The New Persian Kitchen Author: Visit Amazon's Louisa Shafia Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1607743574 | Format: PDF
The New Persian Kitchen Description
Amazon.com Review
Featured Recipe from
The New Persian Kitchen: Turmeric Chicken with Sumac and Lime
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 juicy limes, halved
- Sumac, for garnish
Directions
In a small bowl, mix the turmeric with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with the spice mixture, turning to coat both sides.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Brown the chicken well on both sides, about 7 minutes per side. Pour in the water, then add the garlic, stirring it into the water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cover. Braise the chicken for 25 minutes, until the inside is opaque. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, turn up the heat to high, and reduce the cooking liquid for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until it’s slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and pour the sauce over the chicken.
Dust the chicken with sumac and pepper, garnish with lime halves, and serve.
Featured Recipe from
The New Persian Kitchen: Saffron Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 6 large ears corn, shucked
- 3 dried limes, soaked in hot water to cover for 15 minutes
- 6 cups chicken stock or water
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron, ground and steeped in 1 tablespoon hot water
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat and cook the onions for about 10 minutes, until they start to brown. Add the turmeric and corn. Pierce the limes with a knife or fork and add them to the pot along with their soaking water. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the corn is just tender.
Squeeze the limes against the side of the pot with a long spoon to extract their concentrated flavor before removing them from the soup. Blend half of the soup in a blender, then return it to the pot. Add the saffron and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice to taste, and serve.
Review
Every once in a while I pick up a cookbook and want to cook everything in it, which was the case with this one.
—Martha Rose Shulman,
The New York Times“Louisa does a beautiful job of weaving the traditional Persian culinary palette into something of her own. She takes fantastical ingredients—rose water, pomegranates, sumac, and saffron—and spins them into an inspired and unique collection of recipes that are fresh, bright, and brilliantly full of flavor.”
—Heidi Swanson, author of
Super Natural Every Day “This is a highly evocative book telling the story of the marvelous cuisine of Iran, one of my favorites and one that has yet to be properly discovered in the West.”
—Yotam Ottolenghi, coauthor of
Jerusalem “The New Persian Kitchen is the perfect introduction to Persian cooking, full of classic ingredients and not-so-traditional ones, like tofu and quinoa. This book has something for everyone: practical recipes, anecdotes about the culture and history of Iran, and beautiful photography.”
—Firoozeh Dumas, author of
Funny in Farsi See all Editorial Reviews
- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Ten Speed Press; 1 edition (April 16, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1607743574
- ISBN-13: 978-1607743576
- Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
I borrowed this book from my local library and found it so interesting that I went on a two-week binge of Persian cooking! Needless to say, I have now purchased my own copy of the book.
This book is a great introduction to Persian cuisine, which is new to me and probably to most Americans. Shafia starts off by discussing the history of the cuisine and its unique ingredients. The Persian cuisine, as described by her, is sort of fantastically healthy. Typical recipes include many vegetables, herbs, nuts, fruits, and yogurt. Most dishes contain very little added fat, just a few tablespoons of oil for cooking. Meat is eaten, but is not the main focus, and cheese is not featured much either. As a result, the finished dishes are light, yet flavorful, complex, and satisfying.
I've tried about 10 recipes so far, and all have been very good. The Chicken Kebabs in Yogurt Marinade is a classic Persian recipe, according to the author, and very tasty. The Turmeric Chicken with Sumac and Lime is quite easy to make and full of flavor. The Tomato and Cucumber Salad is reminiscent of the mixed chopped vegetable salads in most Mediterranean cuisines, but adds a unique Persian twist with lime and dried mint. Some of my favorite recipes so far are the delicious Persian rice dishes, which to me scale the heights of rice cookery. Her Sweet Rice with Carrots & Nuts is exotic and delicate; and I feel like I could happily eat Rice with Favas & Dill at least every other week. The recipes are very healthy to start with, and Shafia adds a further dimension by offering recipe variations substituting vegetables, tofu, or tempeh for meat, and whole grains for white grains. I really like her attention to health issues and flexibility in using new ingredients.
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