“We are shameless! We want to seduce you,to stimulate your imagination, invigorate your senses, and tempt you to try the wonderful flavours of Moorish food!”
Greg and Lucy Malouf… from the book, Moorish
‘Moorish: Flavours from Mecca to Marrakech‘ by Greg and Lucy Malouf is every bit moorish as the title suggests. Yes, indeed another yummy cookbook is mine! I am the happy recipient of this delicious cookbook. Nanette from Gourmet Warrior in Melbourne recently mailed it to me when I won a raffle for a Blogger Aid event for Haiti. The book which Naneete sponsored for the H2Ope for Haiti event came with mouthwatering recommendations and is now sharing prime position on my bookshelf with my two other favourites, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and Indulge, 100 Perfect Desserts. Was I surprised when Nanette also tweeted that Moorish and Ottolenghi were her 2 fave cookbooks of the year! My thoughts exactly!! By the way, Ottolenghi’s new book Plenty is due out by the end of April ’10, and you can find an exclusive sneak peek here on Guardian.
MOORISH also makes for a great bed time read if you are a foodie like me. The pictures offer rustic beauty, and I love the fact that there are plenty of them. I am partial to cookbooks with loads of pictures, and pretty ones at that. This was my first ever window on recipes inspired by the flavours of North Africa, Spain, the Middle Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East region – regions united by a common thread that winds it’s way back to Arabia. The title coins the essence in one word … Moorish!!
The book is inspirational and begins with spice blends, dressings, relishes, pickles, preserves. Za’atar, Taklia, Tabil, Dukah, Charmoula, Tahini, Toum, Hariss, Hilbeh … each very unusual and with a character of its own. The commentary throughout the book is engaging and tempts the home cook to get adventurous! The son’s been over the book several times and would like me to make the Quail with Lime and Ras al Hanout and Duck Shish Kebabs! I’ve been won over by the first recipe I tried, and need to get a little more adventurous as there are exciting looking sea food recipes in the book, but I am the ever under-confident ‘fishy‘ cook! The daughter predictably headed straight for desserts … Cherry Vanilla Parfait with Rosewater Syrup, Honey Curd Blinzes, and a stunning Chocolate Pistachio Cake are on request!
I chose a recipe because I had the basic ingredients on hand. The introduction to the recipe was comforting. I had chicken escalopes in the freezer, a bottle of preserved limes and tangerines that I had made a few months ago from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook … and fresh sweet home made butter. I was soon singing my way to the kitchen, and halfway through the process my mouth was watering. This is gonna be good! I just knew it. THANK YOU NANETTE, I LOVE THE BOOK!
Well, it was better than good. It was exotic good!! My first use of the Ottolenghi Preserved Limes in the cumin butter lent tingling deep and robust flavours to the escalopes. ( the original recipe uses boneless chicken breasts which are made thinner by evenly bashing with a rolling pin). The flavours married so beautifully in the end, and exploded into a myriad of refreshing flavours on the palette. Who would think that cumin would blend into butter in such a flavourful manner, with the zing of citrus. The recipe does use a 100gms of butter, but then it rare that I use butter in cooking. I didn’t use the whole amount of butter, yet it was super!
I served it with fresh home grown rocket leaves drizzled with balsamic, a cold potato salad in a Ranch buttermilk dressing, and a Roasted Garlic, Ricotta and Pistachio French Fougasse on the side (I sneaked a small portion of buckwheat flour into the fougasse, and it was lovely and rustic). We enjoyed EVERY single morsel of the meal, and the flavours lingered on for long. I like the new flavours I’ve discovered.
Chicken Paillard Fried in Cumin Butter
Adapted minimally from Moorish, pg 100
12 skinless chicken escalopes, made from 6 chicken breasts
80gms plain flour
1 tsp sweet paprika
A generous pinch of chili powder
3 tbsps oilve oil
Cumin Butter
1 1/2 tbsps cumin seeds, roasted and ground roughly in pestle
75gms unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 preserved lime, finely diced (or zest on 1 lemon)
Juice of 1 lime (or 1/2 lemon)
Method:
Tip the softened butter into a mixing bowl and blend in the ground roasted cumin seeds, nutmeg, preserved lime or zest, and the lime juice. (For a smoother butter, you can sift the ground cumin if you like. I didn’t.)
Sift the flour, paprika, and chili powder to make a pretty pink dust.
Put quarter the butter with 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and heat until it just starts to foam.Quickly dip 3 paillards in the flour and pop them into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, and then turn and cook for a further minute. remove to a warm dish lined with paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the paillards, reserving 1 tbsp of cumin butter for the end.
Carefully wipe out the frying pan with a piece of kitchen paper, then lower the heat and drop in the remaining 1 tbsp of cumin butter. melt it over gentle heat, and drizzle over the paillards.
Serve with a potato salad, fresh salad greens and a artisan bread if you like.
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I have one Gregv Malouf book and I love it! This one sounds interesting…
What a delightful Moorish dish! I am a sucker for that type of food.
Cheers,
Rosa
Chicken looks so so good. I would love to have this book too, but i am not falling for temptation, just got last week the Otteloghi book and yesterday made pistcha biscotti from the book.
This chicken looks so good!
Deeba you know i love the way you write..its so simple, as though it unfolds before you "pink dust"
will definitely try this at home, and after spending 2 hours on your blog yesterday, you will be followed..may i add,religiously:)
That chicken looks wonderful, I've not seen this book before but I will definitely be looking out for it. I really enjoyed your photos today. xx
Looks nice and tasty. I love the idea of cummin butter. I wonder what else it could be used for
How lucky of you. Chicken looks great. and love the idea of cumin butter
oh my god
*does a happy dance* you took time and read and commented on my blog..wow..you have no idea how awesome i feel now,like perfectly well shaped ice-cubes floating on a drink 
you are like inspiration Deeba,having kids, managing a house and cooking such beautiful food..i say beautiful cus thats the word i got in my mind when i first saw the blog..look you 've won a life-long follower 
Sounds absolutely delicious…and easy to make too!
Oh my…I like the idea of cumin butter. This spice is warm & comforting when it hits the heat.
I'm also relieved with this post…I was concerned you only ate cake!
You know that I am always looking for new ways to enjoy chicken. All of these cookbooks sound amazing Deeba and I am so happy you are putting them to good use and sharing them with us:D
Ohhhh this looks totally divine. I am wild about the flavors and taste of Middle Eastern Med, North African spices…this is a book that I desire greatly. A friend has it and she made the chocolate pistachio cake which she says is fab. I am definitely going to try this recipe soon. Tx so much for sharing
xx
PS I wish I lived in the US somewhere so I could enter that competition for the ice cream maker hehe…also one of my heart desires but maybe just as well I don't have one
Irresistible Moorish dish Deeba! I know, really I know that this dish can make sensation between my family!
Cheers,
Gera
Wow, this is a book I'd love to get my greedy hands on (as if i dont have enough cook books). This looks absolutely mouth watering. I love this kind of food.
*kisses* HH
This looks awesome and will fit great into my current low carb diet! Yum!
Sounds like I should buy some new cookbooks. The chicken looks delicious – such a gorgeous color.
I too love a good cookbook with lush images! Hence, I have all of Greg's cookbooks as they are beautifully written and the photography is inspiring!
One of my dear friends is celebrating her birthday next week at Greg's restaurant in Melbourne – called Momo.
I'll be thinking of you as as we feast like Queens xx
me also wants to win cookbooks, so I can try out cool recipes like this one!!! YUMM!
Cumin butter sounds divine and these chicken paillards look perfectly golden and delicious! You switch from sweet to savory with such ease.
OK Deeba I'm now convinced that you're super woman! This looks delicious on its own but you served it with homemade fougasse too? Too brilliant!
I love North African cuisine. My dad's recipe for Charmoula is the best. I still use it. I love pickled lemons with chicken!!
totally awesome. i am really salivating here and wish i was a firend who lived in your vicinity – i'd be over in a heartbeat for this meal!
I am such a sucker for cookbook.s I have so many the floor is bending from the weight of it all!
I'm going to have to order these cookbooks. You make them sound so great!
Looks like a delicious meal! The cumin butter with preserved lime sounds fantastic, and your fougasse looks lovely as always!
I really need to add a Moorish cookbook to my list… and I agree, one thing that makes a good cookbook are good photos of the food. It's important! And I have ordered Ottolenghi: The Cookbook. Can't wait!
This chicken paillard with cumin butter looks divine. I really don't do this kind of cooking very often but my family enjoys it when I do.
It looks fantastic! I love the cumin butter!
Sounds like a great book. You got my mouth watering!
i love the cumin butter–great shots..
sweetlife
This book just made it to my must-buy list! Just hearing you describe it and I'm drooling! This chicken is fabulous, but the meal is jaw-dropping! Lucky, lucky family!
This book is on my list to pick up now. The food looks absolutely amazing. I can't wait to pick this book up and then cook some food up with some of my pleasoning.com seasonings that I throw on everything I eat. Now I'm hungry…
I am intrigued just by looking at these images on just how exactly moorish food taste, and i am think of buying the book try making one for myself. I am sort of a cook you know.
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I’m not really good at cooking but i love foods =). i like the setup and the preparation on your picture. It looks really yummy.
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