Wonderful Sunday drive along the southern end of the Central Coast. Check out the article on my blog about cooking in season at Middle Crescent Kitchen.
Every province of Angola has a version of Muamba de Galinha. I chose a recipe that uses roasted chicken and squash because it brings a real depth of flavor to this dish. This recipe gave me an opportunity to use grains of paradise for the first time. Wow. Like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Here is an excerpt from a New York Times article, written by Amanda Hesser, about these powerful little seeds:
“I put a few between my teeth and crunched. They cracked like coriander releasing a billowing aroma, and then a slowly intensifying heat, like pepper at the back of my mouth. The taste changes in a second. The heat lingered. But the spice flavor was pleasantly tempered, ripe with flavors reminiscent of jasmine, hazelnut, butter and citrus, and with the kind of oiliness you get from nuts. They were entirely different from black peppercorns and in my mind, incomparably better.”
You can buy grains of paradise online at Surfas and The Spice House.
Got to confess, right now. Like many African dishes, this called for red palm oil. I really, really, um, really dislike the taste of palm oil. Thanks to the Portuguese (again), olive oil is used in Angolan cooking, so, I chose to use that, instead. I need to challenge myself on palm oil, if I’m going to make authentic West African dishes.
You can buy red palm oil and many ingredients for African recipes at Shield and Spear. You’ll find a link for amazing recipes from Chef Bathie. You can watch Chef Bathie making a Senegalese street food called Akara on a TV show called Food Safari.
Remember, when working with hot peppers, please use gloves and avoid touching your face, especially your eyes. You can use your favorite chili pepper in this dish. I used cayenne peppers.
MUAMBA de GALINHA
Serves 6 – 8
INGREDIENTS
1 2 lb. chicken, cut up and roasted
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth, homemade preferable*
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cayenne peppers, seeded and sliced
1 delicata squash, roasted whole then cut into bite-size pieces
3 tomatoes, quartered
1/4 teaspoon grains of paradise
fresh salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 dried bay leaf
*If you decide to use canned broth, opt for low sodium but homemade is so much better tasting. I would actually prefer to use plain water than canned broth. Compensate with a little extra onion, garlic, and pepper, if you go the plain water route.
DIRECTIONS
My roasted chicken recipe:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet (don’t use a nonstick pan) and cook the chicken pieces on the stove top until they are golden brown on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet. Place in the oven and roast until the juices run clear when pricked with a knife. Cooking time varies by chicken size, of course. For a 2-lb chicken it should be about 50 minutes with the rack in the lowest part of the oven.
To roast the squash:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prick the squash three or four times with a sharp knife. Place the whole squash on a baking sheet and roast for about an hour or until tender. Cut into bite-size pieces.
Pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a Dutch Oven or large pot. While heating gently, add the minced garlic and sliced onions. Cook until translucent. Add the chicken, broth, tomatoes, peppers, squash, bay leaf, grains of paradise, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and eat. This dish is very flavorful and is even more so the next day.
Serve with rice.
I love fresh, simple recipes and this Angolan appetizer, or dessert course, really falls into this category. The Portuguese are credited with introducing port wine to Angola. Some Angolans make their wines from the sap of palm trees. Angola is, in fact, looking for capital to bankroll wine production. The southern and central provinces of Angola have ideal weather for the cultivation of grapes to produce wine, particularly Huambo province. Wine industry expert Mario Louro predicts the country could start producing quality wines by 2014.
This recipe first appeared in the Time-Life cookbook African Cooking by Laurens van der Post.
PAPAYA WITH PORT WINE SAUCE
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 ripe papayas
1/3 cup of port
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
small pinch of nutmeg
small pinch of ground cloves
lime, quartered
DIRECTIONS
Pour the port wine into a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Heat on a low flame. Slice each papaya in two and seed. Place each half of papaya on its own plate. Pour the port wine sauce into four shot glasses. Place a shot glass of port wine and a quarter of lime on each plate.
Each person should squeeze some lime juice on their papaya, drizzle some of the port wine on the fruit, and enjoy.
We tried this with lemon and also with salt. Salt elevates sweetness in fruit. In this case, lemon and salt fell rather flat. The lime and port really were ideal matches for the papaya.
As always, please leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and input.
You can reach me at icooktheworld@aol.com
Angola. We rarely say the name without thinking of bloody civil war, crime, tribal differences, the history of slave trade. This country’s story holds so much that makes us sad about the human race and the way we treat one another.
The true irony of my food posts is that I know millions are going hungry every day. In Angola this is of extreme concern. We can all help to end world hunger by donating to organizations such as One.Org.
The Portuguese were a dominant presence in Angola for over 500 years. Their influence on Angolan cuisine is very significant. Grilled Shrimp with Garlic Scallion Sauce, a specialty of the Angolan capital of Luanda, certainly shows off this influence. The sauce is really fantastic.
SHRIMP WITH GARLIC SCALLION SAUCE
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and cleaned
1/2 cup scallions (including tops) chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Rinse the shrimp in a colander and set aside. To make the sauce, place all the other ingredients in a mortar and pestle and mash. Add the shrimp and garlic scallion sauce to a bowl and mix until the shrimp is coated with the sauce. Pour the shrimp mixture onto a baking sheet and flavor with a bit more salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and broil for about 5 minutes.
Serve with white rice. Sprinkle some of the chopped scallion tops on the rice for color and added flavor.
Shining a light on the goodness of Angolan cuisine this week. Coming up, the sweetness of yams, the tenderness of shrimp, the richness of papaya, the comfort of chicken, the surprise of grains of paradise.
In Angola, women want to draw attention to their role and their dignity, just as they want society to have a social awareness of the value of people, to understand their roles and to review and challenge the prejudices and limitations that have been imposed on women. As mothers, wives, daughters, or simply as women, they have fought for their emancipation, battling illiteracy and gender and family violence. They are, above all, an important part of the process of national reconciliation and reconstruction.
From Universal
“I always wait the infinite wait of delay
as an angel despairs
in the magic borders of my sky
I will never forget my deed of tenderness
always dedicated to my son
far away abandoned
by promises that will never be fulfilled
I will never forget the waits
of my endless queues
Human queues to get the essentials
of every day
Despondent centuries and centuries
to assert myself as a woman
With the dignity of a slave
I became used to bearing
The contempt at me launched
And in this provoked human condition
In me the black existence is reborn
and meditating, I reafirm:
I am black as the brownish sun
of afternoons turned yellow
As the moonlight of natural nights
Stained by the yellow dawn of the yearly
marigold
Because I am as pretty as the sun-rise
of every day
I am a black, dignified descendant
of the African nobility”
A dish simply called Music. The reason why is just as simple. According to Andorrans, musicians were once paid with this lovely, little snack. It is still served in cafes and bars. I love this dish so much I’m adding it to my holiday menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can really tailor this to suit your tastes by using the preserved fruits and nuts you love most.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup honey (I used chestnut honey)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, without skins
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped or whole
1/4 cup preserved apricots
1/4 cup preserved figs
1/4 cup preserved cherries, sour or sweet
a pinch of sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the honey to the butter and heat on low. Meanwhile add the nuts and dried fruit to a mixing bowl. Pour the warm butter and honey mixture over the fruit and nuts. Add a healthy pinch of sea salt. Stir to coat. Serve a room temperature.
Serves 6-8 as a snack.
Check the comment section of this entry for a wonderful wine pairing from Randy Fuller.
You can reach me at icooktheworld@aol.com.
The cuisine of Andorra is often referred to as Catalan Mountain Cuisine. Catalonia rests along the Mediterranean Coast of Spain’s Iberian Peninsula. The Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, the Franks, and the Moors all settled into this region (most without a welcome mat) throughout history.
Th food relies heavily on pork, lamb, and poultry. Lake fish, especially trout, is frequently used in Andorran dishes. Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, eggplant, pasta, wine, cheese are mainstays. As I looked through the menus of restaurants in Andorra, fondue was a often on the menu.
Escudella is a stew and great license can be taken with this type of dish. You can use sausages or cuts of chicken, pork, or lamb. We chose chicken sausage. You can use pasta shells or beans. Some people use both.
In our home, when we refer to The Queen we are taking about saffron. She is the richest, headiest, most succulent of flavorings and she is right at home in this stew. I know she’s expensive. Worth every penny.
As with all dishes, I truly believe most soups and stews taste better the next day.
ANDORRAN ESCUDELLA
INGREDIENTS
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 small potatoes, halved or quartered depending upon size
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 1 lb. box of pasta shells (your choice)
1 lb. sausages (your choice)
2 small pinches of saffron
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
DIRECTIONS
Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch Oven or large pot and heat gently. Add the onion and three of minced garlic cloves. Heat until golden, then add all the vegetables, and the parsley. Coat with the olive oil, onions and garlic. Add 8 cups of water or homemade vegetable broth. Add the saffron, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir, cover, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, until vegetables are tender.
While the stew is cooking, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the minced clove of garlic to medium-sized saute pan. Heat gently then add the sausages. Cook until you have browned the outside of the sausages. Cut into 1-inch pieces and pour into the stew, including the oil and garlic from the saute pan. Stir and cover.
Meanwhile, prepare the pasta shells and add to the stew in the last 5 minutes.
Before serving, add some cracked pepper. Crusty bread is a must.
Serves 8-10
Everything about Andorra sounds like a bit of a fairytale. A principality with two princes. A country nestled in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Some of the world’s best skiing and hiking. Gorgeous mountain lakes. Duty free shopping!
When I came across the recipe for trinxat, I knew this was a perfect dish for cold, winter days in the villages of Andorra. A true bowl of comfort, in any weather.
Trinxat is a simple dish. Easy to make. Such dishes should always be made with the best ingredients.
TRINXAT
1 medium head of cabbage – roughly chopped
1 dozen small, yellow potatoes – peeled
3 Idaho potatoes – peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound bacon
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Add water to a stockpot. Place the chopped cabbage in the stockpot, add some salt and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Drain the water from the stockpot and set the potatoes and cabbage aside. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until it is crisp. Remove from the pan and place on paper towels. Saute the minced garlic in the bacon fat until golden. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces.
Place the cabbage, potatoes, garlic, and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large mixing bowl and mash, leaving some lumps. Pour in the bacon, add some salt to taste and stir. Grind some pepper over the top, add the final tablespoon of olive oil and serve.
I think it would be wonderful to serve trinxat with scallion that has been blackened over an open flame.
If I were going to choose a place to disappear, Andorra would be it. Hmmm….gave THAT away too easily.
Some amazing Catalan-inspired recipes from this lovely country coming up in the next couple days.
I love Andorra. So did musicians Pete Seeger and Malvina Reynolds. They wrote this song about Andorra in 1962:
Chorus:
I want to go to Andorra, Andorra, Andorra,
I want to go to Andorra, it’s a place I adore,
They spent four dollars and ninety cents
On armaments and their defense,
Did you ever hear of such confidence?
Andorra, hip hurrah!
In the mountains of the Pyrenees
There’s an independent state,
Its population five thousand souls,
And I think they’re simply great.
One hundred and seventy square miles big
And it’s awf’lly dear to me.
Spends less than five dollars on armaments,
And this I’ve got to see.
(Chorus)
It’s governed by a council,
All gentle souls and wise,
They’ve only five dollars for armaments
And the rest for cakes and pies;
They didn’t invest in a tommy gun
Or a plane to sweep the sky,
But they bought some blanks for their cap pistols
To shoot on their Fourth of July.
(Chorus)
They live by the arts of farm and field
And by making shoes and hats,
And they haven’t got room in their tiny land
For a horde of diplomats;
They haven’t got room in their tiny land
For armies to march about,
And if anyone comes with a war budget
They throw the rascals out.
(Chorus)
The real name of this recipe is Tagine of Lemon Saffron Chicken with Potato Crust, which sounds quite bedazzling. In my usual fashion, I haven’t purchased my tagine yet, although I promised myself and the world I would do it several days ago. So, my trusty and much loved Dutch Oven saved the day. Again. I once missed a party because I wanted to stay home and write an essay about my Dutch Oven. I know…..
Potato lovers, this recipe is going to thrill you. The saffron, onions, and juices from the chicken imbue the potatoes with a flavor exactly as I imagined something this golden to taste. Rich. Satisfying. All the beauty olive oil brings to a dish.
ALGERIAN LEMON SAFFRON CHICKEN AND POTATOES
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken breasts, with or without skin is your choice
1 large onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon turmeric
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of warm water
12 Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
Directions
I have two places from which I purchase meat in Los Angeles. One is Huntington Meats at the Farmer’s Market at Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles. The other is Whole Foods. I feel a sense of reassurance making, if not friends with my butcher, a bit of name and face recognition headway. Somehow, I believe this may get me that slightly better cut of meat on occasion. It certainly saves wait time for me at the counter, as I often call ahead for special orders. For this dish, I purchased the chicken breasts from Whole Foods.
I place the chicken breasts in a large plastic bag. I pour the warm water into a bowl, add the saffron, and stir. I pour this into the plastic bag, along with the turmeric, salt, pepper, lemon juice, some of the sliced onion and minced garlic. I place the plastic bag in a bowl, make sure all the chicken breasts are covered with the saffron liquid, then pop it in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Once the chickens are marinated, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and slice the potatoes into medium-sized pieces. Pour the olive oil into the Dutch Oven. Scatter the onions around the bottom of the Dutch Oven and place the chicken breasts on top of the onions. Cover the chicken with the potato slices. Pour the saffron liquid over the potatoes and chicken. Add the garlic, a bit of salt and pepper, and cover. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.
Very moist and lovely. Serve with the Couscous and Aromatic Vegetables.
Serves 4.
If you want to learn more about Algerian cooking, visit Chef Zadi’s Web site. From his writing, I get the feeling he is a powerful culinary talent.
