Fish Tagine

 

Watching a chef make fish tagine on television makes my mouth water. I know inherently that these Moroccan flavors will charm my family. The recipe is easy enough. Cubed fish is marinated in a freshly ground chermoula paste. Onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, olives and preserved lemons give the sauce a subtle punch. Fish cubes float and cook in the sauce. The tagine is served over rice. Just delicious.

FISH TAGINE

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Serves 4-6

Chermoula Paste

4 Garlic cloves

1/2 cup Cilantro

1 heaped teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 pound Cod Filets or any meaty fish filets

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Red Onion

4 Garlic cloves

2-3 small Red Peppers

1 Carrot

1 14oz. can Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1/4 cup green Olives

2 tablespoons chopped Preserved Lemons

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Cilantro

Hot Cooked Rice

Whiz all the ingredients except the olive oil for the chermoula paste in a blender or food processor till fairly smooth.  Add olive oil to paste and mix well.

Cut cod into 1" chunks. The reason for using a meaty fish is to have chunks of fish rather than flat filets. 

Salt fish. Then add the chermoula paste so fish is well coated. 

Slice onions, garlic, peppers and carrot thinly.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven till it shimmers. 

Drop onions and garlic and saute till soft and translucent.

Add peppers, carrots and fire-roasted tomatoes. Saute for a few minutes. 

Then add olives, preserved lemons, salt and pepper.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then layer the cod over the sauce. 

Cover and cook over a low flame for 5-7 minutes.

Ladle tagine over rice. 

Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

 

My instincts are correct. The flavors are clean and bright. 

Then daughter says it tastes like fish patia! So much for the Moroccan slant!

Prawn Cocktail

The thing about retro recipes are that they allow you to indulge in nostalgia. So Mum's appetizer fits the bill. Cooked prawns, chopped up, are mixed with celery, mayonnaise, cream, chile powder, paprika, ketchup and seasonings. Refrigerate the salad for a while.

Mum served this favored family appetizer mounded on a bed of shredded lettuce,  in crystal champagne glasses. My version is served on a bed of sliced cucumbers and topped with shredded lettuce. Nostalgia lives in an another form.

PRAWN COCKTAIL 

Serves 4

1 cup cooked Prawns/Shrimp

1/2 cup finely chopped Celery

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Cream

1/4 teaspoon Chile Powder

1/4 teaspoon Paprika

2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh ground Black Pepper

20 thin Cucumber slices

Lettuce leaves

Cut shrimp into small bite size pieces. Place  them in a bowl.

Add chopped celery, mayo, cream, chile powder, paprika, ketchup. salt and pepper and mix well. 

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Arrange 5 thin cucumber slices on a small plate. Overlap  cucumbers to make a base. 

Divide prawn salad into 4 portions.

Top cucumbers with salad. 

Shred a little lettuce and top the salad with some.

Dust salad with a little paprika.

Serve cold.

These plates make the perfect lead up to the entree. 

Garlic Dal

Dal is the staple we Indians feast on. There is a different dal for almost every region in India. And each one has its distinctive qualities. Lentils come in a variety of texture and color.  Toor dal is the most common, followed by yellow moong and pink masoor. The plethora of different Indian grains and lentils is exhaustive and worthy of a Google Search . I am concentrating on one of my favorites...toor dal.

Toor is sometimes cooked on it's own with asafetida and turmeric, then blended with spices. Or cooked along with vegetables and spices like a one-pot affair. I tend to cook my dal first in pressure cooker, then portion it out so I have enough dal for at least two occasions. Each portion of dal is cooked differently so we aren't eating the same dal over many days! 

Simmer the cooked dal with salt and a little water so you have a pourable consistency. What gives this dal a singular flavor is the tarka that is poured over the warmed dal. The tarka or tempering starts with using a small cast iron ladle, in which you melt the ghee. These cast iron or aluminum ladles are primarily used for tempering. Cast iron lends a deep flavor to the dal or curry with the tarka. Dried red chiles, cumin seeds and spoonfuls of sliced garlic bloom and brown in ghee, The contents of the ladle are poured over hot dal. Crisped aromatics float releasing an appetising aroma. Cilantro freshens up the dal. It makes for a mouthwatering picture and a palate pleasing taste.

GARLIC DAL

Serves 4

1 cup Toor Dal

1/4 teaspoon Asafetida/Hing

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2-3 Dried Red Chiles

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

6-8 Garlic Cloves

2 tablespoons Ghee

Cilantro leaves

Wash toor dal well.

Pressure cook dal with hing and turmeric till soft and smooth.  OR cook it stovetop covered, with a lot of water. Check dal often, adding more water if necessary.   Keep dal warm.

Slice garlic cloves thinly. 

Start the tarka just before you serve the dal.

Heat the ghee in a cast iron ladle or small saucepan. 

Add red chiles and cumin seeds to ghee. Let the spices bloom for 20 seconds. 

Scrape the sliced garlic into ghee and let garlic fry till it is pale brown and crisp. Do not let the garlic turn deep brown or it will taste bitter.

Take the ladle off the fire and pour the contents over the dal. 

Garnish dal with chopped cilantro. 

Rice or roti goes well this dal.

The comfort of familiar foods is like being with old friends. Bits of crisp garlic, mushy dal and a mouthful of rice....old habits, old tastes is happiness.