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Wolfert

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Posts posted by Wolfert

  1. Judith,

    There are a few popular ways to cure a tagine Slaoui. My method is to soak

    the bottom dish and the top in water for a few hours. Drain and wipe dry. Rub the unglazed side of the bottom with a cut clove of garlic. Fill the dish with milk or water to one-half inch below the rim. Place the dish on a flame tamer over low heat and slowly bring the liquid to a boil. Let the liquid boil down until only about one half cup remains. Cool slowly, drain and wash. Drain dry.

    BTW: You don't need to cure the top.

    Photo of a traditional tagine slaoui:

    http://www.tagines.com/pd_beldi.cfm

  2. Small Semolina Griddle Breads called h'archa

    Makes twelve 5-inch rounds

    2 scant cups (14 ounces) pasta flour

    l cup (6 ounces) coarse semolina

    1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and foam skimmed off

    4 teaspoons sugar

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 small onion, halved

    In a mixing bowl, combine the pasta flour and semolina. Add the stick of cooled butter and rub the mixture together with your hands until sandy. Mix in the sugar and salt. Mix 1/2 cup of warm water into the dough; it should be crumbly. Let stand a few minutes, then gradually add more water until you have a soft dough, about 1 cup in all.

    Transfer to a food processor and pulse 30 seconds to blend. The texture should now be very soft and moist. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Using lightly buttered hands, knead it until silky, 1 to 2 minutes. cover the dough and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

    Preheat a cast-iron grill, a comal or a ridged pan over medium heat. Preheat the oven to 250 F. Lightly grease the cut side of the onion with melted butter and quickly rub the heated pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. On a buttered or oiled baking sheet, press out one portion of dough into a 5-inch round. Cover loosely with plastic and repeat to form the remaining flatbreads. Cook the breads, one at a time, until they are golden and speckled with black spots, turning once; it should take 4 minutes total. Serve the breads hot off the pan, or wrap in foil and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes.

    If this is not the bread you found in Fez, try the recipe for mtsimen on page 128 in the Couscous book.

  3. I just got off the phone with Tagines.com. The NY Times piece on tagines caused a tidal wave of purchases.

    A new shipment is in port and customs is expected to pass on it this week. If all goes well the tagines will be shipped out next week.

    I received a cracked rifi tagine from them (this thread inspired me to order one) and dealing with them has been requiring a little too much faith. I hope they don't let me down!

    Is it a natural crack in the clay? If so, that can be sealed by curing and keeping the crack oiled. If it is broken, they will replace it for you.

  4. I have seen cooks sprinkle stale sponge cake crumbs on the pastry before adding the fruit, but this was only when the cake was prepared early in the day.

    When I teach the dish I assemble the tourtiere on a cornmeal strewn pizza peel, then I slip the tourtiere directly onto a hot baking stone and bake it at 400 F for 12 minutes, then I reduce the oven temp to 350 F and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until the croustade is golden and crisp.

    It's a good idea to slide the tourtiere onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

    ***If you have a hearthkit or a baker's oven, this is absolutely fail-proof.

  5. This is how I learned to do the Arzak eggs from another Basque chef, Carlos Posada of the Madrid Restaurant Amparo,who learned it from the master.

    He lines a small ramekin with a 10-inch sheet of plastic wrap, then drops in a bit of truffle oil or duck fat and some salt and pepper. He cracks a large egg into the lined ramekin and pulls up the wrap around the egg so that the white encloses the yolk. After removing as much air as possible, he fastens it shut with a plasic tie, creating a hobo- shaped package. The egg can be refrigerated for a short while.

    When all the eggs are ready to be poached, he simmers them for 7 minutes, after which he drops them into ice water to firm them up. The packages can be kept for a few hours in the icy water..

    When he needs to serve the dish, he reheats the egg for an instant in hot water, removes the plastic wrap, and sets the egg on whatever else is on the plate.

  6. When it is cold, wash it well, let it dry completely before covering and storing in a cupboard.

    BTW I give my Riffi tagine an oiling (1/4 cup) once or twice a year.

    Don't forget (1) never put a hot tagine on a cold surface; (2) never pour cold liquid into a hot tagine; (3) use a flame tamer and start on low and only gradually increase the heat; and (4) with each use, it is wise to rub the tagine inside top and bottom with a clove of garlic.

  7. The duck jelly is a wonderful substitute for demi-glace. Just be sure to reduce the salt in the rest of the dish.

    I recently combined yellow raisins soaked in vin de noix to make a sauce for a salty duck confit. I used a spoonful of the duck jelly diluted in a glass of water in place of duck stock and it was wonderful.

    See http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=66056&hl= for an egullet forum on vin de noix.

  8. Do I just render this all down, strain it and then freeze my cleaned fat for future batches?

    I strain the fat, boil it for an instant then pack it into small clean containers to store in the refrigerator where it will keep for a few months. You can freeze the fat for longer stroage.

    It is great for cooking all kinds of meat, vegetables, eggs and even fish.

    I boil up the salty juices and save for flavoring sauces.

  9. Use it as a finishing touch over steamed couscous, stewedl brown lentils or green beans, fruit tagines and salads.

    To keep it from turning, be sure to store it in the refrigerator.

    Should I begin to seek these items with total obsession, lest I die before experiencing them?

    Smithy,

    Check out www.berbersources.com. They import the only argan oil to win the slowfood award. You can't do better than that!

  10. Andie,

    I'd like to add one more use for milk curing unglazed mica-rich clay pots: It seals any cracks! The cracked dish is submerged in milk in a wide pan. The milk is brought to the boil, and the dish is cooked for l hour. Supposedly, the crock welds itself together, and the dish is as strong as new.

  11. I think this will be a great drink on ice during the summer.

    I agree with you. Actually, many Turks drink it in the winter because it is considered to be incredibly healthy with lots of vitamins and minerals.

    I had my first glass of tart-intense salgam in the city of Gaziantep in southeast Turkey, a place where dishes can never be too sour.

    Grilled lamb kebabs sprinkled with sumac and accompanied by a plate of pickles.

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