Prawns with Persian Split Pea Sauce Prawns with Persian split pea sauce is a seafood version of the classic Persian dish, khoresh-e gheymeh, in which lamb is braised in a rich sauce with yellow split peas. For me that dish is really all about the delicious sauce, which I love with chicken, seafood, or even […]
Advieh (Persian Spice Blend) Advieh, Persian cuisine’s all-purpose spice mix, is a blend of equal quantities of earthy warm spices, with the aromatic lift of dried rose petals. Cooks usually grind up a batch from whole spices and store it in an airtight jar to have on hand for seasoning dishes from soups to stews. […]
Tuna Biryani Tuna biryani is my pescatarian take on the more traditional Indian classic, lamb biryani. Tuna has great flavour, but a tendency to dry out quickly, so it’s best cooked in large chunks. At the table, encourage diners to flake the tuna through their rice so they aren’t eating whole chunks of it, and […]
Salmon Bisteeya Bisteeya is a classic Moroccan pie, traditionally made with pigeon and other poultry. It lends itself beautifully to seafood too, especially gorgeous pink salmon – and a seafood version is even quicker and easier to make as there’s no need to poach the fish before assembling the pie. Traditionally the egg is scrambled […]
Persian Fish with Barberry Sauce This tangy barberry sauce is usually served with chicken in a traditional Persian dish called zereshk polo ba morgh, but I discovered that it works just as well with seafood. I like to use large pieces of a firm flaky white fish, such as ling, blue-eye trevalla or mahi mahi, […]
Swordfish à la Bouillabaisse It’s impossible to create an authentic bouillabaisse on a small scale due to the variety and species of fish required but, in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child uses the same flavourings and technique to poach chicken – so why not come full circle and use them to poach […]
Persian Halva Halva, meaning ‘sweet’ in Arabic, is popular throughout the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. Unlike the tahini version often seen, Persian halva is made from a flour and butter dough, flavoured with two of Persia’s most popular ingredients: saffron and rose water. It’s always made for special occasions including weddings and funerals and […]
Baked Vegetarian Kibbeh I love the classic torpedo-shaped balls of kibbeh that often appear as part of Lebanese mezze – but baked kibbeh (kibbeh bil sanieh) is more popular as a family meal and much quicker to make. This vegetarian kibbeh is slightly crumblier than the one made with minced lamb, but just as delicious. […]
