Spice (36 page)

1 whole eggplant, peeled

¾ cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

2 large red bell peppers, (about 1 pound total), roasted and peeled (see page 97)

4 whole scallions, root ends trimmed and finely chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)

1 teaspoon chopped garlic (about 1 large clove)

1/3 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted (page 91)

1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (page 91) plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

½ cup finely ground toasted bread crumbs (see page 156)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (almost ½ lemon)

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon Aleppo chilies plus ½ teaspoon for garnish

1 tablespoon Urfa chilies plus ½ teaspoon for garnish

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon salt plus more to taste

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Slice the eggplant lengthwise as thinly as you can (no thicker than ¼ inch), into 8 slices. Discard the rounded ends or roast for another use.

3.
Place the eggplant slices on a heavy baking sheet and brush them generously using ½ cup of the olive oil or more (give or take a couple of tablespoons, depending on the size of the eggplant) on both sides. The eggplant should absorb the oil and not look dry. Place the eggplant slices in the oven and roast them until soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4.
Remove as many seeds from the red peppers as you can and place them in a small mixing bowl. Add the scallions, garlic, walnuts, pine nuts, bread crumbs, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo and Urfa chilies, cumin, and the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Stir to combine.

5.
Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, purée the ingredients until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

6.
Lay each eggplant slice down and place a heaping tablespoon of the pepper mixture at one end of the eggplant.

7.
Roll up the eggplant, making a little bundle or roulade. Cut the roulade in half, making bite-size pieces. Serve at room temperature garnished with some toasted pine nuts or walnuts, chopped scallions, a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle with more Aleppo and/or Urfa chilies if you like things spicier.

BREAD CRUMBS

A simple ingredient like bread crumbs can make a difference. I prefer to make my own or use a Japanese brand called Panko: the superhero of bread crumbs. Panko bread crumbs are made with flour, sugar, soybean and palm oils, yeast, and salt. A special baking method creates bread with little or no crust and a porous structure that results in a tender, yet crisp, texture. These bread crumbs are larger, flakier, and lighter than other brands, which is why I like them. I find that the seasonings in some Italian-style supermarket-brand bread crumbs overwhelm a dish and change its taste. Panko crumbs are unseasoned, so they remain neutral in recipes. You can find Panko bread crumbs at most Asian markets, and you can buy them online from specialty Asian food sites. For ½ cup of finely ground crumbs, start with 1 cup of Panko.

The next best thing is to make your own bread crumbs by toasting ½-inch slices of European-style bread (French baguettes work particularly well). Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and then toast them for about 12 minutes in a 350°F oven, until golden and crisp. When they have cooled, grind them in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, until fine. You will need about 6 slices of French baguette to yield ½ cup of fine bread crumbs.

The last alternative, which is actually very good, is to find a good plain wheat cracker (not seasoned with cheddar cheese or herbs) or plain zwieback toast and grind them in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. One cup of coarsely crushed crackers or zwieback toasts will yield ½ cup of finely ground crumbs.

Salt Cod Fritters with Red Wine and Sweet Peppers

This recipe was created by my friend Rafael Maya—a fabulous cook I worked with at the Casablanca restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Raffi, as I call him, is from Colombia and cooks Mediterranean food with a gentle Latin hand. At the Casablanca, he was in charge of lunch service 6 days a week, and he made me these
bunuelos
(fritters) for breakfast when I came in every morning, serving them up piping hot with a lemon wedge. Raffi’s fritters gave me great comfort and helped me get through the long days.

Raffi’s fritters are cozy little pillows of fluffy salt cod and potato. He seasons them lightly with a
sofrito
—a basic seasoning for many recipes—using fresh chopped tomatoes, garlic, and scallions. I like my fritters with more zip, so Raffi altered his sofrito for me, adding chilies.

I like to serve Raffi’s fritters with a red wine and red pepper stew, inspired by
marmitako
, which is a classic Basque fish stew. In this recipe, I use all of my favorite chilies, making a dish that is complicated, rich, earthy, and spicy. This warming stew is best in the winter, but the fritters are outstanding on their own in the summer, served with a little Lemon Aioli (page 50) or simply a lemon wedge. For a summer stew variation, substitute peeled and diced eggplant, chickpeas, or summer squash in place of the butternut or red kuri squash.

Salt cod is cured cod, and almost every culture throughout Europe eats it. The salt not only preserves the fish, but it also changes the texture, making it denser than regular cod. Salt cod is also richer in flavor because the salt draws out the water during the curing process. Salt cod needs to be soaked in cold water for 2 or 3 days (with the water changed two or three times each day) to draw out the salt. Some salt cod products are pre-soaked and will be so labeled. You can remove any cartilage, bone, or skin after soaking.

Salt cod is available in many Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese specialty markets, and you can also special-order it from your local fishmonger. You can find salt cod (also called
bacalao
) from www.thespanishtable.com; click on deli. You can make the braised vegetables and sauce up to 3 days ahead.

Serve this dish with medium-bodied Portuguese red wine from the Dao region.

M
AKES
12
FRİTTERS TO SERVE
4
AS A MAİN COURSE OR
6
AS A FİRST COURSE

For the Fritters

1 pound salt cod, soaked at least 2 days in cold water and rinsed well

4 cups milk

1 bay leaf

1 pound russet or baking potatoes (about 2), peeled and quartered

3 egg yolks

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon chopped garlic (about 1 large clove)

½ onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (see page 104)

1 teaspoon Aleppo chilies

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 scallions, root ends removed and finely chopped

2 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups canola oil or vegetable oil for frying

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, leaves only

For the Sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, peeled and roughly chopped

½ teaspoon fennel seed

2 teaspoons garlic (about 2 cloves), peeled and halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons Urfa chilies

2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika

1 cup medium-bodied red wine, such as a rioja or pinot noir

2 cups fresh plum tomatoes, quartered

2 cups fish fumet (page 161) or water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large leek, root end trimmed and all dark green leaves trimmed

1 roasted red bell pepper (see page 97)

½ cup butternut or red kuri squash, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes

To Make the Fritters

1.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the salt cod to a boil with the milk and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the salt cod for about 15 minutes, until tender and flaky. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the milk. Discard the bay leaf.