Showing posts with label north african. Show all posts
Showing posts with label north african. Show all posts

Sunday, October 14, 2007

definitely a dish for olive lovers

this is a popular main course dish using citrons confits, or preserved lemons, & olives originating from north africa which, in the jewish (sefardi/moroccan spanish) community is served to break the fast on yom kippour or for the weekly sabbath. obviously, it needs no special occasion and can be served for an everyday meal or dinner party.

called poulet aux olives et citrons confits, traditionally it is a dish which is slowed cooked in the conical shaped clay tagine which traps the steam and redistributes the juices back into the tajine as it bakes. one can successfully make this in a regular dutch oven type pot or roasting pan with perfectly good results, too.

some recipes for this dish call for a variety of spices — i prefer it simple with its core elements and minimal spicing. of course, you may add things like a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves or whatever suits your taste. sometimes, however, less is more.

the only drawback, if you want to call it that, in making this recipe is that it needs to marinate for a few hours before cooking, so plan accordingly. usually, it gets put together in the morning and cooked in the late afternoon or early evening.

it also reheats well but really isn't suitable to being frozen.


poulet aux olives et citrons confits

serves 4 - 6

ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into serving pieces

1/4 c chopped coriander (or parsley)
1 tsp salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp pepper

3 - 4 good sized cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 heaped tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ginger (powder)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp saffron threads* (or turmeric)
2 tbsp olive oil

water, depending on size of chicken (see below)

1 handful green olives, pitted
1 - 2 pcs citrons confits
1 - 2 tsp sugar (to balance salt & brine of olives)

extra cilantro and/or parsley to garnish

*try to use saffron as it does not compare to turmeric at all.


method:

cut chicken and wash it off. place on paper towel and remove excess water.

place the spices in a bowl or dish and add the olive oil. mix well to make a paste.


salt and pepper the chicken on both sides.

shmear the paste on the chicken pieces and cover and let marinate for a few hours in the fridge.


heat a dutch oven for several minutes over medium heat and then add a bit of oil. carefully add the chicken pieces and let fry on one side only for 12 minutes or so. it's best to fry on the side you did not have much marinade on. (tip: if you add your chicken when the pot is hot enough, the chicken should not stick to the bottom).

add water until it comes up about 1/2 way of the chicken pieces.

bring to a boil and cover. let simmer on medium low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

remove chicken pieces from pot and place on a plate.

return the pot to the heat and place on high. cook the broth until reduced by half.

add the olives and chopped preserved lemons. add the sugar. stir.

add the chicken pieces back to the pot and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes on low heat, with the lid on.

taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed.

garnish with extra chopped coriander and/or parsley.

enjoy!


Saturday, October 06, 2007

no cooking allowed!

this stew-like meal, called (a)dafina, is the sefardi counterpart to the ashkenazi sabbath dish called cholent. since no cooking at all is permitted on the jewish sabbath (from sundown friday night until a little after sunset saturday night), those who are observant must prepare virtually all foods in advance, a job which can be a bit challenging and even stressful at times, especially when coupled with the holidays directly preceding or following it.

dafina is really the spanish - moroccan version of a group of like dishes called hamin or hamim — slow and long cooked stews which are prepared and half-cooked before the sun sets on friday evening and left to finish cooking on their own overnight. in days gone by, people brought their dafinas or hamins to the local jewish baker's oven to sit overnight in the spent daily fire, cooking in the embers which were slowly going cold. of course, the bricks of the ovens helped to retain enough heat to keep the dishes hot enough and cooking to be ready for the next late morning.

today, people continue making these same dishes which are hundreds of years old but in their modern day ovens which are set to a low heat (and left on for 25 hours to keep food warm) or on a plata (hotplate) or blech (thin sheet of metal covering the stovetop burners). these dishes can also be very successfully made in a slow cooker (i.e. crockpot).

basically, hamins and cholent are the same thing — meat of some variety (beef, chicken, lamb) cooked with an assortment of beans and/or lentils & grains and root vegetables. the important thing is that ingredients which can all stand up to long cooking be used. there are no steadfast rules to what is used; often, the recipe varies from week to week depending on what's available and what one is in the mood for. in fact, they can also be made completely vegetarian & vegan by removing the meat & eggs elements. it can also be made gluten-free by removing the baked wheat and using only rice.

where the sefardi version differs from the ashkenazi one, here in the case of adafina, is that chickpeas are included along with a variety of spices not seen in a cholent. as well, the texture of the sefardi version is soup-like and not thicker and more viscous as is the ashkenazi version. different hamins from different countries do not necessarily include chickpeas and will have different spices and ingredients. what is common to sefardi versions is the use of eggs.

the eggs are slowly cooked overnight and result in something called huevos haminados. though cooked together here with the dafina, these can also be made parve (neutral - no dairy/no meat) by cooking on their own in other ways. the eggs are sometimes eaten at breakfast time or served as part of the first course of the dafina meal.

another ingredient specific to the spanish / moroccan version is the use of what is called blé or wholegrain wheat. along with rice, this ingredient can be cooked as shown below in ovenproof plastic bags or separately in little casseroles. i only use parboiled rice as i find the density of the grain will stand up best to the long cooking and remain quite firm.

the long cooking process serves to caramelize and deepen the flavour of the meat and softens it along with the chickpeas and eggs to a buttery texture. the long cooking of the rice and wheat also leaves them exceptionally good — especially in the case of the wheat whose texture becomes something which cannot be achieved by any other cooking method.

i am posting this not because i expect, or think, the average person reading this will run to his/her kitchen and try it. rather it is more as an explanation and demonstration of the continuity of culture and food traditions which are centuries old. to be honest, both cholent and hamins are dishes which most people either love or detest. after 16 hours of cooking, it often looks a frightful mess and charred on top — quite inedible. the truth of the matter is, as we say, dafka: quite the opposite in spite of what you may be thinking ..... it's quite edible. in fact, it's quite good! ;)



dafina (adafina) · חמין) דפינה)
spanish-moroccan sabbath stew

makes a small dafina (2 - 4 ppl)

ingredients:

3/4 c chickpeas, soaked overnight
6 - 8 good sized pieces of "cholent meat"*
2 veal or beef bones or marrow bones
8 - 10 baby potatoes
1 large onion or 2 medium, sliced somewhat thinly
6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole (or whole head of garlic unpeeled)
1 egg per person
3 to 4 dates

optional vegetables: root only - cut in serving sized pieces — turnip, sweet potato, carrot {add these 15 minutes before dafina finishes cooking on stovetop}.

*the meat you use must be able to stand up to 12 to 16 hours of cooking without becoming tough; it must also have a layer of fat on it.

**to add non meat proteins (vegetarian/vegan), one can use extra firm tofu or seitan pieces.

seasonings & spices:

1 to 2 tsp salt (depends on size of dafina)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
1 heaped tsp paprika
1/8 - 1/4 tsp hot paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp (or more) cinnamon (or part of cin stick), cumin, coriander powder
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp saffron threads (do not omit)

6 c water + 2 more (approximately) - see recipe description

for the wheat:

(you can also double the amounts — i only make 1/2)

1/2 c wheat grains ("blé")
1 c water
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 small green chili pepper, chopped or whole (opt)
2 tbsp oil

for the rice:

1 c parboiled rice or long grained type
2 c water (or a little less 1 3/4 c for firmer rice)
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 - 3 tsp chicken soup powder
1/2 - 1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp oil

method:

place the chickpeas in a roasting pan (small in this case) with the onions, garlic*, eggs and meat. add the spices on top of the ingredients. make sure the eggs are sitting on top of the chickpeas or meat and not directly on the metal of the pan as they may crack like that.

*if using the whole head of garlic add it when you add the rice and wheat and leave it whole. just add it on top of the ingredients (not submerged) or you can wrap it in foil, cutting off a 1/4 inch of the top of the head of garlic bulb & pouring a little olive oil over it first before closing up.

add COLD water (6 cups) and bring to a boil over medium heat.

cook the dafina covered, on the stovetop in the roaster, for a good hour and a half over medium low heat and skim any of the impurities that come from the chickpeas and meat. take note that it may smell pretty gross from the bones and meat as it cooks initially, LOL. it will taste perfectly fine once it has finished cooking overnight.

make rice and wheat packages

wheat package:

rice package:

important: for both, make the knot near the top leaving space for expansion. this is very important. also you MUST make several small holes near the top of the bag with a pin so the bag will have air vents — the bag fills with air as it cooks. otherwise, the bag may pop while cooking.

add rice and wheat and add extra 2 C boiling water. make sure to taste the dafina before it bakes to see if you have enough salt and spices.

bake @ 250 F overnight in a tightly covered pan. the custom is not to stir at all & if more water is needed (if you check before going to bed or early in the morning), you add already hot water from a hot water urn. if you don't observe the rules for preparing food for the sabbath, just add boiling water from a kettle. don't add too much, however.

after baking, if you've never made this before, it will look somewhat frightful! at least the top of it, that is. it will be very dark and even looked burned but it is not. this is the caramelization of the sugars (in the starches), the result of a long slow cooking. underneath it all, it will be a golden brown colour.

to serve the dafina, the procedure is:

the "soup" of the chickpeas with the broth

(and the egg).

then the main dish of the meat, the potatoes along with the rice and the cooked wheat.





Tuesday, October 02, 2007

les briks au thon

served as a either a snack, light supper or lunch, les briks au thon (spicy tuna enclosed in thin pastry) is a popular, muslim and jewish, north african item which is much loved. they can be made very mild or quite spicy, the latter requiring the essential harissa. what makes them unique is the use of diced preserved lemons which are tangy in addition to being somewhat sour and salty.

essential to making them is the round thin pastry sheets called brik which can usually be bought at markets catering to middle eastern food and/or sephardic jewish clientele. they are larger than a dinner plate and have a thicker texture than that of phyllo. in the absence of availability of brik, one can use spring roll wrappers but the brik will have to be shaped differently and much smaller than shown below. if using spring roll wrappers, i'd suggest using hard boiled eggs which have been chopped rather than the whole raw egg as it just wont fit in a spring roll wrapper properly.

brik take no time to make once your filling ingredients are ready. the way i cook them uses very little oil and they are ready in only a few minutes with quite decent results.


brik au thon

spicy hot harissa, sour preserved lemons, salty wrinkled black moroccan olives and several briny capers, along with the simple addition of some tuna and an egg make a wonderful filling — all encased in a crispy wrapper. serve with some wedges of lemon and perhaps extra harissa if you're daring, this makes a light delicious meal or snack.

makes 2

ingredients:

3 sheets brik pastry, 2 whole & 1 cut in half
1 can tuna, packed in oil or water
1 wedge preserved lemon
several moroccan (wrinkled type) black olives or kalamata
1 tbsp capers in brine or salt (washed well)
1/4 onion, chopped small
parsley leaves, whole or chopped
harissa paste, to taste
1 egg per brik
salt and pepper

egg wash, optional (not necessary in my opinion)

method:

prepare the lemon and chop the olives. make egg wash, if using.

place the ingredients on a plate near your workspace.

in a LARGE non stick frypan, add 2 to 3 tbsp vegetable or regular olive oil and heat over medium heat. the pan must be hot when you add the brik or it will suck up a lot of oil.

with the pan heating, cut 1 sheet of brik in half. place 1/2 a sheet in the middle of 1 full sheet as shown below. this is done so as to make a more stable wrapper — think of it as an insurance once you bend the brick over. if the brik is slightly dry, it will snap and leave a spot where it may seep. it also prevents the filling from cooking too quickly before the rest of the pastry is fried.

place the tuna, preserved lemon, olives, onions and capers in the center of the pastry.

add salt and pepper to taste and harissa paste. you can add the parsley, too.

make a little well and carefully break a whole egg, pouring it in the little well.

if using the egg wash, paint a semi-circle around the top edge. i don't use any as the pastry will seal itself with the heat when frying. if your new to this then use the egg wash.

carefully transfer the pastry to the hot pan and cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes. it should be golden brown on each side.

if you like your egg a little runny then cook for 3 minutes per side.

serve with wedges of lemon.


enjoy!


kitchen essentials — how to prepare cured citrons confits

in an earlier posting, i showed how to prepare north african preserved lemons or les citrons confits. after their month long preservation, they are ready to use — unless you use the quicker 7 day method which, i guess, is good in a pinch. they are at their best after resting at least a month however, and improve with time.

in order to use these little flavour-packed lemons, they must be washed off well with warm or hot water.

once well rinsed, place them on a cutting board and remove the pulp. some people keep it, removing the seeds, however i much prefer just the softened cured rind.

after discarding the pulp, cut the lemon rind into long strips the size you need them.

cut each of the strips into a dice whose dimensions are called for in your recipe.

voilà, they are now ready to use.

enjoy!



Tuesday, September 18, 2007

kitchen essentials — citrons confits

an essential ingredient in moroccan and north african cooking, les citrons confits (preserved lemons) are cured in either a briny lemon liquid or, in the sephardic jewish manner, with oil.

used in many a tagine recipe, in some salads or added as an ingredient in some brik recipes, this is a staple item and not just some curious ingredient — in the markets (of north africa) they can be bought individually to use as needed. the lemons will keep for a good year or longer either in a cool area or the refrigerator.

there are different ways to prepare the lemons. concerning the cut, some people leave them whole and others will cut thick slices or even dice them up in chunks. i prefer to keep them whole as shown below. to soften the skins, i let the lemons cure in only the salt for approximately a week before continuing with the recipe (this is how i was taught/shown how to do it). some people will soak the lemons in (warm) water for several days, changing it every day and then go ahead with the pickling process. the citrons confits can also be made plainly or with spices, such as bay leaves, a stick of cinnamon, peppercorns, red chilies etc. different cities or regions (or ethnic groups) have different ways of preparing them.

i will add the non-oil way, with spices, later on ..... pictures still to be 'processed'.


citrons confits (preserved lemons)

ingredients:

lemons, unblemished and unwaxed
kosher salt, i.e. coarse salt (not "rock" salt)
vegetable oil (or mild olive) or pure lemon juice
paprika & bay leaf, optional

method:

take lemons and wash extremely well.

on a clean board, cut each lemon crosswise from the blossom end.

cut only to within 1/4 of the stem end.

take each lemon and pack it well with A LOT of salt in all 4 openings.

place the lemons in a sterilized jar and let them cure for one week.

shake the jar daily. eventually, the juices will come out and the peel should soften up.

(photo from a previous batch; after day 1)

after 5 to 7 days, sprinkle in a bit more salt and fill completely with vegetable or mild olive oil. this is the jewish way to do it. others use lemon juice, in addition to what has been released, to fill to the top. NEVER add water.

if you want, you can add paprika and the bay leaf to the lemons before filling with oil or during the salting stage.

let the lemons cure for at least another three and a half to four weeks.

to use, cut away pieces and rinse very well under running water. remove any seeds (and pulp) and chop the skin. add to the dish for which you need it.

alternate methods:

a] similar but said to be ready in 7 days .... who knows. look here & here. (update: ok, i tried it - it works but waiting the month much improves and softens them completely).

b] salt the lemons, pack in a jar, sprinkle some more salt, let sit 3 days, add enough lemon juice to cover and let pickle for 4 wks.

c] same as b, use oil instead of lemon juice.


here is an extra recipe (untried) that includes sugar in it. bonnie stern is canadian, a well-known cookbook author and also runs a cooking school in toronto.

she has great recipes, so check out both her site and books she's written.

BONNIE STERN'S PRESERVED LEMONS

makes 8 lemons

ingredients:

2 cups (500mL) kosher salt
1/2 cup (125mL) sugar
2 cups (500mL) lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick - optional
4 star anise - optional
2 bay leaves - optional

method:

Cut lemons into quarters lengthwise leaving them attached at the stem end.

Combine salt and sugar.

Place about 1/2 cup (125mL) salt mixture in the bottom of a preserving jar that will hold the lemons snuggly.

Fill each lemon with salt mixture and place in the jar. Cover with any remaining salt mixture. Pour lemon juice into the jar just to cover lemons. Close cover tightly.

Let lemons sit for one month before using.

To use, discard pulp and pith. Rinse peel. Chop finely or thinly slice according to the recipe.

makes 8 lemons