Friday, February 7, 2014

DAY 7: My Middle East-ish kitchen--cooking with pomegranate syrup and making your own ZA'ATAR

Pomegranate syrup (molasses) is a prominent ingredient in FESENJAN, a very popular, traditional Iranian dish consisting of braised duck, or chicken, in a sauce of ground walnuts, onions, lemon juice and pomegranate syrup.


Here's the recipe I used from a Middle Eastern cookbook (Time Life Series) that I've cooked from for over 30 years.




MAKE YOUR OWN ZA'ATAR!
Za'atar is a common Middle Eastern spice mix often mixed with olive oil and baked on breads.  It can be used in a myriad of other ways--as a coating for baked chicken, for ex.
Here's a good one:

simply combine 1/4 cup dried sumac, 2 tbsp. dried thyme, 1 tbsp. roasted sesame seeds, 2 tbsp. dried marjoram, 2 tbsp. oregano and 1 tsp. coarse salt.  Keep in freezer in a zip-lock bag.

Both pomegranate syrup (molasses) and dried sumac (and prepared za'atar) can be purchased at Arash International Market 

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