Week 2 - Andorra and Bahrain

Andorra isn't that much smaller than Bahrain, however the population size is enormous!

We liked our meals from both these countries and were surprised along the way...

Andorra: Escudella (stew)
Andorra: Cunillo (Rabbit stew)
Bahrain: Muhammar (sweet rice) dish

Bahrain - Machboos (chicken with rice)

Andorra: Escudella (stew)
source: http://travelbystove.palfreymedia.com/andorra-recipes-escudella.asp (accessed 23JAN2017)
This was lovely, although I didn't put in the pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry white beans (I used a 16 oz package of the small white ones)
• 1 ham bone
• 1 marrow, bone
• 3 chicken thighs (the recipe called for 1/4 of a chicken, but boneless-skinless is so much easier)
• 14 ounces raw pork sausage, rolled into balls
• 1 thick ham steak, cut into chunks
• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1 large white potato, cut into large chunks
• 1/4 cup uncooked rice
• 1 cup pasta shells
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Roll the raw sausage into one- or two-bite sized balls.
2. Rinse the dry beans in cold water.
3. Meanwhile, cook the sausage balls over medium heat.
4. Dice the ham.
5. Put the beans, sausage, ham, chicken and bones into the pot with 8 cups of water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered for two hours. The chicken should be very tender, almost falling apart.
7. Remove the bones and bring the remaining stock and meat back up to a boil (if there isn't a lot of liquid you can add more water).
8. Add the cabbage, potato, rice, pasta shells, garbanzo beans and salt and pepper.
9. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and rice are tender.

Andorra: Cunillo (Rabbit stew)

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/andorran-cunillo-rabbit-in-tomato-sauce-499353 (accessed 23JAN 2017)

I must admit, ours looked much nicer the photo suggests!

1 rabbit jointed (about 1.5kg) or you can use chicken thighs

¹⁄₄ cup white vinegar, about

1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 onions, sliced

500 g crushed tomatoes or 500 g chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

250 ml white wine

120 ml water

salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Wash the rabbit and rub with a little vinegar then joint and cut into about 15 serving pieces.
2. Add olive oil to the base of a large cast iron casserole dish and fry the rabbit in this until nicely browned. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the garlic, onion and tomatoes to the pan and fry gently for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Now add the white wine and water and increase the heat so the mixture comes to a boil.
5. Reduce the volume by about half then add the rabbit and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Reduce to a simmer, cover securely and cook gently for about 90 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender.

Bahraini Muhammar (sweet rice) dish

source: http://www.food.com/recipe/traditional-bahraini-muhammar-sweet-rice-dish-304145 (accessed 23JAN2017)

This is one of the most famous Bahraini dishes. It is a sweet rice dish which is typically served with fish. I just wanted to add: this recipe calls for 6 cloves, HOWEVER, I think it REALLY ONLY NEEDS 2 cloves! I did 3 cloves, for two of us and it was fine.

This was our surprise, I did it with Cod, as this fitted in with Andorran food too, as well as peas and oven cooked cherry tomatoes in olive oil and basil. Really nice.

Ingredients                                  

Servings 6                                                                                                                                                                                            

2 cups basmati rice, washed

¹⁄₄ teaspoon saffron

2 tablespoons rose water

3 cardamom pods, cracked

6 cloves (see Note above!)

1 cinnamon stick

¹⁄₄ cup ghee or ¹⁄₄ cup butter

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

1. Soak together saffron, cardamom, cloves, and rosewater; leave aside to steep.
2. Add rice to 6 cups of lightly salted boiling water: boil to half cooked - about 8 minutes; drain.
3. Stir sugar through the hot rice.
4. Heat the ghee or butter in the same pan the rice was boiled and add the sweetened rice. Sprinkle the rose water mix on top.
5. Cover the rim of pan with a cloth or paper towels and place lid on tightly.
6. Cook over very low heat about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to serving platter.
7. Top with melted butter.Directions

Bahrain - Machboos (chicken with rice)

Source: http://www.daringgourmet.com/chicken-machboos-bahraini-chicken-rice/ (accessed 23JAN2017)

"Chicken Machboos, or Machboos ala Dajaj (“spiced chicken and rice”), is the national dish of Bahrain, a small island country in the Persian Gulf neighbored by Saudi Arabia and Iran.  Machboos is similar to Biryani (from the Indian subcontinent) and Kabsa (from Saudi Arabia), all with varying cooking methods, ingredients, degree of spiciness, and assembly.   But all three are essentially meat and rice dishes."

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon baharat (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• A combination of chicken thighs, legs and breasts (about 3 pounds)
• 1 hot green chile, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 5 large cloves or garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 large roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, juices drained)
• 2-3 dried limes (loomi), several holes punched throughout each one
• 5 green cardamom pods
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon (about 2 inches long)
• 2½ teaspoons salt
• 2½ cups chicken stock
• 2 cups basmati rice (soaked for at least 15 minutes, then rinsed and drained)
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Rosewater for sprinkling (optional, but recommended)
• For the Homemade Baharat:
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches long)
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• ¼ teaspoon green cardamom seeds
• 1 tablespoon paprika powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• For the Baharat:
• Set the paprika and nutmeg powders aside. Place all remaining ingredients (whole seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves) in a small frying pan and dry roast over medium-high heat, tossing regularly to prevent scorching, for 3-4 minutes or until very fragrant. Transfer to a spice or coffee grinder and let cool. Add the paprika and nutmeg and grind all the ingredients to a fine powder. Store left over baharat in an airtight jar.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces on both sides until the skin is brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave the remaining oil in the Dutch oven.
2. Add the ghee (or butter), reduce the heat to medium, and fry the onions until starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute.
5. Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven along with the tomatoes, dried limes, cardamom pods, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour.
6. Add the cilantro, parsley and drained rice and stir to combine. Return it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is done and has absorbed the liquid.
7. Transfer the chicken and rice to a serving dish (either leave the chicken pieces tossed in with the rice, or place the chicken on top of the rice), and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons of rosewater (optional).
8. Serve with a green salad and yogurt raita.