Fish Tagine with Tomatoes

Ingredients

8 plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
2 teaspoons caster sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bream weighing about 3 lb, cleaned
1 quantity chermoula (see recipe below)
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
2 sticks celery, cut into matchsticks
peel of 1/2 preserved lemon, cut into strips
fresh parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 250ºC (475ºF). Place the tomatoes in an ovenproof dish, cut side LIP. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.
2. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until soft and slightly charred. Rub the fish, inside and out, with the chermoula. Place in a dish and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes.
3. Arrange the carrot and celery in the bottom of a tagine or ovenproof dish. Place the fish on top of the carrot and celery. Add any remaining chermoula and arrange the tomatoes and lemon peel round the sides.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 200ºC (400ºF). Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and spoon any juices over the fish. Return to the oven, uncovered, and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a knife, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve, garnished with parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

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Chermoula

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 fresh red chili, cored, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 oz fresh coriander
1/2 oz fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil

Method

1. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with the salt. Place in a blender or food processor.
2. Add the lemon juice Luce to the food processor with the cumin, paprika, red chili, coriander and parsley. Process briefly then gradually add the olive oil and reduce to a coarse puree. Transfer to a bowl.

Source: North African Cooking

Chicken Dumplings with Cilantro-Za’atar Sauce

Ingredients

8 ounces ground chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped bok choy (1 small head)
1 scallion, white part only, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sambal oelek
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup rice flour
1 (12-ounce) package round wonton wrappers

Sauce

1 garlic clove, mashed
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 tablespoon chopped almonds
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 scallion, green part only, finely chopped
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar

To Finish

2 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Put the chicken, bok choy, scallion, sambal, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix well.
2. To make the dumplings, have a small bowl of water with a pastry bush nearby. Lightly dust a baking sheet or platter where you will be placing the filled dumplings with the rice flour. Place 4 wrappers on a clean work surface. Cover unused wrappers with a damp towel or plastic wrap so they will not dry out.
3. Lightly brush the wrappers with water. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges with a bit of water and fold over to make a half-moon. Using your fingers, carefully crimp the sealed edges in a scalloped pattern. Repeat with the remaining 3 dumpling wrappers. Continue this process until all the dumplings are made.
4. Place the dumplings on the prepared baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook them.
5. Place the garlic, sambal, almonds, and sesame seeds in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides as necessary.
6. Add the scallion, cilantro, and lime juice to the food processor and blend to a puree. Through the feed tube, pour in the olive oil; add the salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until the sauce has the semismooth consistency of pesto. Add the sesame oil and vinegar and blend. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until ready to serve.
7. To cook the dumplings, place a steamer in the bottom of a large pot. Add 1 to 1-1/2 inches water to the pot. Arrange the dumplings on the steamer, cover, and turn on the heat. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon and taking care not to burn yourself from the hot steam, transfer the dumplings to a platter flat (bottom) side down.
8. Heat the canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Using tongs, transfer the steamed dumplings to the skillet, flat side down, and cook until they are golden brown on the bottom. Transfer the dumplings to a paper towel-lined platter and continue until all the dumplings are cooked.
9. Spread the Cilantro-Za’atar Sauce on a platter. Arrange the dumplings on the platter and garnish with the sesame seeds before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: True Food

Hanger Steak with Charmoula

Ingredients

2 cups shelled fresh or frozen cranberry beans (12 ounces)
4 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, smashed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 packed cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound oyster mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 cup beef broth
2 pounds trimmed hanger steak
2 Italian frying peppers, thickly sliced

Method

1. In a large saucepan, combine the beans with the thyme and 2 of the garlic cloves. Cover with water and simmer over moderate heat until the beans are just tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and let cool slightly in the liquid.
2. in a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro and the remaining garlic clove and pulse until chopped.
3. Add the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the olive oil and puree until smooth. Scrape the charmoula into a bowl. Stir in the ground coriander and cumin and season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering. Add the oyster mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.
5. Drain the beans. Discard the thyme and garlic. Add the beans and beef broth to the mushrooms and cook over moderate heat until the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
6. light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Generously season the steak with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Brush the peppers with oil. Grill the steak, turning occasionally, until lightly charred all over and medium-rare within, 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Transfer the steak to a work surface and let rest.
8. Grill the peppers until softened and lightly charred, about 5 minutes.
9. Slice the steak across the grain and serve with the cranberry beans, mushrooms, grilled peppers and charmoula.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chef Mourad Lahlou

Veal Goulash

Ingredients

600 g veal shoulder, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
300 g onions
50 g butter
20 g paprika powder
1 garlic clove
zest of 1/2 lemon in wide strips
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup cream

Method

1. Fry in large heavy pot the finely chopped onions and paprika powder. Add a hint of water, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and season with salt. Stir well and bring it to a hard boil.
2. Add the veal, the tomato paste and the water. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered at a medium heat until the meat is tender.
3. Take out the meat and pour the gravy through a gravy separator or a strainer.
4. Mix the sour cream with flour, stir into the gravy, add sweet cream and bring it to a short boil.
5. Season to taste. Add the meat to the gravy and serve with sour cream topping as a garnish.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Culinary Austria

Steak with Cashew Nam Jim

Ingredients

1-1/2 lb thick-cut beef rump steak
1 tbsp olive oil
11 oz gai lan
8-1/2 oz baby bok choy, trimmed, quartered
3 oz snow peas
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews, chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs

Canhew Nam Jim

2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 fresh long green chillies, seeded, chopped coarsely
2 fresh cilantro roots, chopped coarsely
1/2 tea finely finely grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp grated dark palm sugar
1/3 cup unsalted roasted cashews
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce

Method

1. Make cashew nam jim. Blend shallots, garlic, chilli, coriander root, ginger, sugar and nuts (or pound with a mortar and pestle) until mixture forms a paste. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in juice and fish sauce to taste.
2. Trim fat from steak; rub with oil, season. Cook steak on a heated grill plate (or grill or barbecue) on medium-high heat for 4 minutes each side for medium or until done as desired. Remove steak from heat; cover with foil, rest for 5 minutes.
3. Trim gai lan stalks; cut stalks from leaves. Steam stalks, in a single layer, in a large steamer over a wok or large saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute.
   
4. Place bok choy on top of gai lan. Steam for a further 2 minutes.

5. Add snow peas and gai lan leaves. Seam for a further 2 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
6. Place vegetables on a platter in layers, top with thickly sliced steak. Drizzle with any steak juices, then top with cashew nam jim. Sprinkle with onion, nuts and coriander before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Everyday Powerfoods