Posts tagged ras el hanout

Spiced Bass, Bulgur Wheat Salad, Lime

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Spiced Bass, Bulgur Wheat Salad, Lime

What started out as a loss of inspiration the other evening turned into a pretty delicious quick and tasty meal for my adoring sister and I for a casual and relaxing Friday night a few weeks ago. A breeze to knock up which was appreciated as we barely kept our eyes open after a long week and hard work. Tasty and nutritious with a beautiful girly scattering of rose petals. Sorry chaps, girls night in. After a few glasses of something crisp and aromatic (I recommend maybe a Gewürztraminer) I highly recommend topping this off with a helping of trashy Reeses peanut butter cups for pudding…A bit of an oxymoron to the meal but moderation in moderation.

Serves 2 

  • 80g bulghur wheat
  • Handful raisins
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 1 large bunch coriander, chopped
  • 1 large onion, cut into half moons
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • 200g yoghurt
  • 2 seabass fillets
  • 1 tbsp Ras El Hanout
  • Pinch rose petals (optional)
  1. Start by cutting the fish fillets in half and season. Mix with a tablespoon of olive oil and the Ras El Hanout and massage this in. Set aside.
  2. Slowly cook the onions now. Heat a splash of light oil in a frying pan and gently soften and fry the onion slices for about 10 minutes until just beginning to turn golden brown and crisp. Once soft and gold stir in the cumin and remove from the heat.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the bulgur wheat by simmering in boiling water until just tender (about 5-8 minutes). Drain well and leave to dry a little. Season.
  4. Stir the onions, raisins, the chopped coriander (save a handful for garnish) and mix to combine. Check the seasoning then add the juice of the lemon. Fork through to combine the flavours and set aside.
  5. Mix the yoghurt with the juice of the lime and the majority of the zest (save a pinch for garnish). Season and set aside.
  6. Now you’re ready to cook your fish. Heat a frying pan with a little oil until hot. Fry the fish, skin side down for about 2-3 minutes until crisp. Flip onto the flesh side for the final 30 seconds then remove from the heat.
  7. Jess - Moroccan Seabass3
  8. To serve, spoon half the yoghurt mixture into the centre of a plate. Top with some of the bulgur wheat salad. Finally top with fish and garnish with some chopped coriander, lime zest and rose petals.

Jess - Moroccan Seabass2

 

Moroccan Lamb

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Moroccan Lamb

This is a knock out way to cook a leg of lamb. If you buy a good quality piece from a good butchers it will so tender and cut like butter every time. Served with some beautiful jeweled cous cous scattered with pomegranate seeds and toasted almonds, a fresh green avocado salad dressed with lemon and olive oil and some oiled and grilled pitta breads dusted in spicy sumac, it really is a fantastic exchange for a Sunday roast in the summer when the weather lets you down. However, preferably if the sun is out, this lamb is amazing on the BBQ where it gets that priceless charred outside!

Moroccan Lamb (Serves 8)

  • (2kg) Leg of lamb, boned and butterflied
  • 2 lemons, juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Bunch of coriander, chopped
  • 1 red chilli, chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 tbsp Ras El Hanout
  1. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl adding Ras El Hanout to taste (the strength will depend on the brand you buy so add as much as you like). Massage the marinade into the butterflied lamb and then place into a large dish in the fridge overnight to tenderise.
  2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C . Place the lamb in a baking tray or grill rack over a tray and cook for 45 minutes (medium) or 1 hour (well done). Leave to rest for at LEAST 20 minutes wrapped tightly in foil so that you can collect all the lovely juices and use them for pouring over the carved meat.
  3. Once rested, carve into thick slices and serve with the juices. I also made a minted oil as a nice dressing by blitzing a bunch of mint leaves with some olive oil and seasoning in a processor.

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Jeweled Bulgar Wheat Salad (Serves 4)

  • 120g bulgar wheat
  • 1 litre light vegetable stock
  • 1 pomegranate, seeds removed
  • 50g pistachios/flaked almonds
  • Bunch spring onions, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • Small handful of chopped dried apricots
  • Large handful each of coriander, flat-leaf parsley, mint (and/or any other herbs you like)
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • 1 large or 2 small onions
  • 1 tsp ground cumin/ras el hanout
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  1. Simmer the bulgar wheat in the stock for about 10 minutes or so to loose its crunch. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. In a dry frying pan or warm oven, toast the pistachios or flaked almonds for a few minutes. If using pistachios, chop roughly keeping fairly coarse.
  3. Cut the onion into half moons and fry in a little oil over a medium heat until softened and golden brown coloured and beginning to crisp. Season with salt, stir in the ground cumin/ras el hanout and remove from the heat. Stir into the wheat along with the lime zest and juice and season.
  4. Add the diced cucumber, spring onions and chopped apricots to the cooled bulgar wheat along with the chopped herbs (make sure the herbs are added when wheat has cooled to prevent them turning black). Add the nuts and pomegranate seeds but save a handful to scatter over the top for garnish.

This recipe could also be done with couscous and using any herbs, nuts or dried fruits etc that complement your other dishes! Serve with some grilled pitta breads if you like (recipe here)

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