Algerian Cuisine Cuisine Algerienne by Farid ZADI

Tasca da Elvira Blog of the Week

Tasca de Elvira blogs from Portugal in French. She has a recipe on her blog Tomatada aux Oeufs that is very much like some versions of shakhshukha, no lard fume though in any Algerian dish. I wrote a little bit about about how the Portuguese exported couscous to Brazil in The March of Couscous. Although, as far as I know, the dish was forgotten in Portugal, if contemporary versions exists it would possibly be through new waves of immigrations.

Since I still have not presented the Algerian pasta and flatbread recipes I promised last week, I hesitate to say what I will do with the Portuguese connection. Maybe cornbread.

She's posted two more recipes that are very remniscent of Algerian dishes. Poulet au Safran is a classic Spanish dish of chicken with safran, thickened with nuts and Aletria au raisin sec a very old Portuguese preparations, is a sweet pudding made from vermicelli and raisins. Actually if the liquor is omitted from the recipes they are identical to dishes that would be found in Algeria.

September 30 note: She has posted even more recipes that are very similar or identical to Algerian dishes. Very interesting to me, I do not know much about Portuguese cooking.

Khobz be'Sinouj/ Kesra be'Sinouj, Algerian bread with Nigella Seeds, Pain aux Grains de Nigelle

This bread is made from the same leavened dough
as Khobz Eddar with the addition of nigella seeds.

Lham b'l-'ayn, Algerian Braised Lambshanks with Prunes, Jarrets d'Agneau aux Pruneaux

Sweet meat dishes are another Ramadan specialty. This version is unctuous and sweetened in layers with caramelized vegetables, dried fruits and honey. But it is not cloying when eaten in the proper quantities with other dishes to refresh the palate.

I have been omitting serving sizes intentionally. If an Algerian family of twelve has three lamb shanks, well then that's feeding twelve mouths. If an Algerian family of four has three lamb shanks, well then that's feeding four mouths.

The Algerian way of eating is always communal. A sense of sharing and consideration is inherently built into this concept.

I am aware that I have been presenting alot of meat dishes. I mentioned early on that the Zadi family ate much more meat than is typical. The Algerian diet for the most part is composed of whole grains, legumes and vegetables much more so than meat.

Algerian Harira

During the month of Ramadan every evening the fast is broken with dates and water,  lben or milk or with fruit and nut drinks usually followed by a nutritious and invigorating soup such as harira.

These are the ingredients for one version of harira. There are many others. I will try to post as many as I can eat from now and through Ramadan

I won't give quantities for this recipe. You want to cook Algerian dishes, think like an Algerian. We cook intuitively and creatively with what we have. A shopping list with measured ingredients is unheard of. We go to the market or souk we buy what's available, sometimes that means just piles of onions and squash. You don't have lamb? Use a chicken. You don't have any meat? Omit it. Yes, there are versions with no meat. You don't have eggs? Omit them from the recipe.

Ramadan Recipes, Recettes de Ramadan

Salaam Aleikoum

Jilal, other Algerians and Magrebis have begun requesting recipes for Ramadan such as harira, zalabiya de boufarik, more variations of l'ham lalou, briks, etc.

If you like, give me the Algerian, Tunisian or Moroccan (Arabic or Tamazight names) and French or English name of your family favorites for Ramadan. I will present the versions of those dishes as I know them along with recipes and photos.

I will begin with a post for harira on Tuesday.

Je compte mettre des recettes pour le ramadan, ca va etre interessant. Je demande seulement votre cooperation a toutes et a tous, si vous avez des plats et recettes speciales dans vos regions, et si vous pouvez me les envoyer avec le nom des recettes en francais, je me ferais un plaisir de les poster sur mon blog en Francais et en Anglais. Merci a tous. Bon ramadan

Khobz Eddar, Algerian Leavened Bread, Pain Levé

Khobz Eddar is leavened "house" bread or "pain maison". There are versions made with durum wheat semolina flour. Some cooks sprinkle on sesame seeds or spices. Some add an egg, honey, butter or milk to the dough.

I made one the other day with whole wheat flour, water, yeast and salt. In the old days, well still in certain areas of Algeria, the dough was taken to a communal oven for baking. Of course many Algerians now have home ovens. In other areas they are purchased through a khabbaz or bread maker.

Algerian leavened breads are usually left to rise just once. The amount of yeast used in recipes also varies.

4 cups of whole wheat flour (In the States I've found that Indian Atta flour is closest to the whole wheat flour I had in Algeria)

1 packet of yeast (1/4 oz)

1 teaspoon of salt

Water

500 gr de farine de ble

1 cuillere a cafe de levure de boulanger

1 cuillere a cafe de sel

eau

Djej M'fouar, Algerian Steamed Chicken, Poulet a la Vapeur

This is a very simple, but elegant and delicious dish. Steaming the chicken gives it more flavor and a superior texture compared to simply boiling it. The juices from the chicken drip into the turnip and carrot soup underneath giving an added dimension of flavor.

Traditionally this dish is prepared in a three tiered couscoussier with freshly hand rolled couscous on top. I don't have a three tiered couscoussier, I do have a tri-level metal fish steamer I bought at a Thai Market, unfortunately my stove has an oven directly over it, so I could not make couscous at the same time.

Algerian Pastilla, Pastilla au Poulet Algerienne

Traditionally pastillas are huge labor intensive concoctions. Scaling down the size of pastilla doesn't take a single bit away from it's flavor, but reduces preparation time and effort considerably.

If pastilla sounds like bastila to you, that is because that's exactly what it is. As usual, Algerians have a variety of pastilla preparations.

If the name sounds Spanish too, well that's because it is a Spanish name. There is an antecedent to this dish in the anonymous thirteenth century Hispano-Muslim Cookbook which describes chicken wrapped in many paper thin sheets of dough. I do have a copy of the anonymous cookbook, but I did not make the connection until I read about it in Clifford Wright's A Mediterranean  Feast.

My method for making pastilla is very easy. I know there exists a certain type of food lover and cook who wants to believe that protracted cooking methods result in better dishes. This is simply not always the case. There is absolutely no loss of flavor with my method. But if you want to try a side by side taste comparison with a more involved method wipe yourself out.

In the old days it was labor and time consuming mostly because of the warka leaves and the sheer size. You needed a dada to come to your home to make it or purchase them through a warka maker, so this dish wasn't always accessible to poorer people. It was a dish for the wealthy or for feasts.

New Domain Names

This blog can be accessed through www.chefzadi.com and Ya Rayi Our Rai can be accessed through www.bookofrai.com. The previous URLs still work, do not worry if you have forwarded those to someone.

I thought it would be easier to be able link to the sites using domain names that are easy to remember.

Djouaz el Hummus, Algerian Chick Pea Soup, Potage de Pois Chiches

This is a very satisfying and easy to make soup. It's nutritious and full of strong, simple flavors. As with most Algerian dishes there are endless variations of chick pea soup. This the first in a series that I will post.

It might come as a surprise to some that Algerian cuisine has a large range of vegetarian, vegan and whole grain dishes. Most seem to be more familiar with meat and chicken dishes. But that is not representative of the diet. My family ate an unusually high amount of lamb and beef compared to most.