Recently, Emily Swantner of Epicurian Odyssey hosted an amazing African dinner as part of her Sunday Supper series. Before dinner we lilstened to the music of Soriba Fofana who played the traditional music of Guinea. His drumming was vibrant and the vocal music was haunting and hypnotic. This mini-concert was an enchanting way to begin the evening.
While we listened ,we scarfed down Moroccan Spicy Fekkas. You should put this recipe in your files. These would make a great appetizer for any party.
Moroccan Spicy Fekkas
Moroccan Spicy Fekkas
(makes 7 to 8 dozen)
Allow time for chilling the dough twice
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 small cube beef or vegetable bouillon, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons harissa or hot sauce
- 1 1/4 cups grated cheese, Gruyer, Cheddar, etc.
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated or pressed
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped.
Mix the flour, salt, pepper and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture is crumbly.
Add the milk, egg, bouillon, harissa, cheese, onion, garlic and parsley. Mix to form a soft, sticky doubh. Don't over mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill the dough for several hours or overnight.
With floured hands, divide the chilled dough into balls about the size of small apples. Roll each ball back and forth on a lightly floured surface to make thin sticks of dough as thick as two fingers.Place the sticks of dough on a tray lined with plastic wrap. Cover with another layer of plastic and freeze for one to two hours, until the dough is stiff enough to cut into thin slices.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove one stick of chilled dough at time from the freezer and cut into 1/8-inch slices. Place the slices on ungreased baking sheeets (closer together but not touching) and bake until well-colored, about 20 minutes, do Not under bake, or the fekkas will not be cruncy.
Allow the spicy fekkas to cool for five to 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Use a dough scraper or spatula to loosen the fekkas from the pan, and transfer them to a rack to cool completely. They can be piled on top of each other wile they cool.
Store the cooled fekkas in an airtight plastic container for up to two weeks. They can also be frozen for several months.
(Adapted from Christine Benlafquih for About.com)
Our first course was a beautiful Carrot Salad. This could convert a vegetable-hater into a vegetarian.
Tunisian Carrot Salad with Cumin, Coriander and Caraway
Tunisian Carrot Salad
(6 to 8 servings)
- 2 pounds carrots, preferably small and assorted colors, peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
- 1 teaspoon harissa or more to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- cilantro leaves, for garnish
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add carrots and 1 teaspoon salt. Boil until amost tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, set aside a bowl of ice water. Transfer cooked carots to the ice bath.
Drain carrots and c ut 1/4-inch thick piecdes on the bias. Put in a mixing bowl.
Witha mortar and pestle, crush the cuminm caraway and coriander seeds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, harissa, crushed spices and salt to taste. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil.
Pour the vinaigrette over the carrots and gently mix to combine.
Transfer to a serving dish, top with cilantro leaves and serve at room temperature.
(adapted from Carole Chaouat for the New York Times)
Our next course as a flavorful Chicken Stew
Doro Wat:Ethiopian Spiced Chicken Stew
Doro Wat
(8 servings)
Emily's note: This spicey chicken stew is the national dish of Ethiopia. The sauce is thin--all the better to soak into injeera or rice. A cut-up whole chicken would be more authentic, but for ease, I use boneless chicken thighs when feeding a crowd.
- 2 medium red onions, diced
- kosher salt
- 1/4 cup Niter Kibbeh (spiced butter) or ghee
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon berbere or to taste
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
- 3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or for a more authentic version, one 4 to 5 pound chicken cut into 10 pieces
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- juice of 1 lime
- 4 hardboiled eggs peeled
- rice pilaf seasoned with turmeric
Pat dry and salt the chicken thighs and set aside.
Combine the onions, a pinch of salt, and half the spiced butter or ghee in a Dutch oven over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion are golden, 15 minutes. Add the remaining spiced butter and the spices. Cook about 10 more minutes or until the onions are meltingly soft and take on the color of the spices. Add 2 cups stock and the chicken pieces, bring to a slow simmer and cook 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup stock and the red wine. Simmer again for 10 minutes.
When the chicken is done, gently stir in the lime juice, Halve the eggs and gently simmer another 5 minutes or until eggs are heated through. Be careful not to smash the eggs. Adjust the seasoning, adding salt if necessary.
You can make this ahead and gently reheat.
(adapted from Marcus Samuelsson. The Soul of a New Cuisine.)
Ethiopan Spiced Clarified Butter (Niter Kibbeh)
(yield: 1 cup)
Emily's Note: Niter Kebbeh is a clarified butter similar to shee and it's simple to make on your home stove. By separating the butterfat from the milk solids and water, what you're left with is a rich, creamy cooking fat with a highter smoke point and a longer shelf life. Seasoned with aromatics and spices, the Ethiopian version lends depth of flavor to slow-cooked stews like doro wat, braised vegetables and sauteed meat.
Use the versatile butter when cooking eggs, vegetables, sauces and more I like using it as a shortcut to flavor simple lentils or sauteed greens like kale, and drizzling on popcorn. You can also brush injera flatbread with melted niter kibbeh, sprinkle with it with berbere and bake in the oven for out-of-this-world Ethiopian spiced chips.
- 1 pound butter
- 4-5 cloves garlic,minced
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Optional additional spices:
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or nigella seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 clove
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat. As foam rises to the top, skim it off with a spoon. If it rises too much as if it is going to boil over, lower the heat.
Continue simmering gently until there is no more foam, about 30 minutes. It is done when the buttter is clear on top and the solids sink to the bottom. Remove from heat.
Place a strainer over a heat-proof bowl and line it with cheesecloth or a coffer filter. Pour the butter through the strainer and discard the solids. Strain as many times as necessary to achieve a completely clear butter with no residue or spices.
Let the butter cool slightly and pour it into a jar or other container. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to two months or freeze for a longer period.
(fromThekitchen.com)
Ethiopian Ginger-Garlic Paste
(makes about 1/2 cup)
Ginger made its way to Africa through Middle Eastern and Asian traders and is now used throughout the continent both as a flavoring and for medicinal purposes. use this paste to lend ginger's wonderfully distinctive pungent,peppery flavor to fish, meat or poultry.
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon pure chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons coarsley chopped dry-roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon peant oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 four-inched piece ginger, peeled and grated
Heat a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ground ginger, coriander, chile powder, turmeric and peanuts and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer to a food processor. Add the oil and lemon juice and process until well combined but not smooth. Add the salt and process to blend. Before using using, fold in the grated ginger.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
(adapted from Marcus Samuelsson. The Soul of a New Cuisine.)
Yellow Rice
(4 servings)
- 2 tablespoons clarified buter or 1 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small white onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup extra-long-grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion and long grain rice. Stir the rice mixture until fragrant about 2 to 3 minutes.
After toasting the rice mixture, add the chicken broth, salt, and turmeric to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce to a medium simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes. Do not stir.
Remove from the heat and set aside for a couple of minutes. Then serve.
(from Emily C. Swantner)
And for dessert
Lime-Scented Poppy-Seed Rice Pudding with Mango
Lime-Scented Poppy-Seed Rice Pudding with Mango
(12 servings)
- 2 1/2 quarts whole milk
- 2 cups short-grain rice(14 ounces)
- 1 14-ounce can unsweeted coconut milk
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeeds scraped
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
- poppy seeds for garnish
In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the milk with rice, coconut milk, vanilla bean seeds and the poppy seeds and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, stirring. Reduce the heat to low and simmer stirring often, until the rice is tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Stir in the sugar, heavy cream and lime zest into the rice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice pudding is sweet and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate until chilled about 2 hours. Spoon the rice pudding into small bowls and top with the mango. Before topping with the mango, toss the mango with a little fresh lime juice. Garnish with a few poppy seeds.
(adapted from Marcus Samuelsson in Food and Wine magazine)
This was as close to perfect as an evening and a meal can get. We will have to savor the memory because for at least six months there won't be any Sunday Suppers. Emily is taking a much-needed break to refresh and recharge. We look forward to her return to the culinary stage.
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