North Africa - Fact Sheet
VOILA CAFÉ (ALGERIA)
At Voila café in Sandringham brother and sister team
Merouane and Lily Rahal combine their French/Algerian background to
prepare their unique style of food for their grateful customers.
For A Taste of Home, Merouane shows us how to make some of his
favourite food including Voila Lamb Confit with Prunes and Raz El
Hanout served on a bed of Chermoula Potatoes and Sauteed French
Beans.
Contacts: Voila Cafe
573 Sandringham Rd
Sandringham
Auckland
Ph: 846 8393
VOILA RAZ EL HANOUT
4 tbsp ground cardamom
4 tbsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp ground cloves
4 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp ground cumin
4 tbsp ground coriander
4 tbsp ground macis or nutmeg
4 tbsp ground paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
VOILA MINTED CHERMOULA
100ml olive oil
200g shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
2 tbsp mint, chopped
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch paprika
1 pinch cumin
2 tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt
METHOD
Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan, add shallots and cook
until tender (until they have no colour). Add garlic and cook for 3
minutes then take off the heat. Add the remaining
ingredients.
Chermoula can be used as a dip, a marinade or tossed with
vegetables
VOILA GOURMET POTATOES WITH MINTED CHERMOULA, AND
SAUTÉED FRENCH BEANS
Serves 4
16 small gourmet potatoes, sliced in half
200g French beans
4 big tbsp chermoula
2 tbsp olive oil
Boil the potatoes until tender, strain and leave to the
side
Blanch the beans in boiling water for a couple of minutes, strain
and cool down under cold water.
In a saucepan add the olive oil, potatoes and beans, toss until all
the ingredients are hot. Add the chermoula.
VOILA LAMB CONFIT WITH PRUNES & RAZ EL HANOUT
2kg leg of lamb
1 leek
1 white onion
1 carrot
2 sticks of celery
2l beef stock
800g prunes - roughly chopped
8tbsp raz el hanout
30g butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red wine
Any stalk from fresh parsley and mint
1 tbsp honey
METHOD
Roughly slice carrot, onion, leeks (green bit only) and
celery. Sear the leg of lamb on all sides in a hot frying pan with
olive oil and butter.
Once the leg is nicely coloured, put in a roasting tray along with
the vegetables, beef stock and 5 tbsp of ras el hanout.
Cover with tin foil, sealing it nicely and cook at 180C for 2.5
hrs.
Take the tin foil off and keep cooking for 30mins. Add a bit of
water if the liquid is too reduced. From time to time pour the
stock on top of the lamb.
Once the meat is very tender and can be flaked easily, take it out
of the oven, leave to cool a bit.
Take the lamb out of the roasting tray, strain the stock and keep
aside. Flake the lamb roughly, add the prunes, the remaining raz el
hanout and enough cooking stock to be able to get a moist mix but
not runny. Combine well.
Spread the mix onto cling film giving it a sausage shape. Roll the
cling film around the mix. Leave the sausage in the fridge to be
used for the next day.
Slice the lamb into 3cm cylinders, making about 4 portions (any
left over lamb can be frozen and used another time)
Pan fry the cylinders gently on both sides and put aside. Add 1
tbsp of honey to the frying pan and caramelize until a nice brown
colour. Add the left over cooking liquid. Cook for a couple of
minutes then pour over the lamb and put in oven for 10
minutes.
Take out from oven and put lamb on top of the vegetables and pour
the sauce over.
SAHAA RESTAURANT (ALGERIA)
In nearby Newmarket we sample the aromatic tagines
made by Algerian Markh Benyettou at his Middle Eastern restaurant
Sahaa.
Contacts: Sahaa Restaurant
475 Khyber Pass
Newmarket
Auckland
Ph: 09 523 4578
Markh also takes us to visit his favourite Halal butcher to purchase his daily supply of fresh Halal meat.
Contacts: Halal Butcher
171 Archers Rd
Glenfield
SAHAA CHERMOULA FISH
Chermoula Paste:
1 1/2 cups crushed garlic
1 cup ground cumin
1/2 cup paprika
3 cups olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup salt
(This recipe makes enough to be stored in the fridge for future
use)
Main ingredients:
3 tbsp Chermoula Paste
1 tomato - roughly chopped
1/2 a preserved lemon
2 fillets of firm fish such as Terakihi
1 cup water
METHOD
Combine all ingredients and marinade for a couple of hours. Place
into the base of a heated tagine. Cover the tagine with the lid and
put in oven for 15mins 220C.
Sprinkle the dish with freshly chopped coriander
SAHAA MAHSHI CHICKEN WITH HONEY & HARISSA
MARINADE
Marinade ingredients:
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp harissa
1 tbsp fresh ginger finely chopped
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp garlic crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Combine all ingredients and rub all over and inside one size 12
chicken. Leave to marinade overnight
COUSCOUS STUFFING
1 red or yellow capsicum finely chopped
1 courgette finely chopped
1 carrot finely diced
6 dried apricots finely diced
1 handful of golden sultanas
1/4 cup tinned pineapple finely chopped
1 cup cooked couscous
A little chopped fresh coriander and Italian parsley
Lightly stir fry the capsicum, courgette & carrot until soft. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Stuff the cavity of the chicken. Truss or skewer the chicken so that the cavity is closed tightly. Place the chicken into a roasting dish and cover with foil, roast for 80 minutes at 200C or until the chicken is cooked. In the last 10 minutes remove the foil and brown the chicken
EGYPTIAN BABY CEREMONY
In Egypt the birth of a baby is celebrated with the slaughtering of
a lamb and a series of rituals all based around the significant
number 7.
In Auckland the Egyptian Muslim community gather together to keep the 'Sebou' tradition alive. With gifts for the baby, a series of symbolic actions and preparation of Fattah and Koshary (one lamb and one vegetarian dish) they replicate an ancient tradition and experience their own taste of home.
FATTAH
500g lean lamb with bones
1 large onion peeled and poked with a knife
1 large onion diced finely
10 cardamom pods
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 rounds Lebanese bread diced
10 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tsp additional crushed garlic
3 tsp white vinegar
6 tbsp oil or butter
2 cup short grain rice
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
Lemon juice
METHOD
Boil some water and place lamb, whole onion, cardamom � tsp
salt and pepper and bay leaves in water (off the heat) until the
meat is nice and soft. Dice bread to 50mm pieces, place in a hot
oven until crispy. Sieve the liquid from the lamb stock and pour
over the crispy bread in a serving dish.
Melt 2 tbsp of butter or oil and fry � the crushed garlic
until browned, add the vinegar and pour over the bread.
Heat 2 tbsp of butter or oil, add the rice and fry for a few
minutes. Add 3 cups of boiling water and � tbsp of salt.
Bring to the boil then turn the heat down until rice is cooked. Put
rice over the soaked bread covering the dish.
Melt 2 tbsp butter or oil fry the diced onion until soft. Add the
rest of the crushed garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chopped
tomatoes and � tsp salt, � tsp black pepper, cumin
powder, coriander powder and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour sauce over the rice in the serving dish and place the baked
lamb pieces on top.
KOSHARY
1 cup black or brown lentils
2 cups basmati or long grain rice
2 large onions, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 cup chickpeas
1 tsp dried coriander
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Diced onion
1 small onion, minced
3 tsp ground cumin
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 tsp white vinegar
Chilli pepper (optional)
METHOD
Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. Rinse the chickpeas and
cover with water in a saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce the
heat until the chickpeas are tender. Season with salt, pepper and
1tsp cumin. Set aside.
Boil macaroni under tender. Drain and set aside.
Wash lentils, place in a saucepan covered with water. Boil until
tender (notice that the brown lentil cooks much faster than the
black variety). Drain when cooked.
Wash the rice and mix with the precooked lentils. Put the 2 large
chopped onions, 3 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 tsp dried
coriander in a pot, fry until brown. Drain on paper towels.
Bring 3 cups of water to the boil, add the rice lentil mix. Once
the water is boiling reduce the heat, simmer until cooked.
Fry the minced onion and 5 cloves of crushed garlic in oil until
softened. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, salt and chilli pepper
(optional) and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
To serve layer rice/lentils and macaroni. Spread sauce on top.
Garnish with fried onions and chickpeas.
SIMOS RESTAURANT (MOROCCO)
Moroccan chef Simo Mohamed Abbari cannot imagine a day without
cooking. Fortunately his Christchurch restaurant and catering
business demands his attention almost every day of the week.
When Simo came to New Zealand to visit a friend in 1994 he arrived without a word of English. Now he certainly has the language - and an expanding circle of friends - many of whom he cooked for on the night we visited him at his central city Moroccan restaurant.
Contacts: Simos Restaurant
114 City Mall
Cashel St
Christchurch
Chef.simo@xtra.co.nz
Ph: 03 3775001
Shopping Rare Fare
29-31 Main North Rd
Papanui Christchurch
www.rarefare.co.nz
COUS COUS BERBER
1 lamb leg (bone out and cut into pieces)
2 small onions peeled and sliced
250g medium sized carrots
205g medium sized courgettes
205g pumpkin, peeled and cut into wedges
2 medium sized tomatoes or 1 can of tined tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
0.5g saffron
2 cups water or lamb stock
500g couscous
50g sultanas
50g prunes
25g roasted almonds
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
25g brown sugar
15g butter
METHOD - Lamb Broth
In a large pan heat the oil and sauté the onions and lamb
with the spices, add the fresh or canned tomatoes with the saffron
and simmer for 30 minutes. Cover the meat with water or stock and
continue to simmer for a further 20 minutes. Check the seasoning to
your preferred taste.
Cut the pumpkin into wedges and cut the carrots and courgettes in half so that you have long, large pieces. Add these vegetables to the lamb and cook until tender. Add the fresh coriander and check the seasoning once again
METHOD - Cous cous
Rinse the cous cous grain in cold water and drain off, spread into
a large tray and sprinkle with salt and leave approx 10
minutes.
Roll the cous cous between your hands to separate the grains and
transfer to the cous cousier (a steamer with a fine mesh) and place
on top of the lamb broth, steam for 20 minutes.
Remove the cous cous from the steamer and return it to a tray,
repeating the same method of rubbing the grains between the palms
and also adding some water. Place the cous cous on top of the lamb
broth in the steamer and steam for a further 20 minutes. This
process can be repeated 203 times. On the last time return the cous
cous to the tray and separate the grains, add some olive oil. Place
the cous cous to the side until needed.
To serve: Place the couscous in a large plate moulding it into a cone shape, arrange the vegetables around the sides and place the meat in the centre. Cover the meat with the prune chutney and garnish with roasted almonds and sesame seeds
PRUNE CHUTNEY
(good with lamb or chicken dishes)
250g dried prunes
250g sultanas
50g brown sugar or honey
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup water
1/2 medium onion
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2-3 cloves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
METHOD
In a heavy saucepan heat the oil and add the chopped onion. Cook
until transparent. Add the dried fruit, spice and liquid, then add
the sugar.
Cook covered on a medium heat for 2 minutes, then uncover and cook
until the chutney is sticky and no liquid is left. Serve hot or
cold.
PASTILLA WITH QUAIL AND BABY CHICKEN
6 baby chickens
6 quails
2 onions, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped coriander
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1 cup toasted and sliced almonds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
250g clarified butter (100g for cooking, the rest for the
pastry)
1/2g saffron threads
Water of chicken stock to cover � the meat
3 eggs
Lemon juice
1 packet filo pastry
1 tsp ground ginger
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp icing sugar
METHOD
Rinse and clean the baby chicken and quail rubbing with � a
cut lemon. In a food processor place the onion, coriander and
parsley and blend to a puree, marinate the chicken and quail with
the onion and herb mixture.
In a large saucepan put the chicken and quail with any of the
remaining onion and herb mixture; add the salt, pepper, 1 tsp
cinnamon, 100g butter, water or stock and saffron. Cook on medium
heat, check seasoning and water level. When cooked, remove the meat
and leave the sauce on the heat to reduce.
Bone the meat and put aside. Beat 2 eggs and slowly stir them into
the sauce. Remove from the heat and check the seasoning. Have ready
the filo sheets, butter (about 150g) and a pastry brush.
Select a shallow baking pan about 8cm in diameter such as a iron
skillet (what you want to do is to construct a pie by layering the
filo sheets in the pan and then folding them over the
contents)
Cut the filo sheets into long rectangles about the width of the pan
and twice and long. Brush one of these sheets with melted butter
and put it butter side up in the bottom of the pan, the excess
pastry hanging over the side. Add another sheet at an angle to the
first and repeat so that you have filo covering the bottom of the
pan. Use about 5 sheets to form this layer.
Repeat the process, forming another layer. Now pour meat and sauce
into the pan. Put several more buttered sheets on top, this time
not with excess pastry hanging over the side (use smaller pieces or
fold them in half). Spread the almonds on top of this. Put another
layer or so of filo and then fold the dangling ends over the top so
as to close the envelope. Brush the top with butter.
At this point the Pastilla can be refrigerated if desired. Put the
pan in a pre-heated oven 160C for 15-20 minutes until the top is
golden. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with icing sugar
and make decorative designs with ground cinnamon.
MEATBALL TAGINE WITH EGG
Meat:
250g ground beef or lamb
1 onion chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground paprika
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
Salt and pepper
Sauce:
1 onion
2 cans of chopped tomato
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp fresh parsley and coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
250g frozen or fresh peas
METHOD
In a food processor mix all the spices, onion and herbs then add
the spice mixture to the meat and mix well. Roll the meat into
small balls.
In a saucepan add the tomato, onions and herbs and bring to the
boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Check the seasoning then add the
meatballs and cook for 30 minutes. Break the eggs into the centre
of the meat ball mixture, cover and simmer for a few minutes until
the eggs are poached. Sprinkle with parsley/coriander and add the
garden peas.
