Fish Curry

Whenever I prepare a dish, I always have expectations. I have greater expectations when it comes to my favorite cuisine. I am a huge fan of south Asian cuisine. When asked for more specificity, my initial response is Sri Lankan cuisine (usually with an add-on that I also love the cuisine from Tamil Nadu and Kerala). The cuisine is fiery, due to the use of various chiles. It is also curry-based. Taken together, that is where my preferences are at the moment. 

As readers of this blog know, I have made many a curry recipe, sambol or other dish from this part of the world. Those recipes and dishes have created certain expectations whenever I pull a new recipe from a cookbook off of the shelf or print one off of the Internet. Those expectations include a fiery meal, fueled by the use of fresh chiles or piquant curry powders, along with a certain umami that comes from unfamiliar ingredients, like Maldive fish chips, or a particular combination of herbs and spices. 

Recently, I had the urge to make a fish curry. Often times, those curries end up being Chef Bolek Originals, like this one or this one. They basically represent an effort to use what I have learned over time making curries and then just "wing it." This time, the urge was different. I wanted to make a fish curry that more closely followed the lines of a cuisine. The cuisine that first came to mind was, of course, Sri Lanka. And, I had just the cookbook, Lanka Food.

I reviewed the recipe and prepared my grocery list. I then went to my local Asian grocery store to get the ingredients that I did not have on hand, like curry leaves, pandan leaves and coconut cream. I proceeded to make this dish according to the recipe. However, in the end, the dish was not what I had expected. 

Indeed, the dish challenged my expectations. Do all Sri Lankan dishes have to burn with the intensity of a blue flame? Even when I try to make the dish spicy, such as grabbing my hot curry powder instead of my regular curry powder, does that mean that the dish itself should change? It got me to thinking that, whenever I try to be mindful and in the moment, I also have to go one step further with my mind. Namely, I have to approach the present moment with an open mind.

Looking back, and setting aside my expectations, I can say that this particular fish curry dish is very good, even if it is not all that spicy. It is an acknowledgement that there is more to Sri Lankan cuisine than the Scoville-busting curries. That is a good thing to remember. 

FISH CURRY

Recipe from O Tama Carey, Lanka Food, pg. 162

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 500 grams skinless and boneless snapper fillets (or other firm white fish)
• 40 grams coconut oil (or ghee or vegetable oil)
• 4 grams curry leaves
• 220 grams sliced brown onions (or yellow onions)
• 20 grams finely chopped garlic
• 15 grams finely chopped ginger
• 15 grams finely chopped lemongrass, white part only
• 1 long green chile, cut into thin rounds
• 30 grams brown curry powder
• 8 grams fennel seeds
• 4 grams fenugreek seeds
• 40 ml coconut cream
• 4 x 5 pieces pandan leaf
• Salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish. Slice the fish into bite sized pieces. Much will depend upon the size of the fillet, but try to make the slices about 1/2 inch thick. Cut them into similar sized pieces. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Saute the initial ingredients. Melt the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the curry leaves and cook, stirring, for a minute or so until the leaves are fried. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and chile and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 6-7 minutes until the onion has softened. 

3. Continue the saute. Add the curry powder and fennel and fenugreek seeds and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes until the curry powder begins to catch the bottom of the pan. Season again. Add the coconut cream, pandan leaf and 500 ml of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently until everything is cook and you can no longer taste a sharpness from the ginger. 

4. Cook the fish. Add the fish pieces and simmer gently until cooked. The cooking time will depend upon the size of the pieces but start checking from about 5 minutes. Taste the curry and season as needed.

PEACE.

Kashmiri-Style Raan

Many recipes have a history; and, for this leg of lamb recipe, that history can be traced to the fourth century B.C.E.  Alexander III of Macedon -- known as "Alexander the Great" -- was leading his armies on a path eastward into what was known then as Bactria. The region was well established along the Silk Road in an area that is divided amongst common-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. While history confirms Alexander's conquest of the mountainous region in which Bactria could be found, what comes next is the subject of some dispute.

As one story goes, it was 327 B.C.E. when Alexander the Great had just conquered the Hindu Kush, a mountainous region that could have been the southern part of Bactria. Basking in the victory, Alexander married Roxane, the daughter of Oxyartes. The centerpiece of the wedding feast was known as Sikandari Raan or Alexander Raan. Alexander would go on to appoint Oxyartes to serve as the governor of Bactria.

Another story paints a different picture: Alexander the Great sent his army into the Battle of Hydaspes in 326 B.C.E. The battle took place along the Jhelum River in what would become northeastern Pakistan. By the end of the battle, Alexander's forces had captured the local king, Porus. Alexander asked Porus how he would like to be treated; and, the defeated monarch replied "treat me like a King would treat another King." Alexander the Great released Porus and the two became friends. A feast was held to celebrate the friendship. The centerpiece of that feast was a leg of lamb.

The true story, along with the recipe for that leg of lamb, are lost to history. Nevertheless, the centerpiece of the feast is still known as Sikandari Raan. And, unlike any conqueror or king, this leg of lamb recipe lives on today as the focal point of many celebratory meals. 

I prepared raan for my own little celebration, namely, by birthday. I chose to prepare a Kashmiri-style raan, because I thought that this meal is reflective of Kashmiri cuisine. This cuisine is perhaps the most meat-centric of all the subcontinent cuisines, as Kashmiris eat more meat -- mainly lamb and mutton -- than in any other region of Pakistan or India. This aspect of their diet corresponds to the importance of livestock itself, as there is a long history of nomadic herders raising sheep in the region's valleys. While Kashmiri cuisine may be heavy on the meat, it is much leaner when it comes to the use of spices in recipes.  Commonly used spices include chile powder, ginger powder, saffron, aniseed, and asafetida.  

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Kashmiri cuisine is the distinction between Muslim and Pandit (Hindu). This distinction mostly revolves around the ingredients used to prepare the dishes. On the one hand, Muslim Kashmiris use onion, garlic and tomatoes in their preparations, while the Hindu Pandits do not. Another difference lies with the protein, as Muslims tend to use more lamb and mutton, while the Pandits use goat or chevron more in their dishes. 

This Kashmiri-style raan is clearly inspired by the Muslim preparations, as it incorporates not only lamb, but also onions in the recipe. It also follows the traditional preparation, which incorporates two marinades. The first marinade is a dry rub, which is first applied to the leg of lamb. The second marinade is a wet rub, a combination of Greek yogurt and even more spices). Some recipes combine the two marinades together, but the Kashmiri-style raan recipe that I found retained this two-step approach.

Apart from the time it takes to prepare the lamb, this is a very easy recipe to make. The difficult part is to decide what should accompany the roasted lamb. I prepared a traditional Kashmiri pulao, and I even had an ambitious goal of preparing one or two sambals to go with it. (The sambals did not happen.) One can also just serve some naan and a salad alongside the lamb. 

KASHMIRI-STYLE RAAN

Recipe adapted from from Big Oven

Serves several

Ingredients (for the dry rub):

• 10 green cardamom pods (seeds only)
• 1 star anise
• 2 mace 
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 inch cinnamon stick

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• 1 1/4 white onions, thinly sliced
• 7 garlic cloves mashed or roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder
• 2 inches of ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon honey

Ingredients (for the lamb):

• 1 leg of lamb (about five pounds)

Ingredients (for the gravy):

• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 12 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons ground almonds
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the lamb and the first marinade. Trim all of the fact from the lamb and, using a sharp knife. Roast the dry rub spices in a dry frying pan over a low heat for about 10 minutes. Shake the pan a few times as they release their aroma. Cool slightly and grind to a fine powder. Rub this spiced powder all of over the leg of lamb, in the cuts as well. Leave to marinate for 40 minutes while you get the second marinade ready. 

2. Prepare the second marinade. Soak the saffron threads in hot water for five minutes. In a large frying pan, add the oil and fry the onions until light brown. Turn off the heat and cool. Set half of the onions aside. Add the remaining half of the onions, garlic, ginger, and 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt to a blender. Blend into a smooth fine paste. In a large bowl, add the blended paste along with the remaining yogurt, chile powder, and saffron (with water). Season to taste and mix well. Pour this marinade all over the leg of lamb, mixing well to ensure that it is covered well. Drizzle the leg of lamb with honey. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or two nights. 

3. Roast the lamb. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the lamb in a covered baking dish for 1/2 hour. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 25 minutes per pound, around 1.5 hours until the meat is tender. 

4. Prepare the gravy. Blend the garlic and ginger to a smooth paste with a space of water in a grinder or blender. Heat a large frying pan with the oil. Add the paste and fry over a low heat for 2 minutes. Add the spiced powders along with the yogurt and ground almonds. Add any leftover marinade and juices from the baking try to the pan. Fry for 4 minutes. Add 6 tablespoons of water and simmer over a low heat for 12 to 15 minutes. Stir often to make sure that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a little more water if required to thin it out slightly. Season to taste and keep warm.

5. Finish the dish. Serve the ran on a platter with the fried onions, shallots, mint and pomegranate, as well as pulao and gravy.

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Sri Lanka

As a young kid, I was always fascinated with maps, both new and old. I spent a lot of time going from continent to continent,  country to country. I spent a lot of time learning the geography of each country ... their shapes, capitals, major cities, and much more. Whenever I looked at these maps, one teardrop-shaped  island always caught my eye. It has the shape of a little teardrop, falling off the southeastern coast of the Asian subcontinent. I traced the outline of the island, from Jaffna at the tip, down the coast through either Colombo or Trimcomalee, to the bottom at Matara. All of those old maps referred to that little island as "Ceylon."  Go back further, and the island was referred to as "Serendip," short for serendipity. 

Since 1972, the country has been known as Sri Lanka (which translates as "resplendent island") or, officially, the Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka. The country is home to diverse groups, from the majority Sinhalese to a large minority of Tamils, along with Moors, Burghers, Malay, Chinese and indigenous people known as the Vedda. Nearly every major religion -- Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam -- is practiced in Sri Lanka. This multi-ethnic country provides the setting for my latest Around the World in 80 Dishes personal culinary challenge.

This particular challenge has probably been the longest of my Around the World challenges in terms of the recipe planning. That planning began a few years ago. I met one of my best friends for dinner at a pop-up restaurant.  The menu featured a range of Sri Lankan dishes.  We selected a range of dishes from all of the categories on the menu. Every single dish was an amazing experience. 

Since that pop-up dinner, I had a lot of thoughts about what I would prepare if I would be presented with the challenge of making a main course from Sri Lanka as part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes culinary challenge. I started to organize my thoughts, but, then I realized that I needed to learn more about the cuisine itself. This challenge provided me with the best opportunity for that education. It was a challenge that I was more than ready to accept.

One common theme emerged very early in my research is the following: Sri Lankans curry just about anything and everything. As someone who loves everything about the cuisine from the subcontinent, this theme greatly appeals to me. It led me to spend some extra time learning about just what makes this cuisine so special. 

I searched the internet for articles about the ingredients, cooking processes and ingredients, finding some articles that provided a decent background into Sri Lankan cuisine. However, it was a the book Lanka Food that really fueled my research. The book provided an introduction into the cooking processes (such as use of chatty pots over a hearth) and ingredients (with explanations for ingredients that I have never heard of or used before, such as pandan leaves, goraka and Maldive fish chips).  Most importantly, it provided another source of recipes from which I could use as a guide for not only the main course, but also the accompaniments, such as the sambols.

One final note about Sri Lankan cuisine, which ties into something that has really caught my attention in recent months. It is how the cuisine incorporates the five flavors - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. I was first introduced to this concept through Vietnamese cuisine, where it is known as "Ngu Hanh" or "Ngu Vi." I got to learn more about this concept with my introduction to Sichuan cuisine, which actually adds additional flavors, such as "fragrant." As with Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine, Sri Lankan cuisine incorporates this balancing of different flavors, and, it often does so not just in one dish, but by the incorporation of multiple dishes, such as the pairing of a curry with a sambol.

For this challenge, I decided to do more than just the main course. I had too much information in front of me to simply complete the challenge and move on to the next one. I wanted to try to create that balance of flavors through not just one dish, but with a whole meal. So, here it goes....

MAIN COURSE

For the cuisine that curries everything, the most iconic of Sri Lanka's curries revolves around chicken. Sri Lankans refer to it as Kukul Mas. The history of this dish traces it to Colombo, which was the country's historical capital. (The capital, at least for legislative purposes, has moved to Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.) It is a dish that comes from the island's Sinhalese community. They represent a majority of the Sri Lankan population and their cuisine has been described as one of the most complex of South Asia. While I am still looking for an adequate explanation of that complexity, the one thing that I have learned from this challenge that there is a complexity in terms of how different flavors and textures are added to dishes. 

This chicken curry dish provides an example of another feature of Sri Lankan cuisine: the many variations of dishes. In some respects, there are as many variations of Kukul Mas as there are families and restaurants that prepare the dish. Many of the variations are based on the different spices used to create the curry powder. Other variations surround other ingredients. For example, some recipes for Kukul Mas use tomatoes or tomato puree (a nod to the colonial influences that brought the ingredient to the island). Tomatoes provide the curry with a reddish hue. Others, such as the recipe that I used, dispense with the tomato. These recipes result in a dish of golden chicken, thanks to the turmeric in the curry powders. Despite all of the variations, one common note among recipes is the preference for using a whole chicken, broken down into its constituent parts. This approach ensures that the bones are used and ensures that they provide additional flavor to the dish. In the end, regardless of the recipe used, the end result is a delicious dish that can be found on the tables of many homes in Sri Lanka.

KUKUL MAS CURRY

Recipe from Dish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into pieces (or bone-in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cardamom pods, bruised
• 3 dried chiles
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 stem lemongrass, bruised
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken.  Joint the chicken, then cut the breast and thigh in half, leaving the wings and drumsticks whole.

2. Sauté the spices.  Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, chiles, and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the onion and cook until golden. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the ground spices and stir well to combine. 

3.  Sauté the chicken.  Add the chicken to the pan and stir until it is well coated with the spice mix.  Add half of the coconut milk, the lemongrass and cinnamon, cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes to 50 minutes.  Stir in the remaining coconut milk, season with salt and cook uncovered for a further 5 minutes to 10 minutes. 

SIDE DISH

Although the Kukul Mas satisfies the challenge, I wanted to prepare an entire Sri Lankan meal.  The author O Tama Carey describes dhal as the "most essential side dish" in her Lanka Food cookbook (at page 183). A dhal is basically a curry that features a dried, split pulse - such as lentils, beans or peas - as the principal ingredient. Given Carey's description, I had to make a dhal to accompany my chicken curry. Dhals can be found across the subcontinent.

In Sri Lanka, dhals are commonly prepared with red lentils. The common ingredient belies a range of variations in dishes, with some dhals being spicier than others, and some dhals being thicker than others. There are also differences in how the dhal is finished, with some adding green leaves (such as curry leaves, which help reinforce flavors), while others get a garnish, such as fried onion, to add texture to the dish.

In my research for this challenge, I spent a lot of time at a local Sri Lankan grocery store called Spice Lanka. (BTW, I strongly recommend this small, family owned business, because they have a good selection of ingredients and the owners and staff are always very friendly.) I also purchased quite a few ingredients from the store, including a bag of red lentils. Those lentils enabled me to make this Sri Lankan dhal. 

DHAL

Recipe from O Tama Carey, Lanka Food, at 186

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 75 grams (2 3/4 ounces) coconut oil
• 5 grams (1/5 ounce) curry leaves
• 550 grams (1 lb, 3 oz.) brown onions, cut into medium dice
• 18 grams (2/3 ounce) finely chopped garlic
• 15 grams (1/2 ounce) finely chopped ginger
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 7 grams (1/4 ounces) black mustard seeds
• 5 grams (1/5 ounce) turmeric powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 2-inch pandan leaf
• Bottom 2 inches lemongrass stem, lightly bruised
• 525 grams (1 lb, 3 oz.) red lentils, thoroughly washed
• 450 ml (15 fluid oz) coconut cream

Directions:

1. Saute Ingredients. Melt the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add the curry leaves and cook, stirring, for a minute or so until the leaves are fried. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes until the onion has softened. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the mustard seeds, turmeric, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes until the turmeric begins to catch the bottom of the pan.

2. Cook the lentils. Add the pandan leaf, lemongrass and lentils and give everything a good stir to combine. Pour in the coconut cream and 1 liter (36 fluid ounces or 4 1/4 cups) of water and mix well, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. the dhal is ready when all the lentils have just given away and turned yellow while still retaining a little texture. Re-season with salt and pepper and serve hot. 

CONDIMENT (SAMBOL #1)

"Sambal is a state of mind." While an Indonesian chef, William Wongso, may have uttered those words, the statement is seemingly universal in southern and eastern Asian cuisine. Sambals - or Sambols, as they are referred to in Sri Lanka (the only country that uses an "o" instead of an "a") are a condiment based upon chiles.  As Carey notes in Lanka Food (at pg. 209), sambols play an important role in adding flavors, spices and textures to dishes. 

There are many different sambols in Sri Lankan cuisine. I decided to make two of them for this challenge.  The first one - pol sambol - literally translates into coconut sambol. It is perhaps the most common sambol in Sri Lanka. It also serves as a good representation of the balancing of the five tastes. There is the sweet from the coconut, the umami from the Maldive fish chips, the heat from the chiles and the sour or bitter from the lime juice. 

POL SAMBOL

Recipe from O Tama Carey, Lanka Food, at 214

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 300 grams or 10 1/2 ounces of grated coconut
• 100 grams or 3 1/2 ounces finely sliced shallots
• 3 small green chiles, finely chopped
• 20 grams or 3/4 ounce Maldive fish chips
• 5 grams (1/5 ounce) chilli powder
• 3 grams (1/10 ounce) freshly ground black pepper
• 3 grams (1/10 ounce) sweet paprika
• 1-2 limes juiced
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients. Place all of the ingredients, except the lime juice and salt, in a bowl and firmly mix them together with one hand, using a squeezing and kneading motion. This not only combines the ingredients, but it helps to release the oils from the coconut. Keep going until the texture of the sambol is almost a little sticky.

2. Finish the dish. Season to taste with lime juice and a generous amount of salt, mixing and squeezing again. Serve at room temperature.

CONDIMENT (SAMBOL #2)

For the second sambol, I decided to continue my exploration of new ingredients. This sambol introduced to me the use of dried shrimp. Much like the Maldive Fish Chips, the dried shrimp provided an almost umami flavor to this particular sambol.  

DRIED SHRIMP SAMBOL

Recipe from Asia Society

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried shrimp
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 3 teaspoons chopped red chiles or sambal oelek
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the shrimp and the coconut. Floss prawns in a blender or food processor. Put desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan and toast, stirring constantly, until there is a rich brown color. Immediately turn out onto a plate to cool.

2. Blend the ingredients. Blend the chiles, onion, garlic, lime juice and salt to a smooth puree.  Add the coconut and blend again, adding a little water if necessary to produce a smooth paste.  Add the shrimp floss and blend again, scraping down the sides of the container with a spatula. Serve as a relish with rice and curries. 

*    *    *

This challenge may have taken a really long time to come together, but the end result was perhaps one of the most delicious meals that I have had in a long time. I really liked the Kukul Mas Curry and I will eventually make it again, perhaps adding some of the variations that I came across while researching the dish. As for the sambols, I think I should have them around like bottles of hot sauce. Fortunately, I have enough Maldive fish chips and dried shrimp to make both of the sambols ... again and again!

Until next time ...

ENJOY!    

Smoked Chicken with African Spice Rub

The creative process at Chef Bolek is rather unique, as this recipe demonstrates. I recently saw some really good friends were at Walt Disney World. They just noted that they were getting ready to go to Animal Kingdom, which happens to be probably my favorite park (although Epcot is probably a close second because of all of the international pavilions). Whenever we visited Animal Kingdom, we would usually end up at a restaurant at the Animal Kingdom lodge. That restaurant is Boma, which serves up a buffet of African foods that I would just gorge upon every time we went there. Thinking about my friends being there got me to thinking I should make something influenced by African flavors. That brought about this recipe and this blog post ... Smoked Chicken with African Spice Rub. 

As with any Chef Blog post, there is a larger question. That question revolves around the rub. What exactly is an "African Spice Rub" or, put differently, what makes the spice rub "African"? 

Let's start with what exactly is an African Spice rub? Many people would probably answer that question with Ras en Hanout, Harissa or Baharat. Those are African spice rubs, but they originate in northern Africa.  Others may answer the question with Berbere (which happens to be one of my all-time favorite spice rubs). That spicy rub comes from the Horn of Africa. Indeed, much of the talk around "African" spice rubs focuses on blends that come from those two regions. Don't get me wrong, they are African rubs. But there is a lot more of Africa than the Maghreb or the Horn.

It is that simple point that becomes the focus of my thoughts. What are some sub-Saharan spice rubs? Truth be told, I have already dabbled in at least one of those rubs, the iconic Suya. I have made a version of the rub from both Ghana and Nigeria. (The Rago Suya from Nigeria stands as perhaps my favorite kebab to make.)  The key to that spice mix is the use of peanuts, along with ginger and chiles.

There are no peanuts in this recipe. Instead, it draws from other spices that can be found across the continent. These spices include mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek and, of course peppers. I decided to use this recipe on a chicken that was destined for the smoker.  However, while the recipe called for the temperature of the smoker to be somewhere between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit, I decided to smoke it at a higher temperature - around 300 degrees. It cooked a lot faster, but I thought it would be a little more reminiscent of street food. (To be truly reminiscent, I should have probably just grilled it, but I went for something in-between smoking and grilling.)

In the end, this recipe was a success. The spice mix actually shined through the smoke, with the fennel seeds - along with the pepper - clearly making its presence felt. This recipe will have me spending more time trying to answer what makes a spice rub African. Until next time ...

SMOKED CHICKEN WITH AFRICAN SPICE RUB

Spice rub recipe adapted from Food Fidelity

Serves 2-4

Ingredients (for the spice rub):

• 3 tablespoons smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Ingredients (for the chicken):

• 1 whole chicken (between 3-4 pounds), spatchcocked
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3-4 chunks of oak wood (soaked for 1 hour in advance)

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice rub. If you are using ground spices, combine all of the ingredients together well. If you are using whole seeds, lightly toast the mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds in a skillet over medium heat. Remove once you small the aroma. Place the seeds in a spice grinder and coarsely grind.  Add the ground spices to a bowl and mix with the remaining seasonings and sugar. 

2. Marinate the chicken. Apply the spice rub to all sides of the chicken, both on the skin and underneath it. Refrigerate the chicken for at least four hours or overnight.

3. Smoke the chicken. Prepare the smoker and get the temperature to at least 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the chicken and then the wood for smoking. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thighs. Spray the chicken breasts with the apple cider every twenty minutes after the first hour of cooking. 

ENJOY!

Fennel Rubbed Leg of Lamb with Walnut Romesco Sauce

Julia Child once remarked, "you don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces, just good food from fresh ingredients." That is what fueled this recipe. I was looking for a way to make a really good lamb dish, but I wanted a recipe that is easy to make. 

In the end, I used two recipes. The first recipe was for lamb meatballs with a Romesco sauce. I had no intention to make lamb meatballs.  I actually had a boneless leg of lamb, but the thought of pairing that meat with a Romesco sauce seemed to be the perfect idea.

As an aside, a Romesco sauce originated in the Catalonian province of Tarragona.  It is a sauce prepared by fishermen to be eaten with fish. The basic ingredients for a Romesco sauce include tomatoes, garlic, nuts (typically almonds, pine nuts, or hazelnuts), nyora peppers (a small round red pepper) and olive oil. Beyond those ingredients, there is no standard recipe. Romesco sauces vary by region, by cook and even by ingredients. Thus, one could easily swap almonds with walnuts, or substitute a nyora pepper with a standard red bell pepper or another type of pepper. That is the beauty with a Romesco sauce. One could also add other ingredients, such as sherry vinegar and chipotle pepper, to add additional layers of flavor to the sauce.

I decided to use the walnut Romesco sauce from the lamb meatball recipe; however, I still needed a recipe for the leg of lamb itself.  I found a recipe that had the rub I wanted to use: a simple mixture of fennel and garlic, combined with black pepper and crushed red pepper. I decided to include the parts of the recipe that called for carrots and added some potatoes to the roast. The rest of it is relatively easy: preheat the oven,  put the rub on the lamb, sear the lamb, stick the lamb in the oven, roast until it reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit, pull it out to rest, and dinner is almost ready to be served. 

FENNEL RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH WALNUT ROMESCO SAUCE

Recipes adapted from Epicurious

Serves 6-8

Ingredients (for the Romesco Sauce):

• 1/2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 1 small red bell pepper, halved, seeds removed
• 1 medium tomato, cored
• 1 garlic clove, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or chile powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Kosher salt

Ingredients (for the lamb):

• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds small or medium carrots with tops
• 1 bag of small mixed potatoes, sliced in half

Directions:

1. Make the romesco sauce. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Toss bell pepper tomato and garlic with oil on a clean rimmed baking sheet and roast until browned and softened about 20-25 minutes. Let cool.  Remove skin from bell pepper, tomato and garlic, discard.  Puree walnuts, bell pepper, tomato, garlic, oil, vinegar, chipotle chile powder, parsley and paprika in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper. 

2. Prepare the rub for the lamb.  Using a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in garlic and 3 tablespoons of oil.  Evenly rub lamb all over with spice mixture, making sure to work it into every nook and cranny.

3. Sear the lamb.  Reduce the heat of the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat remaining 1/4 cup of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium. As soon as oil is hot and shimmering, add lamb to skillet and cook, carefully pouring off fat as needed into a small bowl and until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Trim tops from carrots.  Place lamb in the center of a roasting pan, pour reserved fat over the lamb, season with salt and pepper.  Place carrots and potatoes around the lamb. 

4. Roast the lamb. Roast the lamb until an instant read thermometer registers 135 degrees for medium rare, about 75 to 90 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes.  Slice the lamb in 1/2 inch slices. 

ENJOY!

Arista-Style Turkey with Tuscan Chestnut Stuffing (Savage Boleks' Thanksgiving 2021)

It is interesting how a decision to depart from a tradition could, itself, turn into a tradition.  Nearly two years ago, I decided to try prepare a Christmas dinner that was different than what the traditional Italian holiday meal that my family has prepared for more than fifty years. I prepared a turkey in the style of a Tuscan pork roast. That experience gave rise to a blog post, Turkey in the Arista Style with Tuscan Bread Stuffing. My beautiful Angel loved the meal so much, both the turkey and the stuffing, that I have made the dish a few times since that holiday dinner. And, now, it has officially become the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the Savage Boleks. 

Yet, a turkey in the arista style is itself a departure from tradition in another sense. Since the dawn of the thirteenth century, an arista has always been a pork roast. That roast evolved over time to what it is today: a mass of porcine goodness covered in a rub consisting primarily of rosemary and garlic, along with other ingredients, such as lemon, cloves and/or fennel seeds. While recipes change, the one constant is that the protein used in an arista comes from some part of a pig, either a roast or the loin. The use of a turkey is a break from that tradition. Yet, it is a good break. The reason is simple: much like pork, turkey meat provides a tableau upon which all of the flavors used in the rub come together to provide a culinary image of Tuscan flavors.  If pork is the other white meat, then turkey is the other, other white meat.

The arista-style turkey is just the beginning of this new Savage-Bolek tradition. Another important aspect is the stuffing and, because I make so much of it, the dressing. (As you may know, it is stuffing if it is stuffed in the bird; it is dressing if it is baked alongside the bird.) This stuffing is a culinary mélange of Tuscan flavors and aromas. It begins with the bread, which is focaccia. The bread is cut up and toasted until the moisture is removed. One then adds in diced pancetta (or, if that person is me cooking for my beautiful Angel, diced turkey bacon), along with diced turkey heart, liver and gizzard (that is, all of the giblets in the package provided with the turkey). This step is followed by the addition of the traditional elements of a stuffing, namely, diced onion, celery and carrots. Finally, just before the liquid (turkey stock) is added, one adds a heaping 1/4 cup of rosemary, sage and the chestnuts. after the liquid is added, the ingredients are mixed well, left to marry for an hour and then stuffed into the bird or placed in a dish to be baked.

This stuffing or dressing is perhaps the best stuffing that I have ever made. One does not have to take my word for it, my beautiful Angel has made similar proclamations. This stuffing or dressing pairs perfectly with the ingredients used to make the arista-style turkey. There are major connections in terms of flavor, with the use of turkey bacon and rosemary. Yet, the stuffing or dressing adds to the flavors of the turkey with the use of sage and chestnuts. 

The recipe set forth below is not the same recipe that I used back in 2019. I have made some modifications based upon my subsequent efforts to make this dish. The two major changes are as follows: (1) I have incorporated the juice from the zested lemons into the marinade, as a way to utilize all of the ingredients; (2) I increased the amount of times that I baste the turkey with the juices and butter from once every hour to once every 40 minutes; and (3) I added an uncovered/covered/uncovered sequence to roasting the bird. While this additional work extends the cooking time a little, it is definitely worth it if you are trying to get crispy, brown skin on  the bird. 

ARISTA-STYLE TURKEY

WITH TUSCAN CHESTNUT STUFFING

Turkey recipe adapted from Reinhardt Hess & Sabine Salzer, 

Regional Italian Cuisine, pp. 148-49

Tuscan Bread Stuffing Recipe adapted from Tasting Table

Serves many

Ingredients (for the turkey):

1 whole turkey (about 12 pounds)

4 lemons, zested and juiced

8 to 10 sprigs of rosemary

10 cloves of garlic

4 teaspoons of fennel seeds

4 pinches of ground cloves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 stick of unsalted butter

Ingredients (for the stuffing):

1 1/2 pounds ciabatta bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

8 ounces pancetta, small dice

1 package turkey liver and gizzards (from 1 large turkey)

2 medium carrots, peeled and small dice

2 celery stalks, small dice

1 large yellow onion, small dice

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 cups turkey stock + 2 cups of turkey stock

1 cup roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup minced sage

1/4 cup minced rosemary

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the turkey.  Rinse the turkey well.  Pat the turkey dry.  Separate the skin from the turkey so that you can apply the rub directly onto the meat. Combine the lemon zest, rosemary, fennel seeds, ground cloves, garlic, salt and black pepper into a small bowl.  Mix well. Juice the lemons and pour into a separate bowl.  Whisk in olive oil with the lemon juice and then add it to the small bowl with the dry ingredients to create a paste. Add additional olive oil, if necessary, to create that paste.  Continue to mix.  Once the paste has the desired consistency, apply it to all parts of the turkey, including under the skin.  Reserve some of the rub for basting. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2.  Prepare the stuffing.  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lay out the bread on a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer the bread to a huge bowl.  While the bread is baking, heat the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often until the pancetta is crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to the bowl with the bread.  Drain the fat into a separate bowl. Add back 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pan and add the liver and gizzards.  Cook the ingredients, turning as needed until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes for the liver and 8 to 10 minutes for the gizzard.  Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop, then add to the stuffing bowl.

3.  Continue to prepare the stuffing.  Add a little more of the pancetta fat back to the pan.  Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan.  Sweat the ingredients until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Transfer the vegetables to the stuffing bowl.   Add the butter to the pan and cook until it begins to brown and has a nutty aroma.  6 to 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the cream to warm through.  Add the butter mixture to the stuffing bowl with the remaining ingredients (namely, the turkey stock).  Using your hands, mix the stuffing to incorporate.  Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. 

4.  Prepare to roast the turkey.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stuff the turkey's cavities with the stuffing, and place the remaining stuffing in a baking dish.  Roast the turkey for about 3 hours or until the turkey's internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. I roast the turkey uncovered for about the first hour and twenty minutes, cover the bird for the next hour and twenty minutes, and then leave the bird uncovered for the rest of the time. Baste the turkey approximately every 40 minutes with melted butter that has some of the rub mixed into it.  Once the turkey reaches that temperature, remove the turkey from the oven and cover it.  Place the baking dish full of dressing in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, or until the dressing begins to crisp on the surface.  Remove the stuffing and set on the stove to cool.

5.  Prepare the au jus.  Drain the liquid from the roasting pan into a separator.  Pour the juices into a pot, along with 2 cups of the turkey stock. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.  Bring to a boil under medium high heat and reduce to a simmer.  Allow to simmer until you are ready to serve. 

6.  Finish the dish.  Spoon the stuffing and dressing into a serving bowls (one for the stuffing and another for the dressing).  Slice the turkey and place on a serving dish.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Chef Bolek's Half Turkey Breast

This is a basic recipe.  It is something that I go to when I am very busy and need something that requires very little prep.  The only thing that needs to be done is the rub.  And, even the rub is simplified so that it can be prepared in a couple of seconds.

The base of the rub is onion powder and garlic powder.  The flavor elements include thyme, coriander and fennel seeds.  (I have recently been on a big fennel kick, especially in roasting, grilling and even barbecue.) All of those ocmponents are just 1 teaspoon.  Additional flavor comes from some stronger herbs, both rosemary and sage. I reduced the amounts for each of these two herbs to half teaspoons each. The rub is completed with a teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper.  The work is complete. 

This is a great recipe to make on the weekend.  Once the breast is roasted and sliced, then you can make turkey sandwiches for lunch during the week.  It is a great way to skip the processed meats in the deli section of the local grocery store. 

CHEF BOLEK'S HALF TURKEY BREAST

A Chef Bolek Original 

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 half turkey breast, about 3 to 4 pounds
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, cracked
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 cup of wateror more if needed
1/8 cup of olive oil, more if needed

Directions;
1.  Prepare the turkey breast.  Combine all of the dried ingredients and mix well.  Brush olive oil all over the turkey breast.  Sprinkle the herb/spice mix all over the turkey breast.

2.  Roast the turkey breast.  Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place the breast in a roasting pan, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water around the edge of the breast. Roast the turkey breast in the oven until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The end temperature is 165 degrees, but the breast will continue to cook for several minutes afer being removed from the oven. Remove from the oven, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Slice thinly and serve immediately or refrigerate for use in sandwiches later.

ENJOY!

Turkey in the Arista Style, with Tuscan Bread Stuffing

For this holiday season, I decided that I would try something different.  Christmas Eve dinner is a well established tradition in my family, with the antipasta plate and wedding soup, followed by pasta with meatballs and sausage. That tradition has produced many great memories for me going back to my childhood. 

Traditions are good, in fact, they are great.  But, at least for me, I felt that I could be missing something if I didn't take a chance and try something different. There was only one question: what to make?

Recently, my beautiful Angel's parents traveled to Italy, spending time in Lazio, Tuscany and Liguria.  I too spent time in Tuscany, which provided me with the inspiration for the dinner.  I spent a lot of time researching main courses, but I wanted to make something that everyone could enjoy.  I ultimately decided to do an Arista, which is a dish that I previously made. Arista is a roast pork dish that is quintessential Tuscan cuisine. The problem with an Arista is that it is roast pork, and, my beautiful Angel does not eat pork.  My Angel does eat turkey, so I decided to apply the ingredients and cooking techniques of an Arista to a turkey.

To be sure, there are not very many turkeys gobbling around Tuscany. (Although, interestingly, there is a highly challenged study that says the ancient Etruscans, who called the area of Tuscany their home around 900 B.C. came from Anatolia, which is currently known as Turkey.) But, the use of a rub of rosemary, garlic, fennel seed and clove pretty much made this turkey smell like a Tuscan pork roast. 

Additional Tuscan flavor and character was added to the bird with the stuffing.  I searched far and wide  on the Internet for a "Tuscan stuffing."  I came across one recipe for a Tuscan Bread Stuffing. This recipe incorporated many classic Tuscan ingredients, such as rosemary, sage and chestnuts.  The use of pancetta is also key, as its fat provides flavor at every level and stage of preparation.  

Overall, this is perhaps the best turkey that I have ever made; and, according, to my beautiful Angel, the stuffing is the best that she has ever had.  This recipe is now the Savage Boleks' standard for a stuffed turkey dinner.  This may be the beginning of a new tradition ... for now.

TURKEY IN THE ARISTA STYLE

WITH TUSCAN BREAD STUFFING

Turkey recipe adapted from Reinhardt Hess & Sabine Salzer, 

Regional Italian Cuisine, pp. 148-49

Tuscan Bread Stuffing Recipe adapted from Tasting Table

Serves many

Ingredients (for the turkey):

1 whole turkey (about 12 pounds)

4 lemons, zested

8 to 10 sprigs of rosemary

10 cloves of garlic

4 teaspoons of fennel seeds

4 pinches of ground cloves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 stick of unsalted butter

Ingredients (for the stuffing):

1 1/2 pounds ciabatta bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

8 ounces pancetta, small dice

1 package turkey liver and gizzards (from 1 large turkey)

2 medium carrots, peeled and small dice

2 celery stalks, small dice

1 large yellow onion, small dice

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 cups turkey stock + 2 cups of turkey stock

1 cup roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup minced sage

1/4 cup minced rosemary

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the turkey.  Rinse the turkey well.  Pat the turkey dry.  Separate the skin from the turkey so that you can apply the rub directly onto the meat. Combine the lemon zest, rosemary, fennel seeds, ground cloves, garlic, salt and black pepper into a small bowl.  Mix well.  Add enough olive oil to create a paste.  Continue to mix.  Once the paste has the desired consistency, apply it to all parts of the turkey, including under the skin.  Reserve some of the rub for basting. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2.  Prepare the stuffing.  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lay out the bread on a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer the bread to a huge bowl.  While the bread is baking, heat the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring often until the pancetta is crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to the bowl with the bread.  Drain the fat into a separate bowl.  Add back 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pan and add the liver and gizzards.  Cook the ingredients, turning as needed until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes for the liver and 8 to 10 minutes for the gizzard.  Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop, then add to the stuffing bowl.

3.  Continue to prepare the stuffing.  Add a little more of the pancetta fat back to the pan.  Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan.  Sweat the ingredients until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Transfer the vegetables to the stuffing bowl.   Add the butter to the pan and cook until it begins to brown and has a nutty aroma.  6 to 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the cream to warm through.  Add the butter mixture to the stuffing bowl with the remaining ingredients (namely, the turkey stock).  Using your hands, mix the stuffing to incorporate.  Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. 

4.  Prepare to roast the turkey.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stuff the turkey's cavities with the stuffing, and place the remaining stuffing in a baking dish.  Roast the turkey for about 3 hours or until the turkey's internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Baste the turkey approximately every hour with melted butter that has some of the rub mixed into it. Fahrenheit. Once the turkey reaches that temperature, remove the turkey from the oven and cover it.  Place the baking dish full of stuffing in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, or until the stuffing begins to crisp on the surface.  Remove the stuffing and set on the stove to cool.

5.  Prepare the au jus.  Drain the liquid from the roasting pan into a separator.  Pour the juices into a pot, along with 2 cups of the turkey stock. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.  Bring to a boil under medium high heat and reduce to a simmer.  Allow to simmer until you are ready to serve. 

6.  Finish the dish.  Spoon the stuffing into a serving bowl.  Slice the turkey and place on a serving dish.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!