Posts filed under 'Side Dishes'
Chermula Beignets
It is said that fritters are of Saracen origin and that they were brought to the West by the Crusaders. These crispy fritters are usually made with the left-over chermula mariande for fried fish. They are so tasty, though, that they are worth making on their own to serve with drinks or as a starter. If you are going to serve them with drinks, drop the batter into the hot oil by teaspoonful to make small bouchees. Makes 20-25 fritters.
ingredients
- chermula
- 1 free-range egg
- 150 g/5 oz plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon easy blend dried yeast
- vegetable oil for deep-frying
preparation
Combine the chermula with the egg, whisking well to mix. Add the flour and yeast. Stir in 120 ml/4 fl oz tepid water to make a batter, then leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to become bubbly.
Heat enough vegtable oil in a large frying pan to deep-fry the fritters. When the oil is very hot (it is hot enough when the oil forms bubbles around a little of the batter) drop in the batter by the tablespoonful. Leave a little space between each fritter so that they don’t stick to each other, and fry just a few at a time. Fry for 102 minutes on each side or until golden brown all over. Remove to several layers of kitchen paper to drain. Serve hot, on their own or with fried fish.
October 29th, 2007
Besla M’assala
This surprising dish does not have a very appealing color – the spice mixture turns the onions dark brown – but don’t be put off because it is quite luscious. Traditionally it is served with plain fried fish, but it is particularly good with Squabs Stuffed with Couscous. Serves 4
ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 medium-sized onions (about 900 g/2 lb) thinly sliced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ras el hanout
- sea salt
- 2 tablespoons good runny honey
preparation
- Put the oil and onions in a large saute pan, add 350 ml/12 fl oz water and place over a medium high heat. Stir in the ras wl hanout and a little sea salt. Bring to the boil, cover and leave to boil for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring regularly, until the onions become quite mushy. This will take 20 – 30 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, increase the heat a little and cook, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes to reduce the sauce further if needed. Add the honey and leave to bubble for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve very hot.
February 1st, 2007
Maraq bel-Melükhiyya
If you are using fresh okra choose them quite small and unblemished – large ones are normally rather stringy and not as tasty. Frozen okra are always small, but they do not have as fine a taste or texture as fresh okra. Serves 4
ingredients
- 400 g/14 oz okra (fresh or frozen)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 X 400 g/14 oz can Italian plum tomatoes coarsely chopped with their juice
- 30 g/1 oz each fresh flat-leaf parsley and fresh coriander most of bottom stalks discarded then finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried chillies crushed to a coarse powder, or to taste
- sea salt
preparation
- if you are using fresh okra, shave the stem off, following the slant; make sure you don’t break into the seed part of the vegetable which is where the dreaded mucilagenous substance lurks. Wash and dry well. if you are using frozen okra thaw them by plunging in boiling water, then drain and pat dry.
- Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium high heat and fry the chopped garlic until golden. Add the okra and sauté for 2-3 minutes. This should seal them and make them less gooey.
- Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice, the herbs, spices and salt to taste and bring to the boil. Cover and leave to boil for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the okra is tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
January 18th, 2007
Previous Posts