Feast
Page 23
3. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until very soft and golden. Add the garlic, ginger, chili, and ground spices and mix well. Stir in the shrimp and cilantro. Add salt to taste and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of the saffron rose water and take off the heat.
4. To parboil the rice: Put 2 quarts (2 liters) water and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom. Drain the rice and add to the pan. Boil for 3 minutes. Drain the rice.
5. To assemble the mashbuss: Put 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon saffron-rose water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Let the oil and saffron-rose water sizzle a little before spooning half the rice into the pan. Spread the shrimp and sauce over the rice and cover with the rest of the rice. Sprinkle with the remaining saffron-rose water. Wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel and place over the pan. Reduce the heat to low and let the rice steam for 30 to 40 minutes, until completely fluffy.
6. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a skillet. Add the onion and fry, stirring regularly, until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon into a sieve and shake to get rid of any excess oil.
7. Transfer the rice and shrimp to a serving dish. Garnish with the crisp onions and serve hot with the Saudi “salsa.”
Qatari Shrimp “Risotto”
MASHBUSS RUBYAN
QATAR
This shrimp mashbuss is quite different from the Saudi version, fresher in taste and simpler to make. The shrimp in the Arabian Gulf are large and sweet and quite fabulous. Unfortunately cooks there have a tendency to overcook them, whereas I like mine barely cooked. So I have changed the recipe slightly and I suggest sautéing them quickly first, then steaming them with the rice at the very end to get the flavors to meld without the risk of overcooking. Ideally you need to use fresh shell-on shrimp, which you peel and rinse at home. Most cooks suggest removing the vein on the back of the shrimp, but I don’t worry too much about it, preferring to leave the shrimp as they are without slitting them open to pull out the vein. You can also leave the shrimp unpeeled as I have done in the photograph of the recipe for a more beautiful presentation, although it will make for messier eating. The recipe remains the same for unpeeled shrimp.
SERVES 4 TO 6
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter
2¼ pounds (1 kg) large shrimp, peeled and rinsed
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium onions (1 pound/450 g total), finely chopped
3 curry leaves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons b’zar (Arabian Spice Mixture)
1 tablespoon ground dried limes
3 or 4 whole cloves
2 medium tomatoes (7 ounces/200 g total), diced into small cubes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, most of the stems discarded, finely chopped
A few sprigs cilantro, most of the stems discarded, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
2 cups (400 g) basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes in 2 quarts (2 liters) water with
1 tablespoon salt
Sea salt
1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the peeled shrimp in the butter for 2 minutes over medium heat. Take off the heat.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the curry leaves, turmeric, b’zar, ground limes, cloves, tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, and garlic and stir for a minute or so.
3. Add 2 cups (500 ml) water and bring to a boil. Drain the rice and add to the pan. Season with salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Arrange the shrimp over the rice. Wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel and replace over the pot. Steam the rice and shrimp for 10 more minutes.
4. Stir the shrimp into the rice while fluffing it with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot.
Qatari Chicken and Rice
MASHKHUL D’JAJ
QATAR
I am fortunate to count Aisha al-Tamimi, Qatar’s best-known celebrity chef, as one of my great friends in Doha. She and her sister, Mariam el-Abdallah, who was Qatar’s first TV chef, taught me almost all I know about Qatari cuisine when I worked with them on developing a food culture program for the National Museum of Qatar. I spent days in both their kitchens learning how to prepare various Qatari dishes, including this one. I love it, not only for its simplicity but also for the lovely and different textures it combines, as well as the fact that it constitutes a complete meal, as with so many of the rice dishes in this chapter that combine rice with meat and sometimes vegetables. You can also make it with lamb shanks. If you decide to use lamb, cook the meat for 30 minutes longer than the chicken, possibly even longer depending on the size and quality of the shanks.
SERVES 6 TO 8
FOR THE GARNISH
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 medium onions (10½ ounces/300 g total), halved and cut into thin wedges
1⅓ cups (200 g) blanched almonds
FOR THE MASHKHUL
1 organic or free-range chicken (3 pounds 5 ounces/1.5 kg), cut into 8 pieces
Sea salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 medium potatoes (10½ ounces/300 g total), cut into medium wedges
1 large eggplant (9 ounces/250 g), halved lengthwise, then cut into wedges
4 medium onions (1 pound 5 ounces/600 g total), finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, sliced into long strips
3 cups (600 g) basmati rice, soaked for 1 hour in lightly salted water
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon Qatari Biryani Masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 black dried limes, inside pulp only (seeds and peel discarded)
1 small clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
½ inch (1 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
2 medium tomatoes (7 ounces/200 g total), quartered and thinly sliced
A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, most of the stems discarded, finely chopped
A few sprigs cilantro, most of the stems discarded, finely chopped
TO COLOR THE RICE
3 tablespoons (45 g) ghee or clarified butter
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Good pinch of saffron threads, soaked in ¼ cup (60 ml) rose water
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
2. To make the garnish: Pour 1 inch (2.5 cm) vegetable oil into a skillet and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the sliced onion and fry, stirring regularly, until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove to a sieve and shake off the excess oil.
3. Toast the almonds in the hot oven for 6 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. To make the mashkul: Put the chicken pieces in a large pot, cover with 2 quarts (2 liters) water, and bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming the froth from the surface. Add salt to taste and cook the chicken for 30 minutes, until tender.
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Add the potatoes and fry, turning them halfway through, until golden all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with several layers of paper towels to drain. Add the eggplant and fry, turning them halfway through, until golden all over, about 8 minutes. Remove to several layers of paper towels to drain. Add a little more oil and add the chopped onions. Sauté over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the bell pepper and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove to the plate with the onions.
6. When the chicken is done, remove it from the broth. Remove the skin if you prefer it without. Keep hot.
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7. Drain the soaked rice and drop it into the broth. Cook at a boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until done. Drain and keep hot.
8. Put a little oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan and add the ground spices and place over medium heat. Stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the cooked chicken and sauté for a minute or two, then remove the chicken. Add the sautéed onion-pepper mixture to the pan, along with the dried lime pulp, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes, then add the parsley and cilantro, along with the fried eggplant and potatoes. Stir and cover. Keep hot while you color the rice.
9. Heat the ghee and turmeric in a small frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the saffron-rose water. Sprinkle the saffron ghee over the cooked rice and mix lightly to get a mix of white and yellow rice.
10. Spread one-third of the rice over a serving dish, cover with half the chicken still on the bone, then the vegetables. Cover with another one-third of the rice. Spread the remaining chicken and vegetables over the rice and cover with the remaining rice. Garnish with the caramelized onions and toasted almonds. Serve hot.
Saudi Lamb Kabsa
KABSA BIL-LAHM
SAUDI ARABIA
Kabsa is the national dish of Saudi Arabia, prepared at all kinds of gatherings, from simple family meals to special occasions. It can be made with chicken, lamb, or seafood. As for the rice, it can be cooked with the broth in which the meat is cooked, or parboiled and put to steam on top of the meat or fish. Either way, kabsa is a sumptuous classic rice dish. Garnish the dish with crisp fried onions or toasted nuts or serve as is.
SERVES 4 TO 6
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions (10½ ounces/300 g total), halved and cut into thin wedges
1 green chili, halved lengthwise and seeded
½ inch (1 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound 10 ounces (750 g) bone-in lamb (shoulder, shanks, or ribs)
Sea salt
3 medium carrots (10½ ounces/300 g total), peeled and julienned
3 medium tomatoes (10½ ounces/300 g total), peeled and seeded—2 cut into thin wedges and 1 processed into a puree
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick cinnamon
2½ cups (500 g) long-grain rice, rinsed
1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and chili and sauté until the onions are lightly golden. Add the ginger and tomato paste and stir for a minute or so. Add the meat and salt to taste and sauté for a few minutes, or until the meat is browned.
2. Add the julienned carrots and tomato wedges and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pureed tomato, the ground and whole spices, and 4 cups (1 liter) water. Season with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan and let bubble gently on medium-low heat for 1 hour, or until the lamb is tender.
3. Remove the lamb to a plate and keep warm. Drop the rice into the broth. Add a little more salt. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Take off the heat. Wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel and replace over the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Fluff up the rice with a fork before transferring to a serving platter. Place the lamb over the rice and serve hot—some people crisp up and brown the lamb under a hot broiler before serving with the rice; if you like this idea, you can do it while the rice is cooking.
Emirati Rice and Meat
AYSH WA LAHM
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The first time I went to the United Arab Emirates, I had the incredible fortune of being invited on a culinary tour by Sheikha Bodour Al-Qasimi, the ruler’s daughter. It all happened by chance. I had tweeted that I was on my way there, and Sheikha Bodour tweeted back offering to introduce me to her country’s culinary riches. I was thrilled, as I knew very little about Emirati food. The only Gulf country I was familiar with was Kuwait and I knew that the food there was quite different. Sheikha Bodour organized amazing meals, as well as a cookery demonstration at Sharjah’s Heritage Center that was followed by a lunch at which I tried many dishes, including the one below, which can be considered one of their most festive dishes. We had it with a whole baby goat, but I adapted the recipe and scaled it down to four lamb shanks. If you want to make it with a baby goat, simply double the quantities.
SERVES 4 TO 6
4 lamb shanks (3 pounds 5 ounces/1.5 kg total)
1 large onion (7 ounces/200 g), quartered
4 dried golden limes, pierced with a sharp knife in several places
2 cinnamon sticks
6 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon b’zar (Arabian Spice Mixture)
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Good pinch of saffron threads
Sea salt
4 cups (800 g) long-grain rice, rinsed under cold water, soaked for 30 minutes in lightly salted water
FOR THE GARNISH
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
4 medium onions (1 pound 5 ounces/600 g total), finely chopped
Good pinch of saffron threads
⅔ cup (100 g) golden raisins, soaked for 2 hours in cold water
½ teaspoon ground dried lime
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water with ½ teaspoon baking soda, rinsed, drained, and cooked until tender but not falling apart
1. Put the lamb shanks in a large pot, cover well with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming the froth from the surface. Add the onion, dried limes, whole spices, ground spices, saffron, and salt to taste, being careful not to oversalt as you will eventually be cooking the rice in the broth. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the lamb is very tender. Remove the meat from the broth and arrange on a baking dish (you will eventually be roasting it in the oven to color and crisp it up).
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
3. Drain the rice and put it in a clean pot. Strain the cooking broth of the meat and measure out 5¼ cups (1.25 liters). Add to the rice and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Take it off the heat. Wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel and replace over the pot.
4. Place the meat in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes to color and crisp it up.
5. Meanwhile, make the garnish: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for a few minutes, then add 1 tablespoon water and the saffron threads. Sauté for 5 more minutes, then add another 1 tablespoon water. Repeat twice more at 5-minute intervals, stirring regularly so that the onion colors evenly, until the onion is golden. Add the raisins and ground spices and continue sautéing until the onion is golden brown, 5 more minutes. Add the cooked chickpeas and stir until the chickpeas are hot and well blended with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then take off the heat.
6. Transfer the rice to a serving platter. Place the roasted meat over the rice then spoon the garnish all over and serve hot.
Qatari Festive Rice and Chicken
MASHBUSS EL-EID BADDAWI
QATAR
Here is another recipe that I learned to make with Aisha al-Tamimi, my great friend and Qatari celebrity chef extraordinaire. I have tweaked her recipe by reducing the amount of tomato paste she uses in the chicken marinade. Aisha serves this dish for large family gatherings, normally for Friday lunch, or when she invites people over for formal occasions. It looks great on the table with its mixed garnish and colored eggs. I helped her present it in London during a series of cooking demonstra
tions she did at Books for Cooks for Qatar/UK, an initiative of the Qatari government where they partner with a different country every year to offer exchanges of cultural programs, exhibitions, and so on. Most of the audience that night was learning about and tasting Qatari food for the first time and they were all wowed by this elaborate and exquisite rice dish.
SERVES 4 TO 6 PEOPLE
FOR THE SEASONING MIXTURE
3 large tomatoes (1 pound 5 ounces/600 g total), peeled and processed in a food processor to a puree
2 medium red onions (10½ ounces/300 g total), very finely chopped
1 stalk celery, halved
½ inch (1 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
1 small clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 green chili, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 black dried limes, pierced with a sharp knife here and there
½ medium green bell pepper, quartered
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1½ teaspoons b’zar (Arabian Spice Mixture)
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground fennel
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 whole cloves
3 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sea salt
FOR THE CHICKEN AND RICE
1 whole chicken (3 pounds 5 ounces/1.5 kg), quartered
4 cups (1 liter) boiling water
A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, most of the stems discarded, finely chopped
A few sprigs cilantro, most of the stems discarded, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh dill, fronds only, finely chopped
2½ cups (500 g) basmati rice, rinsed under cold water, soaked for 30 minutes in water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm) with 1 tablespoon salt