> view full size | | Lamb with Pears
Mouton aux Poires 1 kg / 2 lb diced leg of lamb
2 large onions, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp saffron
A bunch of finely chopped coriander
4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
150 g / 5 oz blanched almonds
Salt and pepper Pour the olive oil into a tagine or large earthenware casserole, put it over a medium heat and, when the oil is hot, add the onion. As soon as the onion starts to turn translucent, reduce the heat and add the meat, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, coriander, salt and pepper and just enough water to cover the meat.
Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender, for about an hour and a half, and then add the almonds and pears to the tagine. Cook for a further 30 minutes, or long enough to soften the pears, and serve.
This dish works almost as well with apples or quinces, although the latter take a little longer to cook. Copyright © Aline Benayoun, 2007 |
> view full size | | Fennel Salad
Salade de Fenouil 4 fennel heads, cut into quarters
4 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves finely chopped cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt Fennel has a wonderful aniseed taste and we usually eat it raw, sprinkled with salt and pepper, but it can be cooked, and this is a fast, easy and delicious salad.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic until it is lightly browned. Then add half a pint of water and the lemon juice. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, add the fennel and salt and cook, covered, over a high heat for 30 minutes.
When the sauce has reduced to about one-quarter of its original volume, it's ready. Copyright © Aline Benayoun, 2007 |
> view full size | | Chickpea Salad with Paprika and Cumin
Salade de Pois Chiches au Paprika et au Cumin 375 g / 12 oz (1 tin) chickpeas
6 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp mild paprika
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt We used to make this dish with dried chickpeas, which caused a lot of extra trouble as the chickpeas had to be soaked overnight and then boiled for at least 40 minutes before they could be cooked with the rest of the ingredients. This was a lot of work and also, of course, involved a degree of planning for what is, otherwise, a very simple salad. Anyway, tinned chickpeas taste just as good as the freshly soaked and cooked variety.
Fry the garlic in olive oil in a heavy saucepan, then add the cumin, paprika, salt and vinegar. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently so that the spices don't burn, and then add the drained chickpeas. Stir thoroughly so that all the chickpeas are covered with the sauce and fry for a further 5 minutes, still stirring regularly. Copyright © Aline Benayoun, 2007 |
