Da'ud Basha

As you can see in my profile information I mentioned that one of my favourite cuisines is that of the Middle East. I have a predilection for the use of spices in cooking. I love the fragrance of spices such as cardamom, coriander, cinnamon and cloves. That being said, I am also a huge fan of Indian food but I find that with Middle Eastern food the level of spice is just enough. Subtle enough that you get just the hint of it without feeling overwhelmed by spices as you can sometimes feel with Indian food.

Now I have learnt a few things about authentic Indian food so let me say in defense of Indian food that I believe it is the West's perception of Indian food that created the polemic of it being overtly spicy. There are numerous regions in India where spice is very muted, such as the cuisine of the Nawabs in Lucknow. However, generally speaking one does associate Indian food with being highly spiced. So I tend to find that Middle Eastern food is a good nexus between overly spicy and not at all.

So today I prepared Da'ud Basha named after the first governor of autonomous Lebanon. He was not however Lebanese but Armenian and it is claimed that this dish was very endearing to him. It is the Middle East's answer to meatballs, spiced well seasoned ground lamb meatballs with pine nuts served in tomato sauce. I serve this dish with vermicelli rice but you can serve it plain steamed basmati rice. Remember to always have plenty of fresh coriander on hand when preparing this dish as the freshness of the herb elevates the flavour of it.

Da'ud Basha
12 oz fresh ground lamb
4 cloves of garlic chopped
Scant 1/2 cup chopped coriander
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground allspice
Salt and chili flakes (or finely chopped chili)
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the spices into a dry skillet and toast them until you start to smell their fragrance. Place into a spice grinder and grind until fine. Alternatively, if you do not own a spice grinder you can simply grind the spices with a mortar and pestle.
2. Place the ground lamb into a bowl and add to it the spices, salt and chili pepper to taste and the garlic and coriander. Leave this to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. On the day of preparing the meatballs, place the lamb mix into a food processor along with the egg yolk. Process until the mix forms a rough ball. Gently form meatballs about golf ball size.
4. Brown the meatballs with a little bit of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. The pan has to be hot enough to really brown the meatballs. You are not cooking them fully, just browning the. Set aside and prepare the tomato sauce.

Tomato Sauce:
Ingredients
2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
4 cloves of garlic chopped
Chili pepper chopped
Currants about 3 tbsp or to taste
Toasted pine nuts same as currants or to taste
Fresh chopped coriander
Olive oil

1. Heat a skillet to medium heat and saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes with about 1/2 cup of water and saute for about five minutes stirring all the time. Cover the pan and let the tomatoes simmer for about 1/2 hour. You can add the currants and pine nuts to the tomatoes during that time.
2. Taste the tomatoes and adjust the seasoning, I always add a pinch of sugar to sweeten the tomatoes acidic taste. Place the meatballs into the tomatoes and simmer them for about five minutes or until cooked through. Be careful at this point, you do not want the meatballs to overcook and toughen. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve with rice.

Vermicelli Rice
Scant 1/2 cup vermicelli broken into small pieces
11/2 cups basmati rice washed
Extra virgin olive oil or butter or a combination of the two
Salt and chili flakes

1. Saute the vermicelli until browned but not burnt in some olive oil or butter or the combination of the two. Add the rice and saute well for about 1 minute then add 2 cups of water. Let the water come to a boil and add salt and chili flakes and cover the pan with foil.
2. Set the pot on the lowest heat possible on your hob and leave the rice to steam for about 14 minutes. Once this time has elapsed uncover the rice and stir with a wooden spoon gently. Add melted butter for extra flavour if you wish.
Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

My love for  Mediterranean cuisine stems from it's simplicity. I believe I heard a quote once from Julia Child stating that Italian food was sometimes, too simple. Well one man's meat is definitely another's poison because it is the very simplicity of Italian food that I adore.

Take for instance humble ingredients such as basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. You pound it all up and the world is gifted with pesto. Pesto that probably to the annoyance of the Italians has ended up taking starring roles in that cafe bought chicken sandwich, the gourmet soup in an upscale restaurant and even simply bought from the supermarket ready to be tossed with linguine. What was meant as a means to utilize the fruits of the land became Italy's largesse to the world. And what would we do without it?

So today, I picked up fresh basil, parsley and sweet peppers and decided our fridge needed to be stocked with some roasted red pepper basil pesto. Again, that's the beauty of the gift of pesto the Italians gave us. They gave us the dish but also a method in which to create a myriad of flavours. The classic is great but why not enhance it and put your own signature on it? So I have chosen this combination because I love the sweetness of the charred peppers infused with that unmistakable fragrance of the basil. This is superb on a crostini for a starter or simply snacked on with some crusty bread. Beware, its addictive and you will not be able to avoid gobbling it all up. Might I also add, it's a scrummy gift to give to family or friends. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 meaty red bell peppers (large)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 scant cup basil leaves
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and chili flakes
Parmigiano reggiano cheese finely grated

1. Preheat your broiler. Once preheated, rub the peppers with oilve oil and broil them for about 15 to 20 minutes until their skins turn black. Place them into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool slightly then peel the skins off of them. It is important that the peppers stay relatively warm while you make the pesto as this allows them to break down easily.
2. Place the peppers into a food processor along with the chopped garlic, basil and pesto. Add a splash of olive oil then process until it's the consistency you like. I like my pesto slightly chunky for texture. Pour the pesto into a bowl and add the grated cheese and more olive oil to taste. Season with salt and chili flakes.

To store this pesto place it into a jar with a lid and cover the pesto with a film of olive oil. This is allow to keep fresh for a few days.