One triggered by Paul and Liz’s trip to New Zealand in 2009. It made such an impression that Paul had to write about it so there’s clearly a need to make a note of it. The idea is to dip bread in olive oil, then into this Dukkah mixture.
This version comes from Claudia Roden’s, A New Book of Middle Eastern Food .
Planning
| serves: |
An army |
| preparation time: |
15 mins |
| cooking time: |
n/a |
Ingredients
- 500g sesame seeds
- 250g coriander seeds
- 125g hazelnuts
- 125g ground cumin
- Salt & pepper
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Method
Dry roast the ingredients separately, so as not to overcook any). Pound them together until they are finely crushed but not pulverized to a powder. A short blast in an electric blender woudl seem to save a lot of effort. Too long will release oil from the seeds and nuts forming a paste which we don’t want.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This mixture can apparently be stored for many weeks in covered jars.
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I don’t think there is any such thing as a “classic” Middle Eastern tabbouleh since there appear to be as many variations in terms of quantities as there are people. Some use huge amounts of herbs and little bulgur wheat, others do quite the opposite. This version, though, seems to me to capture the essence and generally accepted ingredients but you should feel free to vary the balance to your own liking with gay abandon. This is basically similar to the Moro version with the addition of cucumber (which many recipes seem to include).
Many commentators claim that bulgur wheat is ready after only a few minutes soaking in cold water but I haven’t yet found one that’s ready in less than an hour. Maybe I have never found a truly fine bulgur wheat? Anyway, be prepared for some variability.
Planning
| serves: |
6 – 8 |
| preparation time: |
2 hours |
| cooking time: |
n/a |
Ingredients
- 100g bulgur wheat
- 400g tomatoes, deseeded & finely diced
- ½ cucumber, deseeded & finely diced
- 8 spring onions, finely chopped
- 3 small bunches flat-leafed parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 small bunch mint, roughly chopped
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed with salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- salt & pepper
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 4 tbs olive oil
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Method
Soak the bulgur wheat in cold water until it loses its crunch. I find it takes an hour or so but your wheat may vary so bite it frequently to check how yours is progressing. When it is ready, strain it in through a sieve and leave it until it is reasonably dry and can be fluffed up with a fork.
Make the dressing. Add the garlic, spices, salt & pepper to the lemon juice, then stir in the olive oil.
An hour or so before you are ready to eat, mix together the bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, parsley and mint. Mix the dressing into the salad ensuring that everything is well coated. The hour should allow the flavours to blend without allowing the herbs to wilt too much.
Tabbouleh is traditionally scooped up with lettuce leaves but an interesting alternative is chicory leaves; red chicory if you can find it.
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This one is based on a recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Kitchen . Since I don’t yet know where to buy farika, I’ve only ever used bulghur wheat. Why one would use tequila or vodka instead of the white wine, I just don’t know either.
Planning
| serves: |
4 |
| preparation time: |
15 mins |
| cooking time: |
60 mins |
Ingredients
- 1 chicken cut into serving pieces
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbs (heaped) flour
- 5 tbs olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
- 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 preserved lemon or 1½ preserved limes
- 1 sprig rosemary, roughly chopped
- 150g farika or bulghur wheat
- 1 wineglass white wine, tequila or vodka
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 565ml (1 pt) chicken stock
- 1 small tub sour cream or crème fraîche
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Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Prepare the preserved lemon/limes by removing any core and seeds before roughly chopping them. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks of about 1½ cms. Select a flame and oven proof pan (like a roasting tray) that will take the chicken pieces snugly in a single layer. Make a cartouche to fit the pan loosely. (I use a teflon non-stick sheet but greaseproof paper is more traditional!)
Grind up all the spices either in a pestle and mortar or, preferably, using a powered spice grinder to save your arms. Once you have a fine powder, add these to the flour and toss the lot into a large polythene bag. Close the bag firmly and shake well to mix. Now add the chicken to the bag and toss well again to coat all the chicken with the seasoned flour mixture. Tip everything out onto a plate. (You’re going to use any excess flour mixture later.)
Heat your chosen pan on the hob and add the olive oil. Gently shake any excess flour from the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides in the hot oil. Once browned, remove them to a plate, lower the heat and add the fennel, onion, lemon/limes and rosemary. Sweat these gently for about five mins until softened. Stir in the excess seasoned flour, then add the farika/bulghur wheat and stir well again. Add the alcohol stirring well until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the sweet potato chunks and stir once again.
Add the chicken stock up to the same level as the grains and vegetables. (Use extra water if necessary.) Cover the vegetable mixture with the loose-fitting cartouche, oiled lightly (if necessary) to prevent sticking. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on top and cook in the oven for about 45 mins until the skin crisps.
Serve with dollops of soured cream or crème fraîche. (If your fennel had some nice feathery tops, chop these and sprinkle them over too.)
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Here’s my starting position for the classic middle eastern chick pea dip. Such things are always a matter of personal taste so adjust away to your heart’s content.
Planning
| serves: |
4 |
| preparation time: |
8 hours |
| cooking time: |
2 hours |
Ingredients
- 250g dried chick peas
- 100g tahina
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbs olive oil
- salt and pepper
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Method
Soak the chick peas overnight in cold water. Drain them, add them to a saucepan and cover them well with cold fresh water. Do not add salt – it will toughen the chick peas and they’ll never get tender. bring them to the boil, skim any scum that rises to the surface, lower the heat and simnmer gently for about about 1 1/2 hours. Test the chick peas to see if they’re tender; if not continue simmering until they are. (I find it can often take 2 hours – top up with boiling water to keep the peas covered with water throughout.) Drain the peas in a collander reserving the cooking water. Allow everything to cool.
When everything is cool, put the peas in the bowl of a food processor. Add the tahina, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt (say, 1 tsp to start with). Blitz everything together adding enough cooking water from the chick peas to achieve a smooth paste of the desired consistency (that is, something that is suitable for dipping pitta bread). Taste and adjust the seasonings (salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, even tahina) to your liking.
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