat the oven to 180° C/356°F.
Pour the boiling water over the chopped dates in a saucepan and heat to boiling point. Remove from heat and mix the bicarbonate of soda into the mixture and leave to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar and add the egg. Beat well to make a smooth batter. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and fold into the creamed mixture. Add the nuts, stir in the date mixture, the spices and orange zest, and mix well. Pour the batter into a well greased 23 cm/9 in) baking tin (preferably with a loose bottom), and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Have the syrup ready and pour over the hot tart as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Prepare the syrup while the tart is baking. Heat the butter, sugar, water and cinnamon for approximately 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the brandy, vanilla and salt. Keep the syrup hot. Remove the cinnamon quill and pour the hot syrup over the pudding as soon as it is removed from the oven, reserving half a cup for drizzling when serving. Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving.

To serve:
Cut a slice from the tart and serve it with a dollop of mascarpone cheese (optional) or fresh cream. Drizzle the reserved syrup around and serve.

 

Categories
GLOSSARY / METHODS

MASSAMAN CURRY PASTE


MASSAMAN CURRY PASE

 

 

 

 

 

The distinct characteristic of Massaman curry paste is that all ingredients are roasted before it is ground. This paste is commercially available but making your own is very satisfying and the flavor is so much superior to the store bought paste. The purists prefer that the spices be pounded in a mortar and pestle, but it is really hard work. A processor works just as well for me and I find it difficult to taste the difference between the pounded one and the processed one.  Use this curry paste for Massaman curry chicken with butternut, red pepper and pak choi.

3 shallots
1 head garlic
4-6 dried whole chilies
1 stalk lemongrass
12 mm/½ in piece ginger, julienne
4 cardamom pods
5 cm/2 in piece cinnamon stick
5 cloves
15 ml/1 tablespoon coriander
5 ml/1 teaspoon cumin
15 ml/1 tablespoon mace
1 whole nutmeg
5 ml/1 teaspoon peppercorns
30 ml/1 tablespoon salt
5 ml/1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Roast the shallots and garlic with their skin on until the skin is charred and the flesh is soft and cooked. Peel the skin and remove any charred spots. Cut the stem of the chili off and shake out all the seeds, then cut into pieces. Slice half of the lemongrass stalk, the part closer to the root, in thin slices.

In a pan and over medium heat, toast the chilies, lemongrass and ginger until slightly brown, then remove from the pan. Add to the pan the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, mace, nutmeg, peppercorns and salt and toast them until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Remove from the heat.

In a processor ground the toasted spices first, then add the chili, lemongrass and ginger and process further. Last add the roasted shallots, garlic and shrimp paste and process until it forms a smooth, dark and fragrant paste. Keep in a sealed jar for up to a month in the refrigerator and a year in the freezer.

Categories
MAIN COURSE

MASSAMAN CURRY CHICKEN WITH BUTTERNUT, RED PEPPER AND PAK CHOI


Served with Basmati rice and fresh corianderLINE

This is a hearty meal but with an exotic flavor. The vegetables give it substance but also add a unique flavor and interesting textures. It can be varied by using green beans, carrots, or even broccoli.

Massaman chicken curry

2 tablespoons oil
10 chicken drumsticks, boned
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1-2 red chilies, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml Massaman curry paste (make your own)
1-2 cups/250-500 ml chicken stock (if necessary)
1½ cups/375 ml coconut milk
½ cup/125 ml coconut cream (optional)
4 kaffir lime leaves, dried if fresh is not available
1 tablespoon/15 ml fish sauce
1 tablespoon/15 ml lime juice
2 teaspoons/10 ml palm sugar
fresh coriander leaves

1 butternut, cut into bite size blocks
1-2 red peppers, seeds and ribs removed and cut into bite size squares
6 pak choi, quartered lengthways

In a deep heavy saucepan, heat the oil and over high heat fry the chicken until it starts to caramelize. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the garlic, chilies and onion and fry lightly whilst stirring then add the curry paste. Keep stirring until the paste becomes fragrant, then add the chicken and stir around until or the chicken is covered with the paste. Add the coconut milk and coconut cream (if using) and bring to the boil then add the lime leaves, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. Turn the heat down slightly and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

If you feel you would like it saucier, then add the chicken stock (preheated).

Meanwhile, cook the butternut until just tender, drain and set aside.

After the curry had been cooking for 20 minutes, add the cooked butternut, red pepper and pak choi and check that they are all covered by the sauce. Check the seasoning and if needed add more fish sauce or salt, if preferred.

Serve this curry over Basmati rice, topped with a generous helping of fresh coriander leaves.

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Baked cheesecake with blackberry sauce


Avoid over-baking. Because of variations in ovens, it is difficult to give the exact baking time for the cheesecake. It will continue baking after it had been removed from the oven, therefore keep an eye on it while it is baking. The cake is perfectly done when the spot in the middle of the cheesecake is still a little bit wobbly. The texture will smooth out as it cools.

CHEESECAKE

The pastry:
100 g/3.5 oz butter, softened
100 g/3.5 oz sugar
1 free-range egg
120 g/4.2 oz cake flour
a pinch each of baking powder and salt
2 tablespoons/30 ml cornflour
rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
the seeds of ½ vanilla bean
a few drops lemon essence

Once you have scraped the seeds from the vanilla pod, store the empty bean in an airtight container filled with sugar. This will provide you with vanilla flavored sugar in just a few days.

The filling:
4 free-range eggs
1 cup/250 ml sugar
2 tablespoons/30 ml lemon juice
3 x 250 g/8.8 oz smooth cottage cheese
1 cup/250 ml cream
½ cup/125 ml flour

The sauce:
350 g /12.3 oz blackberries, fresh or frozen and defrosted
¼ cup 60 ml Kirsch
⅔ cup sugar syrup
juice of half a lemon

Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the egg and mix well. Sift the dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture with the lemon rind, vanilla and lemon essence. Mix well, then wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Grease a 24 cm/9.5 in cake tin with a loose bottom. Press the dough into the cake tin then place in the refrigerator for another hour to firm up.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.

Beat the eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add the lemon juice, cottage cheese, cream and flour and mix well.  Pour the filling into the baked crust and bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

Reduce the temperature to 120-130 °C/248-266°F and bake for an hour until the filling is firm but still slightly soft in the center.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

When ready to serve, reserve a few blackberries and puree the rest with the rest of the sauce ingredients in a blender. Rub the sauce through a sieve and and serve with a slice of the cheesecake and a few whole berries.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Layered filo pastry tart baked with a mixture of nuts, spices and rosewater syrup


This tart resembles the traditional Greek dessert, Baklava.  It will last for up to 4 days, covered and at room temperature. Use any mixture of nuts that you prefer, and if rosewater is not available, spray over some sweetened apple juice.

LINE

BAKLAVA
2 teaspoons/10 ml cinnamon
1 tablespoon/15 ml allspice
3 cloves
½ teaspoon/3 ml cardamom
¼ cup/60 ml water
1 teaspoon/5 ml rose water
450 g/1 lb filo dough, thawed
225 g/8 oz butter, melted
170 g/6 oz almonds, blanched and chopped finely
170 g/6 oz walnuts, chopped finely
170 g/6 oz pistachios, chopped finely
2/3 cup sugar

For the syrup:
1 cup/250 ml honey
1 cup/250 ml water
1 cup/250 ml sugar
the juice of half a lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece fresh orange peel
pistachios, finely chopped for sprinkling (optional)

In a spice grinder, grind the cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cardamom very fine.

Mix the water and rose water and, for convenience, pour it into a spray bottle and set aside.

Cut the filo pastry to fit into a baking pan 33 x 23 x 5 cm/13 x 9 x 2 in. Greece the pan with butter, then brush each of 8 of the cut sheets with the melted butter and place on top of each other on the bottom of the pan.

Mix the almonds, walnuts and pistachio with the sugar and spread a third of this mixture over the top sheet, then spray thoroughly with the rose water. Repeat this process two more times, finishing with the last layer of filo. Brush the top generously with butter, then place in the preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 24 squares (roughly 55 x 58 mm/2.2 x 2.3 in).

Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack to cool down for 2 hours before pouring over the syrup.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup in a saucepan by bringing all the ingredients except the pistachios, to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
After the tart has cooled down, make sure the cut lines go right through. Pour the hot syrup over the whole of the tart. Sprinkle some finely chopped pistachios over, then leave the pan uncovered to rest for at least 8 hours.

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Orange and pistachio roll with a cream and Grand Marnier filling


MERINQUE ROULLADE WITH PISTACHIO CREAM

The roll:
3 free-range eggs
120 g/4.2 oz castor sugar, plus extra for sprinkling/dusting
60 g/2 oz plain flour
1 teaspoon/5 ml baking powder
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

The filling:
1 cup/250 ml cream
1 tablespoon/15 ml caster sugar (for filling)
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon/15 ml Grand Marnier
3 tablespoons/45 ml pistachio, finely chopped

The topping:
icing sugar for dusting
2 tablespoons/30 l pistachio, finly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356ºF.

Line a Swiss roll pan (30 x 24 cm/11.8  x 9.4 oz) with parchment paper and grease lightly. Prepare also a similar size greaseproof paper dusted with icing sugar.

Whisk the eggs, vanilla seeds and castor sugar together to form a pale mousse. Sieve the flour and baking powder together, fold into the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour into a tin spread evenly and bake for 12 minutes or until just done and shrinking around the edges.
Remove from the oven and turn out, upside down onto the sugar dusted parchment paper over a cooling rack. Allow to rest for 1-2 minutes before gently peeling off the baking parchment.  Then gently and with the help of a clean kitchen towel, roll up the cake and set aside to cool.

When the roll is cooled sufficiently, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks, fold in the sugar and orange zest and add the liqueur and pistachios. Unroll the cake (remove and discard the paper on the inside) and spread with a layer of the cream filling, then re-roll. Serve as soon as possible sliced and dusted with icing sugar and an extra sprinkling of pistachios on top.

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Pickled beetroot


Make a smaller quantity if it is for just one serving, but it is quite convenient to make this recipe in one session because beetroot keeps very well sealed in jars and refrigerated.

750 g/1.6 lb raw beetroot
1 cup water
1 cup brown vinegar
1 cup ml sugar
5 whole cloves
½ cinnamon stick, whole
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

  • Scrub and trim the beetroot.   Place in a steamer and steam for about 1 hour or until tender (depending on the size of the beetroot). 
  • Peel the skins while they are still warm and slice in your preferred way — slices or wedges, grated or squares for an attractive presentation (Seafood pie with potato crust.)

In a large stainless steel saucepan heat the water, vinegar, sugar and spices together. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and bring to the boil. Pour over the beetroot and mix gently. Spoon the hot beetroot and sauce in to sterilised jars and seal the jars.

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Lamb neck casserole with Moroccan flavors


Serve this with papaya, red pepper and spring onion salsa

LINE

Serves 4

MOROCCAN LAMB

The casserole:
3 tablespoons/45 ml vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 teaspoon/5 ml dried ginger, ground
2 teaspoons/10 ml cumin, ground
2 teaspoons/10 ml coriander seeds, ground
½ teaspoon/3 ml turmeric
½ teaspoon/3 ml cayenne pepper
1 medium strong chili, seeds and ribs removed and finely sliced
1 kg/2 lbs shoulder of lamb, deboned cut in 2 cm/0.7 in thick pieces
1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
30 g/1 oz dates, stoned and chopped
1 cup/250 ml lamb stock
salt and pepper
½ cup/125 ml yogurt
juice of one medium-sized lemon
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped

The rice:
1 cup/25 ml Basmati rice (will yield 3 cups cooked)
salt
1½ cup/375 ml water

The mango, raisin and tomato salsa:
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly diced
1 mango, peeled and roughly diced
50 g/1.7 oz seedless raisins
1 spring onion, shredded

The green peppercorn dressing:
1 teaspoon/5 ml pickled green peppercorns, drained and crushed
1 teaspoon/5 ml finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons/30 ml red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
1 teaspoon/5 ml sugar

The garnish:
fresh coriander

Heat 2 tablespoons/30 ml of the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until light golden. Add the spices and sliced chilli and fry until it becomes quite fragrant. Remove and keep aside.
Wipe the pan clean and heat the rest of the oil, then add the lamb and fry until golden brown on all sides.  Return the fried spices to the pan with the fennel and dates. Stir well and add the lamb stock and salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently for 2 hours. Check regularly to ensure it is not too dry. If necessary add more stock.

When cooked to your satisfaction, remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt, lemon, tomato and onion. Do no bring to the boil again.

Rinse the rice under cold running water until no starch is visible, then boil the rice in the water and salt until almost all the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat, and leave covered until ready to serve. When ready to dish up, fluff up the rice with a fork.

Mix together the tomato, mango and raisins and half the spring onion, and season well.  Combine all the ingredients. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and scatter the rest of the spring onions over.

To serve:
Serve the lamb over the Basmati rice sprinkled with the fresh coriander and spoon the Mango, raisin and tomato salsa with green peppercorn dressing all round.

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Prawn and mushroom stuffed squid with squid ink pasta and a spicy tomato sauce


There are a wide variety of stuffing recipes for squid.  See the Glossary for a recipe for ground Thai pork stuffing.

Serves 4

STUFFED SQUID

12 medium squid hoods with tentacles

The stuffing:
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
¼ cup/60 l onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ teaspoon/3 ml salt
57 g/2 oz raw prawns, shelled and deveined (reserve the shells for the sauce)
2 tablespoons/30 ml tomato, finely chopped
2 teaspoons/10 ml lemon zest
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon/3 ml freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup/60 ml fresh bread crumbs

The sauce:
30 g/1 oz butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
12 medium prawns, shelled, reserve prawns for later use
2 cups/500 ml fish stock
2 tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 salt anchovies, rinsed, filleted and chopped
pinch of paprika
freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

The pasta:
250 g/8.8 oz squid ink pasta (store bought)
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil

To serve:
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
reserved tentacles
½ cup/125 ml dill sprigs

Clean the squid thoroughly and separate from the tentacles. Reserve the tentacles.  Wash the cleaned squid hood under cold running water.  Drain.  Remove and discard the clear, hard quill from inside the hood. Turn the tubes inside out (because the outside skin tends to curl outward, it will hold the stuffing better inside out), and put into a bowl.  Leave in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onions, garlic and salt and sauté until the onions turn translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not brown. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

Place the prawns in a food processor and pulse about 4 times, then add the tomato, lemon zest, ginger, parsley and pepper and pulse until well mixed but not smooth. Add to the onion and garlic in the bowl, then add the bread crumbs and stir to combine well.
Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the stuffing into the tubes, (or use a small spoon) making sure that you do not over-stuff them. Seal with toothpicks.

Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the garlic and the reserved prawn shells and cook until the shells are pink and aromatic. Add the fish stock and cook for 5 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the solids.

Using the same pan, heat the olive oil and add the tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, black pepper and paprika. When the anchovies have blended into the sauce, add the stock and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat, strain again if you want a smooth sauce and put aside.

Boil the pasta in salted water until tender but still have a bite to it, drain and return to the pan. Pour over the olive oil over and keep warm.

Heat the olive in a large frying pan. Fry the tentacles for about 3 minutes or until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel.
Add the squid to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.

Twirl the pasta around a fork and place in the center of a deep plate. Remove the toothpicks from the squid and place three on top of the pasta. Scatter the crispy fried tentacles over the squid. Drizzle the sauce around and garnish with a few sprigs of dill.