Spice (25 page)

I like the tall, thin shape that an espresso cup gives the kibbeh. But since Italian espresso cups usually only hold ¼ cup, I use jumbo espresso cups. Any ½-cup ramekin should work.

M
AKES EİGHT ½-CUP SERVİNGS

For the Squash Kibbeh

3 pounds squash,
such as red kuri or butternut

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon Middle Eastern Five-Spice (page 109)

1½ cups fine bulgur

For the Spiced Feta Filling

½ pound feta cheese, preferably French sheep’s milk or goat’s milk, drained and roughly crumbled (page 349)

½ teaspoon Middle Eastern Five-Spice (page 109)

¼ teaspoon sumac

½ teaspoon Aleppo chilies (see Resources, page 358)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

To Make the Squash Kibbeh

1.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and bake it, flesh-side down, on a lightly oiled heavy baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. When the squash is cool, remove the flesh from the skin with a large spoon, and purée it in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 2 cups of the purée for the recipe.

2.
Make brown butter (page 108).

3.
In a large saucepan or soup pan over medium-high heat, cook the onion and pepper in olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft.

4.
Stir in the paprika and 1 teaspoon of the five-spice and stir to coat the onion mixture.

5.
Stir in 2 cups of the squash purée and cook for about 5 minutes, until the squash is hot.

6.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the bulgur. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. The mixture should be soft, like dough.

7.
Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the brown butter.

To Make the Spiced Feta Filling

1.
Place the crumbled feta in a mixing bowl and stir in ½ teaspoon five-spice, the sumac, Aleppo chilies, and parsley. Stir for a few minutes to make the mixture as creamy as possible, although chunks of feta will remain.

2.
Season with salt and pepper (the feta may be salty enough, depending on the brand).

To Combine

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Line up 8 jumbo espresso cups or any ½-cup ramekins. Fill each cup with ½ cup of kibbeh mixture. Then, using your forefinger, make a hole in the center of each cup so that you almost touch the bottom. The hole should be big enough to fit a few teaspoons of feta in the center. Some kibbeh will rise up over the cup, which is good, since you will use it to fold over the filling.

3.
Using a teaspoon, fill each hole with 2 generous teaspoons of the feta mixture.

4.
Seal the tops with the overlapping kibbeh. A few little holes may remain, but try to encapsulate the cheese filling as best you can.

5.
Place the cups on a heavy baking sheet and bake for about 14 minutes, until they are hot.

6.
Turn the kibbeh out of the cups and onto plates and serve with any leftover feta filling on the side. When you split the kibbeh open with a fork, the center should be warm, soft, and creamy.

Making Brown Butter

To make brown butter, bring the butter to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the butter for about 10 minutes, until it turns brown and smells like hazelnuts. The butter has just clarified—the solids have sunk to the bottom and the water has evaporated—and it can burn quickly (turning from brown to black), so you must watch it carefully after 6 minutes of simmering. As soon as you smell a toasted nut aroma, check the butter. Strain the clarified butter immediately through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Allow the butter to cool.

Middle Eastern Five-Spice

Many countries have a sweet spice mix like this Middle Eastern five-spice: the Chinese have a five-spice, the French have
quatre épice
, and in the United States, we have pumpkin pie spice mix. The combination of aromatic tropical evergreen seeds enhances meat, chicken, and rice dishes. It’s also wonderful added to feta cheese (see Spiced Feta, page 107) and marinated mushrooms. Just use a pinch to lightly perfume a dish.

M
AKES ABOUT ¼ CUP

2 tablespoons whole allspice

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

½ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg (see page 103)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1.
Using a coffee grinder or blender, grind the allspice, cloves, and peppercorns until fine. Transfer the ground spices to a small mixing bowl.

2.
Stir in the nutmeg and cinnamon.

3.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, such as a cupboard, for up to 4 months.

Chickpea and Potato Terrine Stuffed with Pine Nuts, Spinach, Onion, and Tahini

This is a variation of a traditional Armenian dish called
topic
, which I learned from my friend Armen Mehrabyan, who lives in Armenia and who grows herbs for Oleana’s teas and prepares a special herb blend for one of our fish entrées. Topic is served in Turkey as well, and it tastes like exotic hummus. It’s a chickpea and potato purée that’s stuffed with onions, pine nuts, and spinach that have been spiced and mixed with tahini. The mixture is pressed into a terrine mold and then sliced, or you can wrap it up into a jelly roll, which I’ve included below as a variation. The terrine can be served at room temperature as a mezze, like antipasti or tapas.

I like to garnish the terrine with fresh chopped tomato and serve it as an appetizer. It livens up arugula, watercress, or other peppery greens that have been lightly dressed with lemon and olive oil. For a main course, I like to warm the terrine and serve it with duck or Braised Beef Short Ribs (page 66).