Billy was travelling and we wanted to make sure that Kevin
was not lonely so we invited him over for dinner. We also invited Tim. We made
a fantastic soup from the new Paula Wolfert Cookbook: The Foods of Morocco, Butternut
Squash And Tomato Soup. It was thick, and rich and spicy. You control the heat
by the amount of harrisa that you add. The sprinkling of the smoked Gouda
Cheese gives it a multi-layered taste. It was a big hit.
We followed that with a Beef Tagine With Roasted Cauliflower
from the same cookbook. It was great. Nate at McCall’s told us a great chef’s
trick when braising short-ribs. We would have cut the ribs apart into 2 inch
chunks before braising. He suggested not cutting the meat and braising the
entire short rib. That way the meat doesn’t fall off the bone. Good trick. We
served it with couscous from Tunisia. The Tangine was wonderful.
We had a Savory Tart from Proof Bakery and also purchased a great Cake from
them for dessert.
We spent lots of the dinnertime video conferencing with Billy in
Thailand. It is amazing that you can have a virtual guest. The good news is
they don’t drink a lot of your wine.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND TOMATO
SOUP
The Foods of Morocco
Paula Wolfert
Here is a family favorite
inspired by the winter soups prepared in the Rif Mountains, soups that keep
both body and soul warm, as Fatima, our housekeeper, liked to say.
1 yellow
onion, coarsely chopped (l-3/4 cups)
Coarse salt
1-1/2 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds
butternut, kabocha, or calabaza squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into
1-1/2 inch chunks (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons
tomato paste
1 teaspoon
La Kama Spice Mixture
½ cup
heavy cream or creme frache'
¼ pound
shredded or crumbled aged goat cheese or goat gouda
1 teaspoon
or more to taste harissa paste (see Sources)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toss the onion with 1
teaspoon coarse salt and the oil in a medium casserole, preferably earthenware
or enameled cast iron, cover, and steam over medium-low heat until the onion is
soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the squash, cover with a
sheet of parchment paper and a lid, and steam for 20 minutes.
Add the Tomato paste, spices,
and 4 cups hot water and bring to-a boil, then cook at a simmer until the squash
is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the soup in batches
to a blender and puree until smooth; add the cream, three-quarters of the
cheese, and the harissa to the last batch of soup and puree until velvety.
Return the soup to the pot
and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into warm bowl and top
each portion with a light sprinkling of the remaining cheese.
La Kama Spice Mixture
1 teaspoon each ground ginger
and ground tumeric
1 teaspoon freshly ground
white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnanmon
½ teaspoon cubeb pepper
(optional)
A good pinch of grated nutmeg
Mix all together
Beef Tagine With Roasted
Cauliflower
The Foods of Morocco
Paula Wolfert
Beef tagines can be very good
indeed. After hours of slow simmering, the meat comes out buttery and soft, and
the sauce acquires excellent flavor. The spicing in this dish follows the Marrakech
style, while the particular preliminary browning of the meat is Tetuanese.
Serves 4 to 6
ROBUST
MEAT TAGINES
These
highly aromatic tagines, flavored with paprika and cumin, are sturdy dishes,
nourishing and thick, especially good in winter—satisfying to weary travelers
and men who have done hard physical work, or to folk who have just come off the
ski slopes an hour outside Marrakech. Though they are not among the most
elegant of dishes, these hearty stews are truly toothsome.
Coarse salt
½ teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon
ground turmeric
5 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds
beef short ribs or 2 pounds bone-in beef shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and
cut into 1- to l!4-inch chunks
1 teaspoon
sweet paprika
½ teaspoon
ground ginger
½ teaspoon
ground cumin, preferably Moroccan
1 medium
white or red onion, grated
2 tablespoons
finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons
finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
One 2-pound cauliflower
Pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne, or to taste
12 ounces Roma (plum) tomatoes, peeled, halved,
seeded, and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Heat a tagine, preferably
flameware, set on a heat diffuser over medium-low heat until warm. Mix 1
teaspoon salt, the pepper, and turmeric with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil
and add to the warm pan.
Add the beef and saute gently
until golden on all sides. Place a crumpled piece of parchment directly over
the meat, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes, without lifting the cover.
(The meat will cook in its own juices, drawn out by the salt over low heat; do
not add water.)
Add the paprika, ginger,
cumin, grated onion, half of the herbs, and lli cup water. Cover again with the
parchment paper and the lid, and simmer gently for 3 hours, until the meat is
very tender and has fallen off the bones.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven
to 400°F.
Cut the cauliflower in half,
then cut each half lengthwise into ½ inch-thick slices. Lightly brush a
jelly-roll pan with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix the remaining 'A
tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes and
gently toss with the cauliflower. Spread the cauliflower out in one layer on
the pan and roast for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the slices over and
roast for another 15 minutes, or until lightly caramelized. Remove from the
oven, cover loosely with paper towels or a kitchen towel, and set aside.
Remove the meat from the
tagine and remove and discard the bones. Return the meat to the tagine and
lightly brown in the fatty juices. Tilt the pan and spoon off and discard the
excess fat. If necessary, add a few tablespoons water to make a smooth sauce.
Scatter the cauliflower,
tomatoes, and the remaining chopped herbs over the beef. Bring to a boil to
reheat. Correct the seasoning with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and
the lemon juice, and serve at once.
