Shish Barak - Palestinian lamb dumplings in coriander, garlic and yogurt sauce

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Shish Barak, lamb dumplings in coriander, garlic and yogurt sauce is one of my fondest Palestinian food memories. Here's my recipe!

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I looooove the holy matrimony between mean and dough in all its forms. Italian tortellinis, Russian pelmenis, Georgian khinkalis, Polish pirogis, Uzbek mantis, Chinese dim sums... ahhhh.

Their Palestinian cousin is called Shish Barak and these lambfilled dumplings are cooked in yogurt. Sounds odd, perhaps, but it works.

Just ask anyone who turned up for my book launch!

Sure, they're a bit laboursome and for an already stressed out author catering her own book launch; scared shitless of the book reviews these are not necessarily the smartest choice to be rolling out the night before...

... though, judging by the rave reviews they received from all the guests, perhaps they were worth all the hassle after all?

In all honesty filling the dumplings is the only actually laboursome part of the process. That's why I usually make a bigger batch and then freeze them in smaller portions.

And I suppose it's all about your own approach: put on some habibi pop, sit down with a friend and start pinching away. Plenty of time to catch up on the gossip (how very authentically Middle Eastern!)

While they might require a bit of work, there's an definite upside to these: they do feed a crowd.

In countries, where dumplings like these are an essential part of the culinary traditions, the families have typically been large and people poor - meaning they've had to feed many mouths for as little as possible.

Meat on the other hand has traditionally been the costliest of ingredients, but when you cleverly combine it with dough, a little goes a long way. Just look at this recipe: quarter of a kilo is enough to feed up to six hungry diners!

Once they're filled, the dumplings can be frozed. Just spread them on a parchment-covered baking tray, place the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours (this prevents the dumplings from sticking to each other) and then freeze in suitable sized portions.

Serves 4-6

Shish Barak - Palestinian lamb dumplings in coriander, garlic and yogurt sauce

the pastry shell:

5 dl all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

0,5 dl oil

2-2 ¼ dl water

Combine flour and salt. Then add oil and mix until you have a crumbly mixture. Then add water and work into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover the dough with a couple of tbsp of oil and leave to rest, covered, while you prepare the filling.

lamb filling for Shish Barak:

1 onion, finely chopped

1,5 tsp bokharat (or 4 epice spice blend)

250 g ground lamb (or beef )

1,5 tsp dried mint 

3/4 tsp salt

a couple of tbsp oil for frying

Heat the oil in a pan. Then sauté onion until translucent. Add the spice blend and, after a couple of minutes the meat, mint and salt. 

Continue cooking until the meat has browned properly. Leave to cook to room temperature.

Divide the dough to 4 portions and keep rest of the dough covered as you're working on one. Roll it thinly (there should be no need for flour) and using a round cutter (or a wine glass) of about 6 cm diameter, cut into discs. 

Fill each disc with about a tsp of the filling and fold into a crescent. Pinch the edges shut, fold the ends behind the dumpling and pinch. 

Place on a parchment-lined tray and keep covered with a tea towel until ready to cook. 

Depending on the size and thickness of the dumplings the recipe yields about 52 dumplings. 

Coriander, garlic and yogurt sauce

1 kg Turkish yogurt

2 dl water

the juice of ½ a lemon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper 

3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced

3 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

3 tbsp oil

to serve:

za'atar spice blend (can be found at Middle Eastern shops)
toasted pine nuts
rest of the coriander, chopped

Pour the yogurt and water into a large pot and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring every now and then. 

Heat oil in a small pan and sauté garlic and coriander in it.

Add lemon juice into the yogurt, followed by coriander and garlic mixture (along with the oil). Season. 

Add the dumplings into the sauce and simmer for 20 minutes until done. 

Sprinkle some za'ater, pine nuts and rest of the coriander on top of the stew.

Serve as is or accompanied with rice. 

Any of you had Shish Barak yet? Or does Ehud Barak remain your firm favourite...?

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SHARING IS CARING!

Ensaladilla ceviche - globetrotter's fish ceviche salad

Oh, how well I ate in Andalusia (again...) - I've feasted on enough seafood and Iberico pork to see me through the rest of the.. well, month, anyway. Travelling alone is a bit tricky though- when everything sounds and looks so irresistible, one person really struggles to get through all the food at the table with no-one to share it with...

Sure, tapas bars have some salads on their menus, too, but they're hardly the lighter option. Ok, the ensaladillas might have some genuine veggies in them, too, but swimming in a massive quantities of mayo. 

After returning home I've been trying to eat a little lighter and so one day I whipped u a batch of this fresh and summery fish ceviche salad. Instead of mayo it has some Greek yogurt and even that just a couple of spoonfuls. The salad is quite a United Nations, boasting influences from all over the world in the form of sweet chilli sauce, pomegranate seeds, fresh coriander and mint.

The portion below feeds six as a starter. Easily. As a tapas size portions it's enough for 10. At least. 

I really ought to do something about my greed.

Serves 6-10

Fish ceviche salad with watermelon and mint:

700 g neutral flavoured white fish (halibut, sea bass...)

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 tsp salt

5 limes, juiced

3 tomatos, deseeded and chopped to 1 cm cubes

1/2 large cucumber, deseeded and chopped to 1 cm cubes

200 g watermelon (rind removed), chopped to 1 cm cubes

the seeds of a pomegranate

2 bunches of coriander, finely chopped

handful of chopped mint leaves

3 tbsp Greek yogurt

3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

salt, pepper (to taste) 

Dice the fish into 1 cm cubes. Transfer into a (plastic) bowl with onion. Sprinkle salt on top and to with lime juice. Cover and leave to cure in the fridge for half an hour, stirring every now and then. In the meanwhile prep the rest of the ingredients.

Cut the tomatos and cucumber in half. Scoop out the seeds and chop the veggies into 1 cm cubes. Combine with the herbs. In another bowl mix together the dressing.

Drain the fish and onion and add into the veggies. Gently fold in the dressing. Check the taste, season as needed and serve.

Great with corn crisps and very, very cold corn beer...

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Fruity chicken and pineapple pasta salad

Finland is currently trying to get over May Day mayhem. The 1st of May (which this year fell for Friday) is a national holiday. It started as the celebration of the workers and was later adopted by the students as well. It turns the country into one massive picnic and Kaivopuisto park for instance annually hosts a good 30 000 picnic-goers! The weather, obviously, is never quire ideal for kicking off the picnic season... but that never seems to stop us!

Instead of a potato salad (a Finnish May Day picnic staple) I made this wonderfully sunny and comfortingly creamy chicken salad which gets lovely fruitiness from mango and curry dressing and pineapple chunks.

Another salad that is already shaping up to be a picnic classic was this spicy chickpea salad, which was an immediate hit the first time I made it. 

Because of it's impossible-to-ruin-juiciness, I prefer chicken cooked on the bone, but using breast fillets is obviously quicker. For easiest and quickest option use shop-bought rotisserie chicken. You'll get the amount of meat required for this recipe from either two good sized breasts or out of 3 thigh leg quarters.

For gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta. For kosher (or dairy-free) diets, substitute Greek yogurt with coconut cream (the thick part on top of the tin of coconut milk)

Serves 4 or, as part of a buffet, 8

Fruity chicken and pineapple pasta salad:

350 g cooked chicken
200 g fusilli pasta 
200 g pineapple

Mango and curry dressing:

100 g mayo
200 g Greek yogurt or crème fraîche
1 small baby food jar (125 g) of mango puré
1 generous tsp curry powder
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp mustard (not Dijon, something sweeter)
1 bunch of chives, finely chopped
salt, white pepper

Cook pasta and drain. Combine with chicken and pineapple, both cut into similar sized chunks. 

Combine the ingredients for the dressing and fold into the salad. 

Serve. Either warm, at room temperature or cold.

Our wine pairing for this was something we'd probably never tried before: A South African white that wasn't Chenin Blanc!

Bellingham The Bernard Series Whole Bunch Grenache Blanc Viognier is a blend of white version of soft-on-the-palate and full of berry-notes Grenache, popular in Spain (where it's called Garnacha) and Viognier.

You can smell the 6 months of French oak barrels in the bouquet, which has even cinnamon-like warm spiciness and promises of a dry wine. The taste is (surprisingly) fresh and balanced mix of mineral acidity and variety of fruity tones. The oakiness and acidity both balance the creaminess of the pasta salad while the fruity elements compliment the sweetness of mango and fruitiness of the pineapple.

The Bernard series is a tribute to the crazy creative spirit of the winery's founder, Bernard Podlashuk and comprises of interesting, more complex wines. Definitely worth a try!

And of course we had some fizz, too. Though this year we skipped Champagne and donated the money to Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund.

Instead we went for Jaume Serra; excellent value for money. It has a special place in our hearts already because it was the bubbly we celebrated our first kiss with ♥

This cava is made with the traditional Champagne method with 12 months fermentation in the bottle. It's made using the three grapes most commonly used for cava in Catalonia, where majority of the cavas are made: Xarel.lo, Parellada and Macabeo.

It's got body, balanced acidity, charming toastiness and bright citrus notes that make this an easy bubbly to combine with food, too.  Try with seafood and salads with fish.

Tomorrow we'll continue our tour of Latvia, so meet you back here in the morning, ok?

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Lamb sweetbreads with tartar sauce

I've only ever eaten sweetbreads twice. First time they were as delicious as they can be: juicy and rich to the point of creamy. The other was the exact opposite: they were coated with a too thick a layer of breadcrumbs and fried until they were so dried I could have just as well been eating week-old fish fingers.

Until now I've never cooked sweetbreads either, as they're not something one easily comes across - on a restaurant menu or at the supermarket. I'm not going to lie: they do take a fair bit of time. And work. But their subtly sweet flavour and juicy texture are something quite... unique.

Now, for those not in the know, the sweetbreads have nothing to do with sweets or bread. They're a gland-like organ found in the young mammals' breast cavity. I've also read that their texture is reminiscent of the brain.  In case you weren't put off by the two previous sentences (please don't be - they're such a delicacy!) keep reading and do give them a try.

The sweetbreads I was given were lamb (very small, that is) so any ideas of breading them were swiftly abandoned. So, after blanching them I coated them in seasoned flour and fried them instead. 

The taste is very mild but so juicy and rich you want to serve them with something with a bit of acidic kick to it. Like this dream tartar sauce (though this piccata sauce would work, too!) I made a little lighter tartar sauce by substituting half of the mayo wit Greek yogurt, but feel free to make it all-mayo (just make sure it's good mayo!). For herbs you can use just parsley, or use some dill and/or tarragon in the mix, too. 

Sweetbreads are covered by membrane that needs to be removed and this is the most laboursome part of the process. Whether you trim off the membrane after soaking or after blanching is entirely up to you. Soaking in cold water cleans the impurities (and gets rid of any residual blood) and makes the membrane more visible. I find the membrane is easier to remove after the blanching - at this point it shows up as an opaque layer on top of the nuggets. PS. Be prepared for sweetbreads falling apart as a result of the process- don't discard the smaller morsels either!

Lamb sweetbreads:

As a starter (for instance on a bed of some leaves) serves 4

500 g lamb sweetbreads

Soak the sweetbreads in plenty of cold water with salt (a couple of litres of water and a couple of tbsp salt) for 2-3 hours or until the water runs completely clear, changing the water every half an hour.

Blanching the sweetbreads:

3 l water

3 garlic cloves, bruised

1 tbsp whole black peppercorns

3 tbsp salt

2 bay leaves

Measure the ingredients into a pot and bring to boil. Then add the drained sweetbreads and cook, in a simmering water, for 7 minutes until they're firm. Drain and cool. The quickest way? Shock them in ice water. In case you didn't trim off the membrane after the soaking, do it now.

Frying the sweetbreads:

a couple of dl flour (for gluten-free alternative use rice flour), seasoned with salt and black pepper

oil, butter (or mix of them)

Toss the sweetbreads in flour and fry (either shallow-fry on a hot pan or deep-fry in hot oil using a heavy-bottomed pot) until they have a nice golden colour. Drain on kitchen towels and serve with tartar sauce.

Tartar sauce:

1 dl mayo

1 dl Greek yogurt

1,5 tbsp finely chopped cornichons

1,5 tbsp finely chopped capers

1,5 tsp finely grated lemon zest

0,5 tsp juice from the cornichon jar

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

0,5 tsp-1 tsp mustard

salt, white pepper

Combine the ingredients and let sit in the cold for at least half an hour before serving. Check the taste and season as needed.

And as for wine pairings - oh, are you spoilt today! We don't just have one or two - we have three! That's how we assessed the bottles we opened for lunch last weekend. Perhaps we got really lucky? Perhaps we've actually learnt something? Perhaps it doesn't even matter...?

Of the whites this, Italian Sartori Marani Appassimento, was our favourite. Its citrusiness really came to life when paired with the tartar sauce,brightening the whole dish.

PS. For more info on the wine and its Garganega-grape do check out our previous blog post where we paired this with a sublime mango, chilli, ginger and coconut chicken!

Though we really did like this one, Chilean Viña Tarapacá Reserva Chardonnay (oh yes, Chardonnay seems to have made a triumphant comeback from its long exile into our kitchen this spring!), too. 

Especially after having breathed for a while it's more robust personality and gentle oaky spiciness gave body to the combination, making it just a little... more interesting. 

This is something we absolutely loved. Brancot Estate South Island Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir is a grape where we make an exception to our normal preferences and tend to venture out into the New World. Their varieties have the sort of warmth, ease, lightness and berry-infused richness that goes so well with our palates and the food we cook. New Zealand in particular has proved to make some great wines. Our particular favourite is Jackson Estate's VIntage Widow Pinot Noir - a killer combination with Middle Eastern flavours.

While Pinot Noir is a delight on its own, too, something magical happens when paired with foods with acidic, salty components such as tartar sauce as those components tame the last tannins producing a harmonious, round experience. So, when choosing a wine for anything with cornichons, gherkins, olives, or even chillies... don't ignoir the Pinot. 

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Vegan cannibal's delight: gubbröra

The world we live in manages to puzzle me with great many mysteries. Surströmming. Donald Trump's hair. Infinity (how can they be so sure space continues forever when even I know it's impossible to go visit the back of it to prove it?) Wool (how can a garment that's been made of animal that's spent all his life outside in the pouring rain require dry cleaning?) Quicksand (let's face it - there's nothing quick about it, is there?) Russia (why can't Vladimir Putin learn to behave?)

After Christmas I found myself staring at the empty herring jars pondering yet another one. Why is there an Advent calendar but not one counting down to Midsummer? I'm so ready for summer and all the summery treats like new potatos!

One of the many great things to come out of Sweden (Ikea, Abba, Absolut Vodka) is gubbröra. Literally that translates as "old man spread". The recipes vary (even in my own kitchen, depending on the time of the year and what I have lurking in the fridge), but I've yet to see one featuring finely chopped old men. So, this is also suitable for vegan cannibals!

Traditionally this is served with new potatos or in the winter with some crisp bread (another thing they do so well in Sweden!) which is when I add the potatos (old and tired, much like me) directly into the mix. You can use any pickled herring you want (mustard one being one of my faves!). Instead of/ in addition to chives you can also use finely chopped dill and some even add capers. Roe is another great variation. 

For a dairy-free spread, use all mayo.

As a starter this is enough for 4-5

200 g boiled, cooled potatos
3 hard-boiled eggs, cooled in ice water
1/2 (red) onion
3/4 dl mayo
3/4-1 dl crème fraîche/ Greek yogurt
1 dl chopped dill
1 tsp (sweet) mustard
2 tbsp chopped chives (and more for serving)
salt, white pepper

Cut the potato, eggs herring into similar size small cubes. Finely chop onion and chives and combine with the rest of the ingredients for the dressing. Fold in potatos, eggs and herring. Check the taste and taste as needed. Serve with crisp bread.

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Moroccan lamb cutlets

Our last weekend was full of good food. From Far East (and the Thai beef salad we had for Independence Day) we continued our culinary travels to Middle East and had a nice relaxing Sunday: we bought some lamb that we both adore, opened a bottle of wine and cooked together to the sweet sounds of Arab pop music (read: 150 different songs all revolving around the words "habibi, habibi").

Oh, and in case that first chapter made us sound like one of those depressingly happy-looking, smug couples straight out of a catalogue whose seemingly effortless quality time fills one with envy... keep reading. I promise I'll trash any such illusions in the next chapter!)

The relaxation was cut short by my sudden realization: its the time of the year again when it's impossible to shoot in the natural light after 2pm as there is no light! As a result of obscene flood of profanities and equally obscene time spent editing the photos I was left with the shots below. And a decision to do something about the lighting situation in my kitchen ASAP. As I'm shopping for new lights there isn't much I can do but to squirm with embarrassment and have another glass of wine. Better photos are just around the corner. I hope. Finnish winter, I hate you.

These lamb cutlets on the other hand we loved. Our butcher talked us into adopting some leftover bits in addition to the rack we'd already chosen so I am supposed to write "serves four" and actually mean it but the horrible truth is that we destroyed them all between the two of us. Willpower (or the words "no, I don't really need any more") is so not one of our strong suites...

Serves four  two FOUR  

750 g lamb cutlets

Marinade:

0,5 dl olive oil

the juice and zest (peeled into strips) of 1 lemon

4 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

1/2 tbsp cumin, ground

1/2 tbsp coriander seeds, ground

1/2 tsp cardamom, 

1 tsp pimentón (smoked paprika)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

To serve: mint leaves, chopped (optional)

If you want, toast the spiced on a dry pan over medium heat to release the aromas and combine with oil and the rest of the ingredients. Or just combine all the ingredients of the marinade. Rub the marinade into the cutlets, cover and leave to marinate. For at least, say, 4 hours, but overnight if possible. Turn every now and then to make sure they're evenly coated. Take into room temperature a couple of hours before grilling them, wipe off the lemon zest and garlic scrap, season generously with salt and pepper and grill on a hot grill or griddle pan for 3 minutes/ side. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

These babies were served with fruity couscous...

... and apricot and coriander dressing that got its inspiration from this apricot-stuffed pork (another tragic photo shot in the depressing winter evening's darkness...)

Apricot and coriander dressing:

100 g dried apricots

2,5 dl stock (meat or vegetable)

200 g Greek yogurt

3 generous tbsp chopped coriander leaves

the juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp ground ginger

salt (if needed), white pepper

Cook apricots in stock until soft and plump. Blizz in a blender (the stock and all) and mix in yogurt and the remaining ingredients. Serve either at room temperature or cold. 

But hey - there was a silver lining in this day too. Pinot Noir works well with lamb and the Middle Eastern flavours. New Zealand and Australia are homes to some seriously good choices (Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Pinot Noir is an excellent choice!), though we settled for a slightly chilled bottle of this Australian sweetheart. A fine pair. And a fine man behind the winery - you can read more about him over here!

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Smoked fish and crayfish

We got talking the other day about all the meals we've had during our short stint together. "Well, I'm not really too keen on them salads", admitted The Boy Next Door, "like that minty pea risotto". Yeah, that's how well he knows his stuff (for the record: I love that risotto). 

But I suppose it does say something about how often salads make an appearance at our kitchen table. I mean, I've got nothing against them per se, but just think about all those salad buffets. Tasteless iceberg lettuce, a couple of watery cucumber slices and tinned corn - that does not a happy diner maketh. And that's exactly what food is supposed to do. 

So, when we do have salads, they tend to be a lot more robust. Either pasta-based (like this perennial favourite: St.Tropez chicken salad) or with potatos (just check this smoked trout salad out! Or this Spanish seafood salad! Or this summery potato salad with marinated octopus!) And lets face it: bacon makes everything better as this German potato salad proves. If we have like a leafy salady salad, then it's got to have at least duck confit(!) in it!

This sturdy salad, perfect for the ongoing crayfish season, was made up of smoked salmon, cucumber, tomato, grilled melon and sweet and spicy cray fish dressing. And coriander, of course - lots of it.

Grilling melon (like any fruit) really emphasizes the natural sweetness of the fruit, accompanied with lovely charred kick. But melons, like any fruit with high water content, tend to go soggy the longer they wait, so only grill the melon if you're going to be serving the salad straight away. 

Serves 3, 4 with even more moderation

Smoked salmon salad:

2-3 heads of gem lettuce
350 g smoked salmon
1/2 cucumber
250 g cherry tomatos
a couple of handfuls or chopped spring onions (the green bits)
1/2 melon (Galia or cantaloupe) 
coriander leaves

Slice the cucumber and halve the cherry tomatos. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and cut into 1 cm slices. Grill on a hot grill. Assemble the salad and serve with crayfish dressing.

Sweet chilli crayfish dressing:

2 dl crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
2 dl crayfish tails
1 tsp Srirachaa
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
the juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lime
1/2-1  tsp sugar
handful of coriander leaves (1 generous tbsp when finely chopped)
salt (carefully), pepper

Combine the ingredients, check taste and adjust with more salt or sugar if needed.

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Crayfish! Canapes!

As anyone who's ever moved can guess, we, too, have spent significant amount of quality time at IKEA in the recent months. And as a result, we, too, are the happy owners of several storage solutions named after Swedish death metal-fans. Now, I've never been terribly zen to begin with but over the spring I've added some new entries into my arsenal of anger. Repertoire of rage,   if you will. In addition to thesehungerpangsaremakemehomicidal -rage I have now mastered bloodyhellthisstupidpowertool-rage and my favourite: thesefuckersaren'tevensupposedtofittogether-rage. 

The shopping sprees have given me plenty of time to sample IKEA's food shop's selection, too. The balancing effect their crisp bread and herring jars have on the fragile Scandinavian psyche is no news of course: I have come to rely on them both in Spain and in England. Back when I lived in London I use to make pilgrimages there with a friend of mine with whom we'd buy tubes of fish roe paste which we'd suck straight out of the tube as soon as we hit the parking lot. Oh, and wash it down with Kopperberg, Swedish cider (yes, for reals:  I used to live in the country that produces possibly the best cider in the world and I'd still make the hideous Tube journey all the way there just to get my hands on that dreadful gunk!)

These little genius gems were a new acquaintance for me though and I've since been buying them by truck loads. They are so convenient to have around for whipping something up to accompany a glass of wine before dinner. Or to surprise your surprise guests (hellooo, Tzatziki Champion, do come on in!)  - as anyone who's been over in the last two months will have noticed...

Out of the variety of fillings we've tried, these crayfish ones have become an all round crowd pleaser. Faintly fiery and subtly sweet... they are just the thing right now! See, last Monday spelled the beginning of this year's crayfish season when we in Scandinavia go gaga over crayfish.

If you want, you can make these out of mayonnaise alone. The filling itself can be made in advance, but do fill the shells only as you're about to serve them to stop them from getting soggy.

24 mini croustades

3/4 dl mayonnaise
3/4 dl Greek yogurt/ crème fraîche/ sour cream
3/4 - 1 tsp - 1 Srirachaa/ chilli sauce (depending on how fiery you want yours)
1/2 tsp tomato concentrate
handful of coriander leaves (1 tbsp when finely chopped)
the zest pf 1/2 lime, finely grated
1,5 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
2 dl crayfish tails (or prawns)

To decorate: coriander leaves and/or crayfish tails

Drain the crayfish tails and squeeze dry. Combine rest of the ingredients, check the taste, season as needed and fold in the crayfish tails. Spoon into the croustade shells and have yourself a treat. Or two. With a glass of bubbly. Or two.

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