Flavors of the Sun: November 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Baked Halibut with Chermoula and Pistachio Couscous

Photograph by Zachary Popovsky

Baked Halibut with Moroccan Chermoula Sauce

by Victoria Challancin

Touching their hearts to show their sincerity, my favorite Marrakshi (people from Marrakech) vendors greet me, "Salaam Aleikum, Mrs. Bahrain." I am hoping it is a compliment, but I could be optimistic. You see, the broad vowels of the Arabian Gulf, where I lived for many years, overshadow the soft, delicate ones of derija, the Arabic spoken in Morocco. And although after having led so many groups to Morocco over the years (see below for information), I do understand that Morocco is a Berber country rather than an Arab one, yet I still haltingly trip over my rusty Arabic, clinging as I do to the broad, deep vowel sounds I studied so hard to replicate many years ago while living in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. It is rather like my Southern accent, it is a permanent part of my linguistic being.

And thus we come to the word "chermoula." Chermoula...that delectable, gently spiced herby marinade/sauce beloved in Morocco with good reason. Full of fresh herbs and sparkling spices, it fairly sings in the mouth, encouraging you to reinvent it, to find more uses for it, to make it a staple in your repertoire of condiments. I first learned to call it "charmoula," emulating those beloved sounds of the Gulf countries. Gradually, I realized that "chermoula" was closer to the softer Arabic spoken in Morocco. Subsequent research showed me that countless recipes are available online under either name or even occasionally called "chrmla".

Cook's Notes: Shulman suggests using a food processor for ease, as I did, but notes that in Morocco the ingredients would be chopped finely by hand or even with a mortar and pestle. Thin it with olive oil and/or lemon juice, if you prefer. Use it on fish fillets or whole fish; bake it in the oven, grill it over charcoal, or bake it in the oven.

Recipe: Baked Halibut with Chermoula

(Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman for the Recipes for Health Column in the New York Times)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds firm white fish fillets, such as halibut, mahi mahi, or striped bass

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe for chermoula (recipe follows)

Additional lemon juice and wedges or olive oil to taste

Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a large baking dish combine the fish with half the chermoula and toss together until the fish is coated. If the chermoula is thick, it may be easier to spread it onto the fish with a spatula. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes while you preheat the broiler or oven, or prepare the grill.

If using a broiler, line a sheet pan with foil and brush the foil with olive oil, or oil a shallow baking dish for use in the oven. Place the fish in the pan in a single layer. If desired, drizzle on a little more olive oil or lemon juice. Place under the broiler, close to the heat (about 2 1/2 inches) and broil 5 minutes. Check the fish; the timing depends on how thick the fillets are; figure on 4 to 5 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness. It is done when it is opaque and you can pull it apart with a fork. Using a spatula, transfer the fish from the sheet pan or baking dish to a platter or to individual plates. Tip the juices in the pan over the fish fillets. Pass the remaining chermoula and lemon wedges at the table.

Note: You can also bake the fish in a preheated oven (375 degrees F).

Advance preparation: The chermoula will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but it will lose its vibrant green color.

Martha Rose Shulman's Chermoula

2 cups cilantro leaves

1 1/2 cups parsley leaves

3 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), halved, green shoots removed

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (more to taste)

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, to taste

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Coarsely chop the cilantro and parsley. Scissors are good for this. Place them in a food processor and chop very fine, or chop on a cutting board. You should have 1 cup finely chopped herbs.

Place the garlic and salt in a mortar and puree. Add a small handful of the chopped herbs, and gently but firmly grind until the herbs begin to dissolve. Add another handful. When all of the herbs have been mashed, work in the spices, 1/3 cup olive oil and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more olive oil or salt if desired. Served with grilled fish and/or vegetables, or with chicken.

Yield: Makes approximately 1 cup

My version of chermoula from my friend Latifa prepared for another occasion

Recipes from Flavors of the Sun using Chermoula:

My version of Chermoula
Maakouda Batata, Moroccan Potato Cakes with Chermoula
Steamed Cauliflower with Chermoula
Chermoula Salad Dressing/Vinaigrette

More ways to use Chermoula:

On chicken or pork
With kebabs
On any roasted or steamed vegetable (vegetables can be roasted with the chermoula as marinade)
In couscous or rice--or with any grain as a side or in a salad
As a dipping sauce for flatbread or raw vegetables
In yogurt
Poured over feta or goat cheesee--or other cheese of choice
With grilled haloumi or panela cheese
With lentils, garbanzos, or cooked dried beans
With sturdy salads
With seafood--cooked or raw (as in ceviche or even sushi)
Variations: add saffron, preserved lemon, onion, fresh chiles, tomatoes (though my MOroccan friends tell me tomatoes aren't included
Serve over a caprese-style salad without the basil
Use as a marinade for seafood, especially shrimp, or a sauce/dressing
Make a squid salad dressed with chermoula
Toss it into a pasta salad
Add a dash to an egg or tuna salad
Add a splash to soup (bean, potato, minestrone, etc)
Use as a dipping sauce for Moroccan-style eggrolls
Use your imagination! This recipe won't disappoint!

Cook's Note: Because the chermoula is so rich and flavorful, I chose a simple side dish of couscous that I found on the terrific, always inspiring Australian food site www.taste.com.au.

Pistachio Couscous with Chickpeas and Fresh Herbs

Recipe: Pistachio Couscous

(Recipe from www.taste.com.au)

1 cup (200g) couscous

1 cup (250ml) hot chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped

400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained

2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus wedges to serve

Place the couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over the hot stock. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff the grains with a fork. Stir in the herbs, garlic, nuts, chickpeas and lemon juice. Season to taste and set aside.

A plate of Moroccan Salads I made for a dinner party with Chermoula in the center and on the cauliflower and potato cakes

For more information about my 2014 Morocco Tour, April 23-May 8, contact me at flavorsofthesun@gmail.com

Parting Shot: Moroccan Carpet Fun

Parting Shot II: The Sausages of France

For more information about my 2014 Paris Tour, April 13-20, contact me at flavorsofthesun@gmail.com

Please ask permission before using text or photos. Thanks!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Holiday Pecan Pie Truffles

Holiday Pecan Pie Truffles on a Moroccan Fossil Plate

Holiday Pecan Pie Truffles

by Victoria Challancin

After a rich, heavy holiday meal of turkey and trimmings, a bite-size sweet is sometimes just enough. Simple. Delicious. Pretty. Irresistible. These Holiday Pecan Pie Truffles come together in a snap. And who doesn't need more recipes for easy-to-make holiday treats in their repertoire? This is one of those recipes that really delivers at all levels--looks good, tastes good, and is easy to make. My only complaint is that the recipe doesn't make enough!

I knew I would like these when I first spied them on Oprah's website. But even after reading the recipe, I didn't fully comprehend just how easy they would be to prepare--so much easier than pecan pie. Made by layering chocolate ganache with a simple pecan filling, these truffles are simple, praise-worthy, and a perfect size for those times when you are just too full of holiday food to manage more.

The gooey pecan pie filling

Ready to chill

Cook's Notes: I made these recently in a class for Mexican cooks. I gave them the option of brandy, bourbon, or a liqueur. They chose Bailey's Irish Cream, which worked perfectly! According to the instructions, it is best to have everything measured and ready before you start cooking so none of the ingredients become too firm.

Recipe: Holiday Pecan Pie Truffles

(Recipe created by Cheryl Slocum for Oprah)

For the ganache:

1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

For the filling:

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons bourbon, whiskey, or brandy

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 pecan halves

To make the ganache:

Line a 12-cup mini-muffin tin with mini baking cups; set aside. Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons cream to a boil in a small saucepan, and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let mixture sit for 1 minute before stirring with a whisk to melt chocolate and form a smooth ganache. Avoid stirring too vigorously. Fill each muffin cup with 2 teaspoons ganache, and tap the tin gently to allow chocolate to spread. Set remaining ganache aside in a warm place (on top of the stove) until ready to use. Chill tin in freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

To make the filling:

Meanwhile, bring chopped pecans, corn syrup, sugar, butter, salt and 2 tablespoons cream to a boil in a medium pan over medium heat; boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon or whisky and vanilla. Let cool slightly before spooning 2 teaspoons of mixture into each muffin cup, followed by 1 teaspoon of remaining ganache. Garnish each with 1 pecan half. Chill in refrigerator until set (about 1 hour), then serve. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

With the little bit of leftover filling, I made balls and rolled them in unsweetened cocoa for another version of truffles--equally good!

Holiday Pecan Pie Truffles on a Moroccan Fossil Plate

Would you like your own Moroccan fossil plate???

For more information about my 2014 Moroccan and Paris trips, email me at flavorsofthesun@gmail.com

Parting Shot:

Please ask permission before using text or photos. Thanks!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Day of the Dead Altars: The Food Part II

Day of the Dead Altars: The Food

by Victoria Challancin

The Mexican...is familiar with death. (He) jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it. It is one of his favorite toys and his most steadfast love.

--Octavio Paz, Mexican poet, writer, and diplomat (1914-1998)

Foreigners rarely understand the Mexican obsession with death. They find it disturbingly macabre. Yet with all the death imagery, that constant reminder of our mortality, humor permeates all. In Mexico, it is not that loss isn't felt, that grief isn't present, or even that sadness isn't paramount...it is more that a sensible perspective exists, allowing us to feel the sorrow, remember those who most touch our lives, and always know that death is an inevitable part of life Death. The one inevitable experience that no one can escape. No one.

Part of the honoring of the dead is the important step of setting up a memorial altar, in the home and at the cemetary, or Pantheon. Altars may differ in complexity and creativity, yet the unwritten expectancies are always there. There should be a photo...some memorabilia or favorite possessions of the loved one...representation of favorite foods so that the spirits of the dead can eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrendas...flowers, especially cempasúchil (marigold), sugar skulls, pan de muerto (a special semi-sweet egg bread), a cross or representation of the Virgin Mary, and candles.

And although the Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced back as far as almost 3000 years, the traditions persist today. The rituals may have changed, but the symbols persist. The honoring of the dead is a constant. The hope of rebirth the unwritten hope.

I have written extensively in the past about this important celebration. You can find some of the posts linked below:

Here are some of the food ofrendas, favorite foods of specific departed loved ones:

Enchiladas, rice, and refried beans

A molcajete con tejolote (a basalt mortar and pestle) filled with salsa to eat with corn tortillas

A favorite hat, some sugar skulls, and a tamal

Tequila or Mezcal

Favorite cigarettes

A yam, guavas, oranges, a cup of cafe de olla, cactus fruit, and red Mexican rice

A big plate of mole poblanco and a portrait of the dead made with beans and rice

Pan de Muerto, the semi-sweet egg bread special for this day

Mezcal

A molcajete filled with corn, chiles, and cactus fruit...plus champurrado, a chocolate-based atole or corn-based hot drink

"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."

George Bernard Shaw

Parting Shot:

Please ask permission before using text or photos.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Day of the Dead: The Calacas, Part I

The Calacas: They appear on advertisements...

Día de los Muertos 2013

by Victoria Challancin

They are everywhere, the calacas. Everywhere. And all of San Miguel, visitors and residents alike, turn out to celebrate our departed loved ones. Here in Mexico we honor the dead as a way of celebrating life. We remember, we cry, we talk about it, we commercialize it, and there are those who might suggest we trivialize it. But no...we honor our dead. And we remember...

In a previous post called El Día de los Muertos: The Poetry of Death, I wrote the following, which still rings true:

"Mexicans celebrate life. Mexicans celebrate death. Mexicans celebrate--that is a joyous fact of life. Firecrackers, parades, bands, food...families coming together, schools reinforcing traditions, life continuing in timeless ways midst the turmoil of modern change."