Simple Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Eggplant

Last week at the Turkish Market, I walked by one of the spice stalls and noticed a small sign in front of the cashier: "Real Saffron from Iran. Available only while supplies last. Half gram, €3."

I didn't know what I would use it for, but I'd never seen saffron for sale before. I couldn't pass up the chance to try it. Walking up to the stall owner, I said "I'll take half a gram of Saffron, please."

This is when things got a little weird. The man's expression turned wary. "3 Euros," he replied quietly. Glancing nervously from side to side, he reached into a small compartment hidden behind his table. He fumbled for a moment, still looking around, and finally handed me a small, circular, plastic case containing a small pile of delicate red tendrils. I payed, thanked him, pocketed the saffron, and walked away.

I turned to my friend. "Did you see that? Saffron is legal, right? Why do I feel like I was just part of a drug deal?"




I still haven't decided what to use the saffron for, but as I was researching some possibilities, I found myself reading about Moroccan style cooking. The following recipe is probably not precisely authentic, but the blend of eggplant, lemon, cumin and cinnamon is a Moroccan-inspired treat for the senses.



Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Eggplant
It isn't in the photo, but this pairs wonderfully with a side dish of roasted eggplant. Roast the eggplant in the oven while the chicken cooks, then add it to the pan a few minutes before serving to absorb the flavors.

For each serving you will need:
1-2 chicken pieces
1/2 - 1 small eggplant
1 medium onion
Juice from 1/2 a lemon (about 1.5 Tbs)

Seasoning Blend (per serving):
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt


Preparation:
Rub both sides of each chicken piece with the seasoning blend. You won't use all of it at this point, but season the chicken liberally. You can do this with the skin on, or remove it. I like to remove most of the skin, but leave a little bit around the edges for flavoring. Let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes so the spices have a chance to absorb.

While the chicken is resting, turn your broiler on. Cut the eggplant(s) in half, and remove the stems. Put the eggplant cut-side-down on a baking sheet under the broiler. You'll leave it around 10-15 minutes, until the skin is puckered and wrinkly, and the eggplant is soft.

Cooking the Chicken:
As the eggplant cooks, heat a frying pan over high heat. When a few drops of water sprinkled in the pan sizzle, it's ready. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown them. As they brown, thinly slice the onion(s).

Sprinkle about half of your remaining seasoning blend into the pan, and add the onion. Stir briefly. Juice the lemon(s), and drizzle the juice evenly over the chicken and onions. Cover the pan immediately to retain moisture, and turn the heat down to medium.

Adding the Eggplant:
Check on the eggplant. When the skin is wrinkly, pull it out from under the broiler. Let it cool briefly, then peel the skin off. It should have separated from the flesh and will pull away quite easily. Throw the skin away, and cut the eggplant into small chunks.

Add the eggplant to the chicken and onions. Stir briefly, and flip the chicken pieces for even cooking. Cover the pan again, and continue cooking until chicken is well-done. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

To serve:
Before serving, taste the eggplant mixture and add more of the seasoning blend if desired. Serve 1-2 pieces of chicken per person, with the eggplant as a side dish. Continue Reading!

The Celery Blues

I'm generally known for having a penchant for odd vegetables. Some of my friends appreciate this, but there are others who run screaming every time I suggest making Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, or whatever else happens to be on the menu. Which is why I find the following conversation even more amusing than it would otherwise be:

I'm standing in my friend's kitchen. I've just pulled a celery stalk from the bunch I purchased moments before at the supermarket. I'm pretty excited, because I haven't seen a celery bunch in many months. Living in California, the land of year round greens, I never realized that celery is a highly seasonal vegetable in other parts of the world.

Me: (crunch. crunch.)
Friend: What are you eating?
Me: Celery.
Friend: Celery? I don't think I've ever seen that before.
Me: Really? I know I can't find it very often, but you've never had it before? Here, try a piece.
Friend (crunching thoughtfully): Ugh! It's so bitter! It's even more bitter than celery root!
Me: Well, yeah, but... it's crunchy. And, um, it's not really that bitter. I mean... it's sort of salty and tangy, too.
Friend: Are you sure you're supposed to eat it raw?
Me: Of course! This is a totally normal American snack food. You should try it with cream cheese. Or peanut butter! (pause) Oh, man, I wish I had some peanut butter.
Friend: You eat that with peanut butter? Really?? God, you Americans eat some strange things.

Upon further consideration, I understand why it isn't a very popular vegetable over here. All the celery I've encountered thus far has been painfully sub-par. The stalks are somehow the wrong density; they end up too watery and stringy, and they're more tough than crunchy.

The flavor is there. It still works as a soup additive. But I really can't blame anyone for not wanting it on their veggie platter. Continue Reading!

White Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

A friend of mine collects bath products. Not just bath products, but bath products scented like food. A quick glance in her shower finds things like "Moisturizing Maple Syrup Scrub," "Pecan Pie Body Wash," and "Vanilla Butter Cream Body Frosting." They smell astonishingly close to the real thing. Mouth-wateringly so. I've been known to occasionally sniff my way through her shower shelves in lieu of dessert.

A few weeks ago I noticed a bottle titled "White Chocolate Hazelnut Cake," by the company Philosophy. Not only did this one smell delicious, but the italicized script covering the front of the bottle turned out to be a recipe! And not only was there a recipe, but it called for breadcrumbs, which I had made just the day before. Clearly this was meant to be.

I wasn't completely sure if the recipe was intended for actual cooking purposes, or just for decoration, but it looked workable. I just needed an excuse to bake a cake.

Last weekend, we had a small dinner party, and I finally had my chance. I creamed, whipped, beat, and folded; then popped it all in the oven and hoped for the best.

It was amazing. A sprinkling of cinnamon lent a flavor akin to carrot cake, but the texture was of a class all its own. It was tender and moist; airy with beaten egg whites, rich with yolks and white chocolate. The coarse breadcrumbs I used gave it an unusual, but wonderful, mouth feel. I'm not normally a "sweets" person - but somehow the 5 of us managed to polish off the entire 9" cake in a matter of minutes.




White Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
adapted from Philosophy's recipe

Since the egg whites are so important to the texture of this cake,
I highly recommend this wonderful writeup on proper whipping
and folding technique.

6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
8 eggs, separated
2/3 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free, if need be)
1/3 cup ground hazelnuts
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350° F
Butter a 9" Springform pan, and lay a circle of baking paper on the bottom.

First, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Don't use the microwave for this - white chocolate scorches too easily.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a large mixing bowl. Make sure not even a touch of yolk gets in to the whites.

Combine hazelnuts, bread crumbs, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and mix well.

Cream the butter and 1/3 C. sugar in a large bowl until soft and fluffy. Add the melted white chocolate and mix well. Beat the yolks into the butter, one at a time; continue beating until the mass is smooth and creamy. Stir the hazelnut-breadcrumb mixture into the butter and eggs, and mix thoroughly.

Measure the remaining 1/3 C. sugar and have it ready.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. While beating, slowly pour the sugar into the whites. Continue beating until the peaks become stiff.

Stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remainder.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for 45 min.


White Chocolate Glaze
Prepare this after cake is cooled

8 oz. white chocolate
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 pinch sea salt

Chop the white chocolate into small pieces, and dump into a medium-sized bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan just until bubbles form at the edges. Quickly pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Leave it to melt for about 1 minute, then add salt and stir until smooth. Let it cool slightly, but make sure it remains liquid.


To Assemble:

When cake is cooled, remove the sides from the springform. If there is a raised edge along the outside of the cake, trim it away. Turn the cake out onto a serving dish, bottom-side up.

Pour the warm glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts for garnish. Continue Reading!