Cook's Alphabet 'K' — Kufta Hoot (Libyan Fish Kofta)

Cook's Alphabet 'K'

This is the eleventh in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'K'.


The letter 'K' is, of course the eleventh letter in the English alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic Libyan dish of fish koftas:

Kufta Hoot (Libyan Fish Kofta) Recipe

Ingredients:
2 large white fish fillets (about 250g in all)
3 slices of bread, crumbed
1 tsp kammon hoot
1/2 bunch of coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
1 onion, grated
1 tsp chilli powder
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten

For frying:
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp water
flour for coating
oil for deep frying

Method:
Remove any pin bones and skin from the fish then chop as finely as you can (the finer the better). Add the fish to a bowl along with all the remaining ingredients and use your hands to mix all the ingredients thoroughly and to bring everything into a ball. Tear off pieces of the mixture in your hands and roll into sausage shapes.

Add oil to your deep fat fryer or to a depth of about 4cm in your wok then whisk together the egg and water in a bowl. Dip the fish koftas in this then roll in flour to coat. Place in the oil and deep fry until golden and cooked through (about 6 minutes). Transfer to a plate and serve with rice, salad and hot sauce

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Libyan Fish Kofta Recipe page, part of the site's Libyan recipes page. )



Today's cooking term is Knead: Kneading is the process of orking a dough either by hand (or thesedays with an electric dough hook). The process aerates and makes the gluten proteins more elastic and produces a smoother dough. It also evenly incorporates air and any additional ingredients at the same time. The main function is to release the gluten molecules from the grain. These produce cross-links in the dough that both stabilize the dough and incorporate air molecules, allowing it to rise evenly.


Today's spice is the Kokam: Kokam (also known as Mangosteen are the fruit of Garcinia indica, a tree native to tropics of the Old World. Though the whole fruit is used as a spice (especially in the Maharashtra region of India) it is far more common to encounter the dried peel which has an acid taste and an agreeable flavour and is used as a souring agent (often in place of Tamarind) in curries and other dishes from the Coorg region of India. Kokam soup, in Indian medicine is often made for its healing properties and the recipe is given below:

Kokam Soup

Ingredients:
9 dried kokum fruit (or 20 pieces of kokum rind)
2 tbsp ghee
900ml water
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
4 curry leaves
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 whole cloves
2 tbsp chickpea flour
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
2 large pinches black pepper
1 tbsp palm sugar (or demarara sugar)

Method:

Soak the kokam fruit in 240ml of water for 20 minutes, ensuring that you squeeze the fruit (or rind) several times to extract as much flavour as possible. Discard the kokum when done.

Heat a dry frying pan and toast the cumin and cloves until they release their flavour. Transfer to a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder and reduce to a fine powder. Meanwhile heat a saucepan and add the ghee. Once the ghee is hot add the ground spices, curry leaves, coriander and bay leaves. Cook for a minute then add the fruit water and 300ml water. Mix the chickpea flour with the remaining 250ml of water then add this to the soup.

Stirring continuously to prevent lumps, add the black pepper, salt and palm sugar. Still stirring, boil gently for five minutes. Serve immediately.

(This recipe, reproduced with thanks, from the Celtnet Kokam Soup Recipe page.)


For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'K' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'K'
Spices beginning with 'K'
Herbs beginning with 'K'
Wild foods beginning with 'K'
Cook's glossary 'K'


For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.

This list of African regions and African recipes is brought to you in association with the Recipes of Africa eBook. With over 1000 recipes covering each and every country in Africa, this is the most comprehensive book of African recipes available anywhere.

If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.

This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.

Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!

Cook's Alphabet 'J'

Cook's Alphabet 'J'

This is the tenth in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'J'.


The letter 'J' is, of course the tenth letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic soup that uses a common and invasive weed, Japanese Knotweed:

Japanese Knotweed Soup

Ingredients:
1l vegetable stock
600g young Japanese knotweed shoots (or substitute rhubarb) sliced
250ml cream cheese

Method:
This is one of the simplest possible soups to prepare, just add the knotweed to the vegetable stock, simmer for 5 minutes then stir-in the cream cheese and serve.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Japanes Knotweed Soup Recipe page. )



Today's cooking term is Julienne: Julienne is a French term that describes a classic way of cutting vegetables into thin matchsticks or very fine shreds, each about 4cm long. They're often cooked in butter in a covered pan until quite soft and then used as a garnish, especially for soups and consommés.


Today's spice is the Juniper Berry: Juniper Berries are actually the seed cones of the common juniper, Juniperus communis, a member of the cypress family. The cones, known commonly as 'juniper berries' are usually sold dried and used to flavour meats, sauces, and stuffings; most especially gam. They are generally crushed before use to release their flavour. These cones are also an essential ingredient in the flavouring of gin.


For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'I' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'J'
Spices beginning with 'J'
Herbs beginning with 'J'
Wild foods beginning with 'J'
Cook's glossary 'J'

Cook's Alphabet 'I'

Cook's Alphabet 'I'

This is the ninth in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'I'.


The letter 'I' is, of course the eighth letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic Iced soup which is an Edwardian classic:

Iced Tomato and Basil Soup

Ingredients
450g tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp finely shredded fresh basil
600ml chicken stock
salt and black pepper
2 tbsp fresh soured cream to garnish (optional)

Method:
Add the tomatoes, onion, tomato purée and basil to a blender and render to a smooth purée. Pass through a sieve to remove any seeds and large pieces of tomato skin then stir-in the stock. Transfer to a saucepan and heat gently. Skim-off any froth as it rises to the surface and season to taste.

Take off the heat after about 10 minutes, allow to cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve in lightly-chilled soup bowls, garnished with a swirl of soured cream (if desired).

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Iced Tomato and Basil Soup Recipe page. )



Today's cooking term is Infuse: Infusion is the process of extracting the flavours from herbs, spices, teas or vegetables by adding boiling water or by gently heating in a liquid like milk, thus allowing the liquid to take-on the flavours of the substance added to it.


Today's spice is Indian Mustard: Indian Mustard This is brown mustard, Brassica juncea), originally from the foothills of the Himalaya and is an essential ingredient in many Indian recipes and has a higher level of volatile mustard oils that white mustard (and is thus stronger, but not as strong as black mustard)..


For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'I' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'I'
Spices beginning with 'I'
Herbs beginning with 'I'
Wild foods beginning with 'I'
Cook's glossary 'I'

Cook's Alphabet 'H'

Cook's Alphabet 'H'

This is the eighth in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'H'.


The letter 'H' is, of course the eighth letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a Medieval chicken recipe (or henne as they were called 700 years ago):

Henne in Bokenade (Chicken in Sauce)

1 whole chicken
fresh chicken broth (optional)
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
2 tbsp chopped sage leaves
1 tbsp chopped hyssop
1 tsp mace
1 tsp cloves
1 dozen egg yolks, beaten
1 tbsp ginger
120ml verjuice (or red wine vinegar)
1/8 tsp saffron
1/8 tsp salt

Method:
Place the chicken in a large pot and add just enough water or fresh chicken broth to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking until the meat is tender and falling from the bone.

Remove the chicken from the broth and allow to drain and cool. Pick the meat from the bones, discarding the fat and skin, and cut into large chunks. Place the meat in a separate large pot then strain the broth to discard all meat, fat, etc. Add just enough broth to the chicken in the pot to just cover the top of the meat. Then add the herbs a bring to a boil before reducing heat. Beat in the egg yolks, spices, and vinegar and simmer until thick.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Ginger Cake Recipe page which is part of the Celtnet Medieval Recipes collection. )



Today's cooking term is Hard Crack Stage: Hard Crack Stage is a stage in the boiling of sugar, when the sugar reaches about 149–154°C and 99% sugar content by weight. At this stage the sugar will solidify into threads that will shatter at the slightest torsion (sideways pressure) when a drop of the sugar syrup is poured into water. This is the ideal stage for making toffee, nut brittles and lollipops.


Today's spice is Horseradish: Horseradish is a member of the brassicae (mustard or cabbage) family, which, like its relative, wasabi, has a root that has deposits of allyl isothiocyanate (mustard oil) within it. When the skin is broken it releases this mustard oil to irritate the sinuses of the nose and the eyes and it's this that makes horseradish an ideal condiment.


For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'H' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'H'
Spices beginning with 'H'
Herbs beginning with 'H'
Wild foods beginning with 'H'
Cook's glossary 'H'

Cook's Alphabet 'G'

Cook's Alphabet 'G'

This is the seventh in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'G'.


The letter 'G' is, of course the seventh letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic cake that includes a spice beginning with the letter 'G', ginger:

Ginger Cake

360g plain flour
180g butter
90g brown sugar
360g black treacle
60g sultanas
120g mixed peel
60g preserved ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground ginger
3 eggs
3 tbsp milk

Sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a bowl. Add the sultanas, mixed peel and preserved ginger and stir to combine. Meanwhile add the treacle, butter and sugar to a pan heat gently until the butter melts and the treacle becomes liquid. Beat together the eggs and milk, add to the treacle mix and take off the heat. Stir to combine then make a well in the flour and pour the treacle mix into this.

Beat thoroughly to combine then turn into a 18cm square cake tin that's been lightly greased and lined with greaseproof paper. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C and bake for 75 minutes, or until the top is coloured and the cake is firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an air-tight tin..

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Ginger Cake Recipe page. )



Today's cooking term is Gram Flour: Gram Flour is a traditional Indian flour made by grinding chickpeas to a flour. It is very fine and a pale yellow in colour and is a critical component in making samosas and bhajis.



For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'G' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'G'
Spices beginning with 'G'
Herbs beginning with 'G'
Wild foods beginning with 'G'
Cook's glossary 'G'

Cook's Alphabet 'F'

Cook's Alphabet 'F'

This is the sixth in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'F'.


The letter 'F' is, of course the sixth letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic Italian bread, Focaccia:

Focaccia with Roesmary Leaves and Olives

7g (1/2 packet) dry yeast
120ml lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
180g plain flour
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
120ml cup cold water
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
80g black olives, pitted

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water and stir well then set aside for some 15 minutes, until it is foamy on top. Meanwhile place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Gradually stir in the yeast mixture and then the olive oil, salt and water, stirring all the while to form a stiff dough. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough in the bowl for a minute before turning it out onto a floured board. Knead for about 15 minutes, until you have a silky dough then place in an oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Gently knock the dough back and then place on an oiled baking tray before stretching the dough into a rectangular shape and using the tips of your fingers make indents in the surface of the dough. Brush with oil, sprinkle with sea salt, rosemary and olives. Then place in an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for about 20 minutes, until crisp and golden.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Focaccia with Roesmary Leaves and Olives Recipe page. Which is part of the site's Italian Recipes collection)



Today's cooking term is Fricassée: Fricassée is a dish of chicken or vegetables cooked (usually on the stove-top) in a creamy white sauce. Often vermouth is added as a flavouring and the dish is traditionally served with rice. The dish is often accompanied by lightly-glazed onions and/or fried mushrooms.



For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'F' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'F'
Spices beginning with 'F'
Herbs beginning with 'F'
Wild foods beginning with 'F'
Cook's glossary 'F'

Cook's Alphabet 'E'

Cook's Alphabet 'E'

This is the fifth in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'E'.


The letter 'E' is, of course the fifth letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic British wild food sorbet that both begins with the letter 'E' and which contains elderberries, a wild 'E' fruit as a main ingredient:

Elderberry Sorbet

775g elderberries, removed from the sprays with a fork
100g caster sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp egg white

Add the sugar to a pan along with 120ml water. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves then bring to a boil and immediately take off the heat then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, use the tines of a fork to remove the elderberries from their stalks. Add the elderberries and lemon juice to a food processor. Process to a smooth purée then strain through a fine-meshed sieve to remove any seeds.

Once the sugar solution is cold mix with the fruit purée. Pour the resultant mixture into the bowl of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Alternatively, if you don't have an ice cream making machine, pour the mixture into a non-metallic freezer-proof dish then cover with a lid and place in the freezer. Freeze until the sorbet is almost firm (but still a little liquid). Cut the sorbet into chunks and place in a blender. Process until smooth then add the egg white and continue processing until completely blended. Transfer the sorbet back into the dish and freeze again until almost firm.

Once again chop the sorbet into pieces and process until smooth. This gets rid of all the ice crystals and makes the sorbet very smooth, which is what you want. Return to the freezer-proof dish and freeze completely. To serve, allow the sorbet to soften for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature then spoon into dessert glasses and serve, garnished with a sprig of fresh mint.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Elderberry Sorbet Recipe page. Which is part of the site's Wild Food Recipes collection)



Today's cooking process is Emulsion: Emulsion is a stable suspension of oil and water (think of paint). In cookery this is a combination of fat and water with a stabilizing agent (usually eggs). Good examples are mayonnaise or Hollandaise sauce.



For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'E' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'E'
Spices beginning with 'E'
Herbs beginning with 'E'
Wild foods beginning with 'E'
Cook's glossary 'E'

Cook's Alphabet 'D'

Cook's Alphabet 'D'

This is the fourth in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'D'.


The letter 'D' is, of course the fifth letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic German pie that both begins with the letter 'D' and which contains damsons, a 'D' fruit as a main ingredient:

Damson Plum Torte

125g unsalted butter, softened
120g sugar + 2 tbsp
180g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
pinch of salt
24 halves pitted damsons (or other dark plums)
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream together the butter and 120g sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat into the mixture before adding the beaten eggs a little at a time. Mix thoroughly to combine then spoon this batter into an ungreased 22 or 25cm springform cake tin. Cover the top with the plums, placing them skin side down.

Mix the cinnamon with the remaining sugar and use to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Place in an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for between 40 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake emerges clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or clotted cream. The cake also freezes very well.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Damson Plum Torte Recipe page. Which is part of the site's German Recipes collection)



Today's cooking process is Demi-glace Sauce: Demi-glace Sauce is a classic French rich brown sauce often used by chefs. It's made from a reduction of clear stock and sauce espagnole (a stock that has been thickened with a roux, diced vegetables and tomato purée) and is the basis for classic sauces such as Madeira, Diane and reform sauce..



For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'D' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'D'
Spices beginning with 'D'
Herbs beginning with 'D'
Wild foods beginning with 'D'
Cook's glossary 'D'

Cook's Alphabet 'C'

Cook's Alphabet 'C'

This is the third in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, today I'm dealing with the letter 'C'.


The letter 'C' is, of course the third letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for a classic fish dish beginning with this letter:

Caribbean Fish

160ml orange juice
3 tbsp diced pimento
2 tbsp pitted black olives, sliced
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
salt, to taste
2 tsp cornflour
2 tsp Horseradish Sauce
675g firm white fish fillets (snapper, grouper, orange roughy would be typical)
1 tbsp butter
300g sliced bell pepper (mix of red, yellow and green)
150g red onion, sliced
160g shredded cabbage

Whisk together the orange juice, pimento, black olives, lemon pepper, salt, cornflour and horseradish in a bowl. Trim the fish and cut into 4 portions. Place in an oven-proof dish and pour the marinade over the top. Turn the fish to coat then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes.

At the end of this time, cover the dish tightly with foil the place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a large frying pan and when hot add the peppers, onion and cabbage. Fry for 2 minutes then reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 7 minutes or until just tender.

Transfer the vegetable mix to a serving dish then lay the fish on top and spoon some of the orange sauce over everything. Typically this would be served accompanied by buttered yucca (sweet potato).

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Caribbean Fish recipe page.)



Today'ss cooking process is chiffonade: Chiffonades are thin strips of green vegetables and herbs (typically sorrel and lettuce) hat are either lightly sautéed or used raw as a garnish or topping for soups. In all cases the aim is to cut the vegetable as thinly as possible so you end up with delicate, frilly ribbons.



For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'C' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'C'
Spices beginning with 'C'
Herbs beginning with 'C'
Wild foods beginning with 'C'
Cook's glossary 'C'

Cook's Alphabet 'B'

Cook's Alphabet 'B'

This is the second in my series of 28 postings going through the entire alphabet, as it relates to cooks and cooking. As you can see, oday I'm dealing with the letter 'B'.


The letter 'B' is, of course the second letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for both a root vegetable beginning with the letter 'B' and a recipe beginning with the same letter:

Beetroot Jelly

1 packet raspberry jelly (jello)
260ml vinegar
1 beetroot, peeled and boiled until soft
120ml water

Slice the beetroot and add to a basin. Meanwhile dissolve the jelly in 120ml hot water then stir-in the vinegar and pour over the beetroot. Set aside to cool and harden then turn out the beetroot jelly, slice and serve as an accompaniment to cold meats.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Beetroot Jelly recipe page.)


Also presented today is the recipe for a classic wild food muffin:

Bilberry Muffins

2 eggs
250g self-raising flour
250ml milk
1 tsp baking powder
50g softened butter
100g caster sugar
225g bilberries (or use blueberries or even elderberries)
grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon

The secret to making muffins is to do everything qiuckly. It is therefore essential that you pre-heat your oven to 200°C before you start. The next step is to prepare your muffin tin (the mixture should be enough for about 6 deep muffins). If using muffin paper cases pop these into the muffin tin moulds. If you have a non-stick tin then you can simply grease the sides of the tin and add the mixture into it directly.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the flour. Mix this in with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, bilberries and lemon rind as well as the lemon juice and mix thoroughly with a fork (try to be gentle so as not to break the fruit). In a separate bowl mix together the eggs and the milk then pour onto the flour mixture. Using a fork blend quicklly (don't be worried if the mixture takes-on a lumpy consistency). Immediately spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins and place the filled tin in the oven.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30–25 minutes, until the muffin has risen well and is golden brown in colour and firm to the touch. Take out of the oven and set aside to cool for a few moments before lifting them out to cool a little more on a wire rack.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtnet Bilberry Muffin recipe page.)


Given today's recipe, above, the day's cooking process is baking: Baking is normally done in an oven, but goods may also be baked in hot ashes or on hot stones. Baking differs from Roasting in that a lower temperature is typically used and the items are cooked for a longer period of time. Baking is a much older process than most people think and foods were probably originally baked in embers or with hot stones (which is how bread may have started). Only later did specialist ovens develop. For many baking recipes (over 1000) please follow the following link to: baking and baked goods recipes.


For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'B' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'B'
Spices beginning with 'B'
Herbs beginning with 'B'
Wild foods beginning with 'B'
Cook's glossary 'B'

New Project - The Cook's Alphabet

Following-on from my earlier quest to deliver a new wild food every week (and as Winter is closing in I'm now onto another project for this blog. This time it's an attempt to go through an entire alphabet of food. Every other day I hope to make a new blog entry with recipe and chef-related information related to each and every letter of the English alphabet. This evening's post is the first of these, starting with the letter 'A'.

Cook's Alphabet 'A'

The letter 'A' is, of course the first letter in the alphabet, and today's recipe is for both a wild food beginning with the letter 'A' and a recipe beginning with the same letter:

Acorn Tortillas

210g rice flour or any whole-grain flour
120g acorn flour
50g arrowroot
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
3 tbsp corn oil
120ml lukewarm water or as needed

Mix all the dry ingredients together then stir-in the corn oil before adding just enough water to make a soft dough that you can press into a very thin sheet between your fingers. If the dough is too sticky to work, add more flour.

Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls then using a rolling pin roll the balls into flat, round disks about 2mm thick.

Place a large non-stick pan on high heat and use this to cook each disk on both sides until flecked with brown (less than 1 minute altogether). Don't overcook or the tortillas will get hard.

This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the Celtenet Acorn Tortillas recipe page.


Today's cookery term is: Abats, which is the French term for offal, which in America are sometimes known as 'speciality meats'. These being the internal organs of animals.

For more information on cookery-associated terms and information beginning with the letter 'A' here are various links that may well be of interest:

Recipes beginning with 'A'
Spices beginning with 'A'
Herbs beginning with 'A'
Wild foods beginning with 'A'
Cook's glossary 'A'

The Recipes of North Africa — Algerian Grilled Sardines with Lemon

All of the seven states of North Africa have extensive coastlines and five of the region's countries border the Mediterranean. These are:

Information and Recipes of Algeria
Information and Recipes of Egypt
Information and Recipes of Libya
Information and Recipes of Morocco
Information and Recipes of Tunisia

Of the other two countries, Western Sahara is a disputed territory currently under the control of Morocco. Sudan lies on the Arabian sea and you can find:

Information and Recipes of Sudan

As might be expected, fish plays a very important part in the cuisines of the majority of these countries. The exception being Libya, where meat (especially lamb) is by far the most important protein source in the diet.

An example of one of these fish dishes is the recipe below, from Algeria for grilled sardines:

Algerian Grilled Sardines with Lemon Recipe

Ingredients:
1 kg prepared fresh sardines
6 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
generous pinch of paprika
generous pinch of ground cumin
salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:
Combine the oil, lemon juice, coriander, paprika and cumin in a bowl. Season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper then whisk to combine. Meanwhile, lay the sardines as a single layer in a large baking dish. Pour the oil mixture over the top then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 80 minutes to marinate (turn the sardines at least every 20 minutes during this time).

Pre-heat your barbecue or grill (broiler) and cook the fish for about 3 minutes per side. Brush frequently with the marinade to ensure and even coating. Serve hot and pour any remaining lemon mix over the top then garnish with fresh parsley.


Below is a classic Libyan fish dish:

Libyan Spicy Fish Recipe

Ingredients:
6 fish steaks
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp kammon hoot
60g tomato purée
250ml passata (tomato juice)
1 onion, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
250ml water
freshly-chopped coriander and lemon wedges, to serve

Method:
Combine half the garlic, kammon hoot, salt and lemon juice together in a bowl. Add the fish and toss to coat then cover and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and use to fry the onion and remaining garlic until golden brown (about 12 minutes). Add the tomato purée and passata and simmer for about 8 minutes then add the marinated fish and their marinade along with the water. Bring to a simmer then cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Transfer the fish to a warmed serving plate and garnish with coriander and lemon wedges. Pour the sauce into a bowl and serve on the side.

(The recipe above reproduced, with thanks, from the Celtnet Libyan Spicy Fish Recipe page.)

For more North African recipes please visit the Celtnet North African recipes page.


For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.

This list of African regions and African recipes is brought to you in association with the Recipes of Africa eBook. With over 1000 recipes covering each and every country in Africa, this is the most comprehensive book of African recipes available anywhere.

If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.

This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.

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Cooking with Sea-buckthorn

I have been cooking with sea-buckthorn in one way or another for many years. However, recent reports of sea-buckthorn berries as a 'superfood' and their use on TV cooking shows have cast this winter berry into the forefront of many's minds.

In fact I wasn't planning to write anything on sea-buckthorn berries for quite a few weeks, but a trip to visit my parents yesterday (they live on the coast) brought this berry to mind. The sea-buckthorn plant is a thorny shrub that likes sandy soils, survives in salty environments but needs un-shaded spots. As a result they tend to grow along the coastline, though many are also used as hedging plants in gardens.

There are distinct male and female plants that flower in March and the fruit of the female plant mature in September. However, the fruit tend to stay on the plant throughout the winter and, typically, they can be picked right through to December. This is why I was planning on posting about this plant much later in the year. However, on yesterday's visit to my parents I spotted a beautiful plant stuffed full of berries.

Now, the traditional way of picking the fruit is to cut the whole fruit-bearing branch away then to freeze it for a few weeks and to strip the frozen berries away with a knife. This harms the plant and it may not bear fruit again for 2 years. As a result, I tend to pick by hand. This, admittedly, can be a tricky process because of the thorns (if you've ever picked sloes you will know what I mean). But it can be done and though you might prick yourself quite a few times you do much less damage to the plant.

The berries are both tart and bitter. Much of the bitterness can be eliminated by freezing the fruit for a week or more. The bitterness is also reduced by cooking and, like all bitter foods, you can add a little salt to counteract the bitterness (salt is the opposite of bitter in terms of cooking).

Sea-buckthorn berries are very rich in vitamins C and vitamin A (hence the yellow to orange colour) they also contain lots of essential oils and make an excellent winter storage food. Indeed, in Northern Europe the fruit are often dried and ground to a powder (seeds and all) to use as a condiment or spice.

We tend to under-use and under-value this plant (indeed, there is an old wives' tale that it's poisonous [entirely untrue]) but in Scandinavia and Russia it's highly prized for its berries. One of the most versatile uses is to make sea-buckthorn berry syrup, which can be used to flavour a whole range of other foods:

Sea-buckthorn Berry Syrup

Ingredients:
1kg sea-buckthorn berries
2 tsp salt
500g sugar (or to taste)
200ml water

Pick over the berries, wash thoroughly then dry and freeze for at least 7 days (this reduces the bitterness). After a week, add the berries to a pan along with the salt (this also counteracts the bitterness). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the fruit are soft. Mash the fruit then strain through a double layer of cloth. Wring the cloth to extract as much juice as possible.

Return the juice to a pan, add 350g sugar and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust for sweetness (I like mine quite tart) then reduce until the mixture syrupy. Transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator.

(This recipe reproduced, with thanks from the Celtnet Sea-buckthorn berry syrup recipe page.)

As well as being used wherever you would use a flavoured syrup this syrup can also be used as the basis for cakes and other foods, as in the cheesecake recipe, below:

Sea-buckthorn Cheesecake

Ingredients:
80g rich tea biscuits
80g digestive biscuits
60g butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar
250g ricotta cheese
250g mascarpone cheese
3 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml Sea-buckthorn Berry Syrup
fresh sea-buckthorn berries, to garnish

Method:
Crumble the biscuits then combine in a bowl with the butter and brown sugar. Pack into the base of a springform cake tin (about 25cm diameter) spreading the mixture part way up the side of the tin.

Meanwhile, cream together the cheeses and eggs in a bowl then stir-in the sugar and vanilla extract. Pour the cheese mix over the biscuit base then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the oven.

When the cake is completely cold carefully warm-up the sea-buckthorn berry syrup and pour over the top of the cheesecake. Garnish with raw sea-buckthorn berries then place in the refrigerator to chill over night before serving.

(This recipe reproduced, with permission, from the following Sea-buckthorn Syrup Cheesecake Recipe.)

Like many wild fruit, sea-buckthorn berries can also be used to make a tasty jam or jelly which is an excellent breakfast spread. Follow the following link for a whole range of Sea-buckthorn Berry Recipes.

For all the wild food recipes on this blog, see the wild food recipes page.