Authors: Ana Sortun
Spice (52 page)
DRIED HERBS
M
İNI
, O
REGANO, AND
Z
A
’
ATAR
In my kitchen, there are only three dried herbs: oregano, mint, and za’atar. I don’t like to use most dried herbs because the flavors can be too strong or taste dusty and old. I prefer my herbs fresh.
I included these three dried herbs in this book because, like many spices, they are robust, earthy, and peppery, and they lend warm tones to food. Besides, their flavors evoke the Mediterranean region like nothing else, and they are extremely versatile.
Dried mint, oregano, and za’atar have similar effects on dishes and can be used interchangeably in most cases. These herbs taste stronger, richer, and deeper when dried, and you will notice that in fresh form, they taste strikingly different from their dried counterparts.
All three spices work well with other bold flavors, such as olives; salty feta cheese; vegetable or chicken soups; summer vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers; on flat breads; and with chicken, beef, lamb, or duck.
D
RİED
M
İNT
The flavor of dried mint is warm, earthy, and tea-like and adds a different quality to a dish than the light, refreshing taste of fresh mint. Along with oregano, mint is one of the key dried herbs that makes some Turkish rice dishes, grilled lamb, and beef kebobs taste “Turkish.”
There are many different kinds of mint, but spearmint is the most useful for cooking purposes because it doesn’t dominate other flavors in a dish. Spearmint is usually the variety used in dried mint. Peppermint has a stronger flavor and tastes somewhat medicinal; it’s better used for sweets. The Egyptian mint, which is a spearmint, available at www.kalustyans.com, is excellent; it’s deeply herbal and smells like a cross between mint and oregano. Dried mint should look green and not dusty.
Mint is easy to grow—so easy, in fact, that it very quickly can take over your garden. To make your own dried mint, pull out the invasive stems, cut their roots, tie them up into bundles, and hang them upside down in a cool, dry place for a couple of weeks. You can also dry mint in a microwave by laying the leaves on paper towels and cooking them on high in intervals of 20 seconds; the mint is dried when the leaves are crisp to the touch.
Paula Wolfert, author of many Mediterranean cookbooks, heats olive oil gently and then adds sieved dried mint to it. When the mint hits the warm oil, it sizzles. She calls this “mint sizzle,” and it’s just wonderful drizzled on pastas or grilled meats.
One of my favorite recipes with dried mint is a yogurt soup that I make with toasted pasta or mini raviolis called
manti
. I sprinkle the soup generously with dried mint, and my husband Chris can’t get enough of it. See Favorite Yogurt Soup on page 242 for a variation of this delicious and soothing soup using crushed, toasted pasta.
D
RİED
O
REGANO
I finally understood the defining flavor of dried oregano while visiting the small Greek island of Hydra, a short trip from Athens. A man came down from the hillside carrying huge bags of wild oregano that he had foraged and dried himself, and I bought some and brought it home. The aroma was incredible: floral, tea-like, savory, vegetal, and sweet—all at once—and I’ve never been able to find oregano that compares to it since.
Dried oregano is key in making marinades for grilled meats, tomato-based sauces, and stews. I love to sprinkle it on Greek salads and feta cheese.
Oregano and marjoram are sometimes confused, but oregano is more robust and has rounder leaves. Oregano is peppery and sharp; its flavor is twice as strong as marjoram.
In my opinion, the best dried oregano is Greek, and they call it
rigani
, which means “wild.” If you buy dried Greek oregano from a Greek market in bunches on the stems, strip the leaves off, and then follow instructions for sieving dried herbs on page 230.
Z
A
’
ATAR
Some sources maintain that the very green herb called za’atar is a type of thyme (
za’atar
, pronounced zah-tar, means “thyme” in Arabic); though some sources say it’s Syrian hyssop (an herb very similar to oregano). Fresh za’atar in the Middle Eastern markets in Watertown, Massachusetts, looks more like summer savory, or a crossing of marjoram, oregano, and thyme. To further confuse matters, za’atar also refers to a blend of the green herb, sesame seeds, and other spices. You can also buy a jar of pickled za’atar that you can chop up and add to salads or soups (available at www.kalustyans.com).
Za’atar blends vary widely in color and spice flavors. For instance, the za’atar blends in Israel and Lebanon are similar to the Jordanian version, but they’re not as vividly green. In Syria, the za’atar blends contain more sumac, and sometimes chilies or cumin are added.
You can find za’atar at all Middle Eastern markets, and you can try the different variations and choose your favorite. In this chapter, za’atar means the traditional Jordanian mix of sumac, sesame seeds, salt, and the essential bright green herb itself.
SIEVING DRIED HERBS
I push my dried herbs through a medium-fine sieve to powder the leaves and remove any bits of stem before I use them. Dried herbs store well in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for a couple of months.
RECIPES WITH DRIED MINT, DRIED OREGANO, AND ZA’ATAR
T
URKİSH
B
AHARAT
S
PİCE
M
İX FOR
L
AMB
G
REEK
S
ALAD WİTH
W
İNTER
V
EGETABLES
, A
PPLE
,
AND
B
ARREL
-A
GED
F
ETA
C
HEESE
F
RANCİSCO
’
S
M
ANAAEESH
(F
LATBREAD WİTH
Z
A
’
ATAR
)
F
AVORİTE
Y
OGURT
S
OUP WİTH
T
OASTED
P
ASTA AND
D
RİED
M
İNT
C
RİSPY
L
EMON
C
HİCKEN WITH
Z
A
’
ATAR
Turkish Baharat Spice Mix for Lamb
In Arabic,
baharat
has two meanings: it refers to this particular spice mix, and it also literally means “flowers and seeds” or more loosely translates to “herbs and spices.” Many Arabic spice shops are simply called baharat.
Although it doesn’t taste like it, baharat is like Indian curry: it’s an exotic spice blend that is packed with diverse aromas—some peppery, some sweet, some pungent—but no one flavor dominates. And there are as many different blends of baharat as there are people who make it: the mixture varies from family to family. Baharat is not hot-spicy, but it conveys all the romantic fragrances and everything that spice is.
I love baharat on grilled mushrooms, in bulgur pilafs, in carrot salads mixed with pine nuts and currants, with cooked winter squash, in tomato sauces, in chickpea soup, and in lamb marinades. Here is Oleana’s version of a typical baharat. You can also purchase a good one at www.kalustyans.com. I like their house brand. (See Lamb Steak with Turkish Spices on page 166.)
M
AKES
½
CUP
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
2 tablespoons dried, sieved mint (page 230)
2 tablespoons dried, sieved oregano (page 230)
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
4 bay leaves, ground in a spice or coffee grinder
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground mustard seeds
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store this spice mixture in an airtight container out of direct light, for up to 2 months.
The dried mint makes this spice mix taste very Turkish; it’s excellent on any grilled meats, especially beef or lamb. At Oleana, we use it on sirloin, skirt, and rib-eye steaks as well as in ground lamb or beef kebobs, also called
köfte
(see the Ground Beef and Pistachio Kebobs on page 236). The combination of spices in this recipe will also work with any kind of dried bean; it’s particularly tasty when added to black bean soup, bean chili, or any other bean soup. Use this spice mix generously.
M
AKES
½
CUP