KITCHEN TABLE
KHOSH-MAZZEH! THAT’S DELICIOUS IN PERSIAN
Sabrina Ghayour, dubbed “The golden girl of Persian cookery” by The Observer, takes you on a culinary tour of the Middle East and the Mediterranean in Sirocco (Appetite, $39.95).
AVOCADO MASH ON GRILLED SOURDOUGH
Image credit: Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour.
2 large ripe avocados
2 tbsp garlic oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced from root to tip
1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
4 slices of sourdough or bread of your choice
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Tahini dressing:
2 heaping tsp tahini
2 tsp Greek yoghurt
Finely-grated zest and juice of one large unwaxed lemon
2 tbsp cold water
Preheat a skillet over high heat.
Scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl, add the garlic oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper and lightly mash the avocado with a fork. Switch to a spoon, add the scallions, chilli, cilantro and ground coriander and mix well. Set aside.
Brush the sourdough bread with olive oil on both sides and grill on the hot skillet for 2 minutes on each side or until char marks appear on each side.
In a small bowl, combine the tahini, yoghurt, lemon zest and juice and water until an even sauce is formed and the tahini is fully dissolved. Season well with salt.
To serve, divide the avocado mixture into four portions and spoon one portion over each slice of toast, drizzle tahini sauce to finish and add an extra glug of olive oil, if you wish.
ROSE AND SPICE-INFUSED BERRIES
Image credit: Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour.
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup cold water
4 tbsp rose water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
Pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp dried, edible rose petals, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of one unwaxed orange
Finely grated zest of one unwaxed lime
4 tbsp honey
10 oz. Greek yoghurt
8 oz. blackberries, chilled
8 oz. blueberries, chilled
8 oz. strawberries, chilled
8 oz. raspberries, chilled
Handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar, the water, the rose water, cinnamon, cardamom pods, nutmeg and rose petals (reserving 1 tsp for garnishing) to the pan and heat gently for approximately 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens just a touch. Take the pan off the heat and leave the mixture to cool to room temperature.
In a mixing bowl, mix the orange and lime zest, honey and Greek yoghurt until evenly combined. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to serve.
Once the syrup has cooled to room temperature, put the berries into a bowl and pour over the syrup. Using a metal spoon, coat the berries in the syrup, working carefully to ensure you don’t crush them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
About 30 minutes before serving, remove the berries from the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature. Stir the chopped mint carefully through the berry mixture, then, using a slotted spoon, serve the berries on top of the yoghurt. Using a teaspoon, drizzle a generous amount of the syrup over and serve with a sprinkling of the reserved chopped rose petals.
ORANGE, SPICE AND THYME CHICKEN WINGS
Image credit: Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour.
2¼ lbs chicken wings
For the marinade:
¾ cup fresh orange juice
6 tbsp orange marmalade
4 heaping tsps dried thyme
2 heaping tsps ground cinnamon
1 heaping tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the chicken wings in a large bowl.
Place the marinade ingredients in a small bowl, seasoning very generously with salt and pepper, then pour the mixture over the chicken wings. Using your hands, massage the marinade into the chicken wings, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours, or even better, overnight.
When you are ready to cook, bring the chicken wings to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the chicken wings on the prepared sheet (reserve the excess marinade) and roast on the top rack of the oven for 25 minutes.
Turn over the chicken wings and, using a spoon, drizzle over some of the reserved marinade.
Continue to roast for another 25 minutes or until the chicken wings are deeply browned and cooked through (keep in mind that the sweet marinade will make them blacken a little around the edges, which is perfectly okay).
Set a small saucepan over high heat, pour the leftover marinade and bring to a boil.
Cook for a few minutes until reduced to a sauce-like consistency – if it becomes too thick, let it down with a tbsp of water – then serve on the side.
Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour is published by Appetite, $39.95.