The New Persian Kitchen (18 page)
Read The New Persian Kitchen Online
Authors: Louisa Shafia
2 pounds lamb tenderloin or boneless shank or neck, cut into 1½-inch chunks
1 cup walnuts
¾ cup pomegranate molasses
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra chopped for garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the meat in a large casserole dish. In a food processor, grind the walnuts, pomegranate molasses, garlic, and olive oil into a puree. Add the parsley and pulse into small bits. Pour the marinade over the meat and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in salty water for a couple of hours before grilling. Thread 3 or 4 pieces of meat onto each skewer ¼ inch apart, leaving 2 inches of space at the end. Discard the marinade. Brush or wipe extra marinade from the skewers. Leave the meat out while you heat the grill so it can come up to room temperature (no more than 45 minutes total).
Prepare a hot grill.
Lightly oil the grill and grill the kebabs for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. When done, the meat should be slightly charred on the outside and very pink on the inside.
Transfer to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Vegetarian OptionTransfer to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Replace the lamb with 2 pounds tempeh, cubed; 2 pounds vegetables, such as zucchini, red onions, and mushrooms, cubed; or a combination of tempeh and vegetables. Marinate overnight according to the recipe.
grilled liver with cumin, garlic, and fresh basilI sampled grilled lamb’s liver for the first time at a Persian cafeteria in Orange County, California, at the urging of my cousin Iraj, who sold me on it by trumpeting its status as a beloved Iranian street food. With great reluctance, I took a bite and was astonished to find that I suddenly
liked
liver. The cumin in this marinade gives the liver a smoky richness, and the basil brightens its earthy taste. Marinate the liver overnight to give it time to absorb the flavors. It may be difficult to find lamb liver, so feel free to use chicken liver in its place and use skewers to place it on the grill. Make sure that the meat is very fresh, and avoid overcooking, which can give the liver a rubbery texture. The meat should still be a little pink inside when done. If you don’t have a grill, sear the liver in a pan.
liked
liver. The cumin in this marinade gives the liver a smoky richness, and the basil brightens its earthy taste. Marinate the liver overnight to give it time to absorb the flavors. It may be difficult to find lamb liver, so feel free to use chicken liver in its place and use skewers to place it on the grill. Make sure that the meat is very fresh, and avoid overcooking, which can give the liver a rubbery texture. The meat should still be a little pink inside when done. If you don’t have a grill, sear the liver in a pan.
serves 42 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for finishing
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces lamb or chicken liver
Flatbread
1 bunch basil
1 juicy lemon, quartered
Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until they start to release their scent. Transfer to a plate and let cool, then grind into powder.
In a medium bowl, whisk the cumin with the garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Add the liver and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Prepare a hot grill.
Lightly oil the grill and grill the liver for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the meat is just pink on the inside. Cut the liver into a few pieces.
Stuff a piece of bread with several basil leaves and a few pieces of warm liver. Season with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Vegetarian OptionUse 8 ounces portobello mushrooms, quartered, in place of the liver and marinate overnight.
Whole Roasted Fish with Oranges and Saffron
In the marinade for this dish, the mix of different citrus juices mimics the flavor of sour oranges, a favorite ingredient in Persian cooking. Meyer lemons are ideal for this purpose, and you’ll find them in season from November through March. Use a mandoline to cut the thin orange slices that cover the fish. If they’re too thick, they won’t bend or drape over the fish easily. Be sure to eat the roasted oranges, too; they’re delicious!
serves 41 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 (2-pound) red snapper, cod, haddock, or sea bass, cleaned and butterflied
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 small oranges, for slicing
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a baking sheet with grapeseed oil.
In a bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice with the orange juice and lime juice.
Rub the fish inside and out with salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil. Spread the garlic on the inside of the fish. Slice the oranges on a mandoline as thinly as possible, less than
⅛
inch thick. Open the fish and lay a few orange slices inside (this is a good place for imperfect slices), then press the fish closed. With a sharp knife, make several shallow slits in the top of the fish, without completely slicing through. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the citrus juice over the fish, and cover it from head to tail with the rest of the orange slices. Spoon the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil on top, and season with salt.
⅛
inch thick. Open the fish and lay a few orange slices inside (this is a good place for imperfect slices), then press the fish closed. With a sharp knife, make several shallow slits in the top of the fish, without completely slicing through. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the citrus juice over the fish, and cover it from head to tail with the rest of the orange slices. Spoon the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil on top, and season with salt.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Heat the citrus juice in a small skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling and reduce by half. Turn off the heat and whisk in the saffron and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve the fish warm, topped with the citrus sauce.
chicken kebabs in yogurt marinadejoojeh kebab
When you bite into hot
joojeh
—recognizable from a distance by its saffron-orange and charcoal-black markings—your teeth break through a charred and steaming exterior to meat that’s moist and flavorful. The trick to making good
joojeh
is to marinate it overnight in a tenderizing mixture of lemon, yogurt, and garlic. You can use this recipe to make excellent baked chicken, too (see Variation below).
joojeh
—recognizable from a distance by its saffron-orange and charcoal-black markings—your teeth break through a charred and steaming exterior to meat that’s moist and flavorful. The trick to making good
joojeh
is to marinate it overnight in a tenderizing mixture of lemon, yogurt, and garlic. You can use this recipe to make excellent baked chicken, too (see Variation below).
serves 66 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt (not thick)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sumac, for garnish
In a large bowl, whisk the garlic with ½ cup of the lemon juice, the yogurt, and the turmeric. Taste and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold in the chicken, coating evenly. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in salty water for a couple of hours before grilling. Drain the chicken and shake off the extra marinade. Thread the chicken onto the skewers about ¼ inch apart, along with a few tomatoes on each skewer, leaving 2 inches of space at the end. Dust with salt and pepper.
Prepare a hot grill.
Whisk the remaining ¼ cup lemon juice with the olive oil and saffron and brush it on the chicken. Grill the chicken, turning it frequently and basting often with the saffron mixture for about 15 minutes, until the meat is lightly charred on the outside and just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with sumac, and serve.
VariationTo bake the chicken, cut each breast into three or four pieces and marinate overnight according to the recipe, then shake off the marinade and brown the chicken in a skillet. Cover and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Spoon the basting sauce on top to serve.
Vegetarian OptionReplace the chicken with 2 pounds tempeh, cubed; 2 pounds vegetables, such as zucchini, red onions, and mushrooms, cubed; or a combination of tempeh and vegetables. Marinate overnight according to the recipe.
What Is
Halal Food?
Halal Food?
Halal
translates as “permissible” in Arabic, and it refers to the dietary laws of Muslims as they are recorded in the Koran. Much like the kosher laws followed by observant Jews, halal guidelines are quite specific about how food is sourced or produced. For example, according to a strict interpretation of halal, all meat products must come from an herbivorous animal, which must be slaughtered by a Muslim—indeed, the name of Allah must be mentioned before or during slaughter. Halal also specifies that the animal must be killed humanely, which includes that the animal be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, that its throat be cut by a razor-sharp knife in a single swipe to cause as little pain as possible, and that the knife must not be sharpened in front of the animal so as to avoid causing it stress. Many Muslims, especially in the United States and other Western countries, follow more liberal interpretations of Halal, and routinely buy non-halal meat at the local supermarket, a practice that’s accepted by a number of eminent Muslim scholars. Like Jews, Muslims are forbidden to eat pork. Along with alcohol and intoxicants, pork is
haram
, or unlawful.
translates as “permissible” in Arabic, and it refers to the dietary laws of Muslims as they are recorded in the Koran. Much like the kosher laws followed by observant Jews, halal guidelines are quite specific about how food is sourced or produced. For example, according to a strict interpretation of halal, all meat products must come from an herbivorous animal, which must be slaughtered by a Muslim—indeed, the name of Allah must be mentioned before or during slaughter. Halal also specifies that the animal must be killed humanely, which includes that the animal be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, that its throat be cut by a razor-sharp knife in a single swipe to cause as little pain as possible, and that the knife must not be sharpened in front of the animal so as to avoid causing it stress. Many Muslims, especially in the United States and other Western countries, follow more liberal interpretations of Halal, and routinely buy non-halal meat at the local supermarket, a practice that’s accepted by a number of eminent Muslim scholars. Like Jews, Muslims are forbidden to eat pork. Along with alcohol and intoxicants, pork is
haram
, or unlawful.
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