Place the raisins and prunes into a small bowl and pour over enough water to cover. Add lemon juice and let soak for at least 1 hour. Drain. Roughly chop the prunes. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large pan, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes. Add cubed lamb, ground lamb, and crushed garlic cloves. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until browned. Pour 2/3 cup (150 milliliters) of stock into the pan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the lamb is tender. Add the remaining stock and bring to a boil. Add rinsed long-grain white rice and a large pinch of saffron. Stir, then cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Add the drained raisins, drained chopped prunes, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through for a few minutes, then turn out onto a warmed serving dish and garnish with sprigs of flat-leaf parsley.
Place a steamer insert into a saucepan, and fill with 1 1/2 cups of water, or just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the sliced carrots, reduce the heat to medium, and cover the pan again. Steam until tender but not mushy, 4 to 6 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, and thyme. Cook the spices and garlic, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid and the bay leaf, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the carrots, tossing well to coat with the spice mixture, and cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and remove the bay leaf before serving.
Preheat oven to 410° F. Pour the water into a large bowl. Make sure it is room temperature. Add the salt. Blend well with a mixer, fork or spatula to make sure it dissolves well. While you continue to beat the mixture, slowly add the corn meal—a little bit at a time. Once all the flour is added, keep mixing until the corn meal, water and salt are thoroughly blended and dissolved. Set aside the masa in its bowl. Let it rest for 5 minutes so that the flour is thoroughly hydrated. This type of corn flour does not have any gluten, so it doesn’t need to be kneaded. The masa should be smooth, firm yet malleable. While waiting for the 5 minutes’ rest, heat your budare (or comal, griddle, cast-iron pan or non-stick pan) over medium heat. Coat with a little bit of the oil. Fill a small bowl with water to wet your hands to make the arepas. Take about 2 Tbsp of the masa in your damp hands. The masa should fit easily in your palm so that it is easy to shape into a small ball. Cross your hands, so that one is on top of the other, with the masa ball between them. Rotate your right hand in a circle, so that you are at the same time both pressing the masa into a flat disc and keeping its round shape. arepa making The last step in shaping your arepa is to quickly pass and lightly press the masa disc from one hand to the other until it is about ¾ of an inch thick and 4 inches wide. Smooth the edges with your fingertips (quickly dip them into the water bowl first) so that they stay as round as possible and without cracks. arepa making Place your arepas in batches on the preheated surface of your budare griddle or nonstick pan. Let each side turn golden, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Check them often so that they don’t burn. Once they are nicely browned on both sides, place the arepas on a baking sheet in your preheated oven for 10 minutes. They should be somewhat puffy, so that if you tap an arepa lightly on top, it will sound like you are tapping an empty box. Serve
step 1 Put a sieve over a large bowl, line it with a thick sheet of non-dyed kitchen paper or a clean muslin cloth, and spoon in the yogurt. Cover with another sheet of kitchen paper and leave to strain in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hrs. step 2 Add the lemon juice, most of the olive oil and the dried mint to a bowl and stir well for the dried mint to soften and soak up the juices. Mix in the strained yogurt, then pour away the strained yogurt liquid and leave that bowl to one side. step 3 Halve the cucumber(s) lengthways and remove the seeds by running a teaspoon from the top to the bottom of the flesh, halve the cucumbers widthways to make them shorter and easier to handle, then coarsely grate each one into the bowl the yogurt was straining over. Using clean hands (or a clean muslin cloth), squeeze as much of the liquid out of the cucumber as possible. step 4 Add the strained, grated cucumber, garlic and ¾ tsp flaky salt to the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of dried mint.
Prep the cucumbers: Peel the cucumbers. Cut them into quarters, lengthwise. (If the seeds are bitter, scrape out the seeds and discard.) Cut the cucumbers again, crosswise, into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Toss the salad: Place cucumbers into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Toss with sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, basil (if using), and chili flakes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if using.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out most of the pulp with a teaspoon, being careful not to break the skin. Finely chop the pulp, and keep any juices. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a little sugar to take away the acidity, then place them on a baking tray. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and garlic, then gently cook for about 10 mins until soft but not coloured. Add the lamb, cinnamon and tomato purée, turn up the heat, then fry until the meat is browned. Add the tomato pulp and juice, the rice and the stock. Season generously. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside to cool a little, then stir in the herbs. Stuff the tomatoes up to the brim, top tomatoes with their lids, drizzle with 2 tbsp more olive oil, sprinkle 3 tbsp water into the tray, then bake for 35 mins. Serve with salad and crusty bread, hot or cold.
step 1 Combine the yeast, a pinch of the sugar and a couple tablespoons of lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast, then leave for 10 mins until foamy. step 2 Meanwhile, combine the flour, the remaining sugar and 2 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add half the beaten egg, the yeast mixture and the oil. Pour in 200ml lukewarm water (it should feel slightly warm to the touch) and stir with a spoon, then mix using one hand, keeping the other clean while you bring the dough together. If there are a lot of very dry bits, gradually add a little water to just bring it together – you don't want it to get too wet and sticky. The dough should be moist, but not soggy. step 3 Once the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead using both hands for 10 mins until smooth and a bit springy. If it gets very sticky, add a very small amount of flour – as little as possible. A dough scraper is useful if the dough is sticking to the work surface. Stretch the sides of the dough down and pull together to form a ball. Lightly oil a bowl, then lightly roll the dough ball around the bowl so it's coated in the oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hr, or until dough has doubled in size. step 4 Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into three equal pieces, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape about 25cm long, tapering them slightly at both ends. Lay the pieces out in front of you, parallel to one another with a couple centimetres between each. Bring the sausages together at the top end, then plait them down the length, tucking in the ends when you reach the bottom. Carefully transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet and loosely cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise until puffy and billowy, about 40 mins. step 5 Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
▢ Cut the lamb into large pieces. ▢ Slice the cabbage into large wedges, keeping the core attached. ▢ Add a layer of lamb pieces to the bottom of a large pot, fatty side down. Sprinkle with peppercorns and salt. Add a layer of cabbage wedges on top. Repeat with more layers of lamb, peppercorns, and cabbage, ending with cabbage on top. ▢ Optional: Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons on top of the lamb for a thicker stew. ▢ Add water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Cook on low heat for 2 – 3 hours, until the lamb gently falls away from the bone. ▢ Serve with boiled potatoes and fresh parsley, covering generously with the fårikål broth.
step 1 Heat grill to very hot. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways, then grill for 25 mins, turning occasionally, until soft – the skin will remain firm, but the flesh will soften. Lift the aubergines off the grill and leave until cool enough to handle. step 2 Using a sharp knife, score the grilled flesh and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Tip into a bowl and mash with a fork until you get a thick pulp. Beat in the lemon juice and garlic. Add the yogurt and dill, and season. Serve while still warm.
step 1 Tip the flours into a food processor. Add the yeast, sugar and 1tsp salt, then mix well. Pour in 350ml warm water and the oil, then process to a soft dough. Mix for 1 min, then leave until doubled in size, about 1 hour. step 2 Pulse the dough a couple of times just to knock out the air, then tip onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll out one half to a rectangle about 20 x 40cm. Trim the edges using a large sharp knife, then cut into eight 10cm squares. Line a large tray or two baking sheets with non-stick paper and arrange the bread rectangles over the tray in one layer. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Leave in a warm place for about 30 mins until the dough is just starting to rise. step 3 Place bread directly onto the BBQ racks and cook for a couple of mins until they puff up, then flip over and cook on the other side. Tip into a basket and serve with the dips.
Use pickled vine leaves here, preserved in brine. Small delicate leaves are better than the large bristly ones but, if only large leaves are to hand, then trim them to roughly 12 by 12 cms so that you don't get too many layers of leaves around the filling. And remove any stalks. Drain the preserved leaves, immerse them in boiling water for 10 minutes and then leave to dry on a tea towel before use. Basmati rice with butter and pine nuts is an ideal accompaniment. Couscous is great, too. Serves four. First make the filling. Put all the ingredients, apart from the tomatoes, in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half, coarsely grate into the bowl and discard the skins. Add half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, and stir. Leave on the side, or in the fridge, for up to a day. Before using, gently squeeze with your hands and drain away any juices that come out. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a medium pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for a minute or two, taking care not to burn them, then add the tomato, lemon juice and sugar. Season, and simmer for 20 minutes. While the sauce is bubbling away, prepare the vine leaves. Use any torn or broken leaves to line the base of a wide, heavy saucepan. Trim any leaves from the fennel, cut it vertically into 0.5cm-thick slices and spread over the base of the pan to cover completely. Lay a prepared vine leaf (see intro) on a work surface, veiny side up. Put two teaspoons of filling at the base of the leaf in a 2cm-long by 1cm-wide strip. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then roll it tightly from bottom to top, in a cigar shape. Place in the pan, seam down, and repeat with the remaining leaves, placing them tightly next to each other in lines or circles (in two layers if necessary). Pour the sauce over the leaves (and, if needed, add water just to cover). Place a plate on top, to weigh the leaves down, then cover with a lid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook on a bare simmer for 70 minutes. Most of th
step 1 Dry-fry the pine nuts or almonds in a large pan until lightly toasted, then tip onto a plate. Add the oil to the pan, then fry the onion and cinnamon together until starting to turn golden. Turn up the heat, stir in the lamb, fry until the meat changes colour, then tip in the rice and cook for 1 min, stirring all the time. step 2 Pour in 500ml boiling water, crumble in the stock cube, add the apricots, then season to taste. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 12 mins until the rice is tender and the stock has been absorbed. Toss in the pine nuts and mint and serve.
step 1 Heat grill to high. Season the lamb, then grill for 2 mins on each side until browned, but still very rare. Meanwhile, mix the seasoning, oregano and half of the mint into one of the tubs of yogurt, smother this over the lamb, then return to the grill for another 2-3 mins or until the yogurt is blistered and the meat is cooked to your liking. step 2 Leave the meat to rest on a board for a few mins while you toast the pittas, shred the lettuce and thinly slice the red onion. Stir the rest of the mint into the second tub of yogurt. Thickly slice the meat and stuff into the pitta bread with the salad and minted yogurt. Squeeze over lemon juice before tucking in, if you like.
1. Prepare the Potatoes Start by peeling and finely grating the potatoes. To ensure extra crispiness, use a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. 2. Mix the Ingredients In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated potatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, eggs, flour, marjoram, salt, and black pepper. Stir well until the mixture forms a thick, consistent batter. 3. Heat the Oil In a large frying pan, heat a generous amount of oil over medium heat. The oil should be hot but not smoking. 4. Fry the Pancakes Spoon portions of the batter into the pan, flattening each into a thin pancake. Fry until golden brown and crispy on one side, then flip and cook the other side until equally golden and crispy. 5. Drain & Serve Transfer the cooked pancakes onto a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve immediately while hot, with sour cream, garlic dip, or as a side dish.
Add all the ingredients to a large pan over medium heat and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and tender. Remove from the heat and remove the stalks of thyme before serving.
Pound the garlic with sea salt in a pestle and mortar (or use a small food processor), until the garlic forms a paste. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, zest, dill and garlic. Mix in the lamb and combine well. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hrs or overnight in the fridge. If you’re going to use bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water. If you’ve prepared the lamb the previous day, take it out of the fridge 30 mins before cooking. Thread the meat onto the soaked or metal skewers. Heat the grill to high or have a hot griddle pan or barbecue ready. Cook the skewers for 2-3 mins on each side, basting with the remaining marinade. Heat the pitta or flatbreads briefly, then stuff with the souvlaki. Add Greek salad (see 'Goes well with', right) and Tzatziki (below), if you like.
Cut the meat into strips. Heat oil in a pan and fry the strips for 6 minutes until it's ready. Bake the fries until golden brown in a deep fryrer. When ready transfer to a backing dish. Make sure the fries are spread over the whole dish. Cover the fries with a new layer of meat and spread evenly. Add a layer of cheese over the meat. You can also use grated cheese. When done put in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Chop the lettuce, tomato and cucumber in small pieces and mix together. for a basic salad. As extra you can add olives jalapenos and a red union. Dived the salad over the dish and Serve with garlicsauce and hot sauce
step 1 Finely chop the peppers in a food processor, then tip them in a sieve and press into the sieve so that the peppers release all of their juices. Tip into a bowl along with the mince, red pepper paste, pul biber, 1½ tsp flaky sea salt, and 2 tbsp of the oil. Mix together, kneading well for at least 2-3 mins. If you need to, wet your hands with cold water to prevent the mixture from sticking. The mixture should be sticky when ready. Cover and chill for at least 2 hrs, or up to 12 hrs. step 2 When ready to cook, heat the grill to high or an oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, around 85g each. If you’d like to skewer them, divide into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Using wet hands, thread the balls onto the end of the skewers, massaging the mixture down the skewers in between the palms of your hands, until evenly distributed. Ensure that the mixture is fully wrapped tightly around the skewers without any exposed metal. Alternatively, lay them on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper if cooking in the oven, or foil if cooking under the grill. Shape into 20cm-long köfte. Wet your fingers with a little cold water and make indents all along the köfte for the traditional shape. step 3 Gently brush each köfte with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and cook under the grill, on the top shelf for 10-12 mins, turning regularly, or cook in the oven for 16-18 mins, until crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle
Heat a heavy bottom pot of oil that has at least 3 inches of oil in it or use a deep fryer if you have one. Turn the heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the vanilla extract and milk and stir until the dough comes together. Then use your hands to lightly form the mixture into a ball. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into long oval shapes. Make about 12 dumplings. Once the oil has reached the temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, fry the dough on all sides, until golden brown. This should take about 4-6 minutes. Remove dough and drain off any excess grease. Serve and enjoy.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon yeast. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup warm milk, whisking until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl and let the batter rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Enrich and Rest the Batter Stir 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 egg yolk into the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg white until stiff, but not dry. Fold the whisked egg white into the batter. Cover the bowl and let the batter stand 20 minutes. Pan-Fry the Blini Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop quarter-sized dollops of batter into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 1 minute or until bubbles form. Turn and cook for about 30 additional seconds. Remove the finished blini onto a plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Add more butter to the pan and repeat the frying process with the remaining batter.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Season with saffron, salt and pepper to taste; stir in all but 4 tablespoons of the onion, and pour in the water. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the lamb is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover the pan, stir in the butter and allow the sauce reduce 5 to 10 minutes to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour into a serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped onions and parsley. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.
To prepare the sauerkraut filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool. For the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper. To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter. Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and the sauerkraut filling. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the lamb to a casserole and cook over high heat. When browned, remove from the heat and set aside. Keep a tablespoon of fat in the casserole and discard the rest. Reduce to medium heat then add the garlic, onion and spinach and cook until the onion is translucent and the spinach wilted or about 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the casserole with the onion-spinach mixture, add the tomato puree, cumin, harissa, chicken, chickpeas, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the pan. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
Place freekeh in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside. Combine lamb, onion, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and salt in a pot. Stir in oil, 1/2 the cilantro, 1/2 the mint, and celery stalk until combined. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; pour in just enough water to cover, and return to a simmer. Stir in zucchini, carrot, and tomato paste. Set a steamer over the pot; add tomatoes. Cover and steam tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes using a wooden spoon, so pulp drips into soup. Remove the steamer and discard leftover tomato peels. Add potato to soup and just enough water to cover. Simmer until potato is soft, about 10 minutes. Drain freekeh and add to soup. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove celery stalk and discard. Sprinkle soup with remaining 1/2 cilantro and remaining 1/2 mint before serving.