Buran - Eggplant/Lamb Recipe from the 13th century Arab World

 

In these perilous times, in this part of the world, what we hear about Islam and Muslims in general is rather negative. And yes, it's understandable, given the wars we are in. But does anyone realize that, at one time, the tables were turned and while Europe was in the throes of its dark ages, the Islamic world was at the height in terms of science, culture, and government? Not only that, while Medieval western man was dining on rancid meat, in the Arab world, they were dining on savories cooked with spices from China and India and exotic fruit from Central Asia. In the West they subsisted on salted pork, roots plants and fermented ale, if they were lucky. In the Arab world they were using rosewater in their cooking and enjoying truffles from the Arabian Desert.

One of the earliest cookbooks comes from this period. It dates from the 13th century, and its author is a famed gourmet of the time, al-Baghdadi (his whole name is Muhammad ibn al-Hassan Ibn Muhahad ibn al-Karim al-Katib al-Baghdadi). His recipes reflect the times: they are full of spices from the East and are replete with frying, mincing, boiling, staining and stewing, usually all in one pot. Al-Baghdadi's masterworks are lamb recipes. He cooks lamb with rice, with chickpeas, even with noodles. But the recipe given, Buran (my favorite) is simply lamb kabobs  served with friend and mashed eggplant.

So, tonight, imagine you're in the court of the Caliphs, you're the prince or princess of Persia and you're dining on Buran, a gastronomic Arab delight.

BURAN

1 medium eggplant, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
1 pound ground lamb
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Cook the eggplant in boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and let stand at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, use wet and oily hands to shape the lamb into small meatballs (about 20 to 30 kabobs). Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet and fry the meatballs over medium-high heat until well browned (about 10 minutes). Cover with water, bring heat to low and simmer until most of the water has evaporated and only some of the oil is left. Set aside and reserve.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet (or use the same skillet from before), and fry the eggplant over medium heat until golden on both sides. The frying may be done in several batches with more oil being added as needed. Place the eggplant in a bowl and mash with a ladle or large spoon. Add salt, coriander, yogurt, garlic, and mix well.
4. Transfer the eggplant to a serving dish, arrange the meatballs on top, sprinkle with cumin and cinnamon, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

Eggplant Parmesan/Provencal

Back in Spanish Harlem, in our family's repertoire, one of the standby dishes was Eggplant Parmesan. Although we didn't call it that. We are vociferous eggplant eaters, and the dish was just another version which we knew as eggplant Italian style because we added grated cheese. To us, back then,  any dish that had Parmesan cheese in it was considered Italian; just like any dish that had soy sauce was considered Chinese. It was the innocence of the meat and potato days of yore.

What made our version delectable is that it contained crispy friend eggplant, which we loved. Add a little tomato sauce, grated Parmesan, some good crusty bread and you has a great meal. Later in life, I discovered the French Eggplant Provencal, which was the same damn thing minus the cheese. You just add some capers to it and baked the eggplant instead of frying. Also, to the French, Eggplant Provencal is normally served as an appetizer. Whichever method you use, if you're an eggplant lover, you'll savor the meal. And, even if you don't like eggplant, you just might change your mind.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

1 medium-sized eggplant (about 1-1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil (or more for frying)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce, heated

1. Blend flour, salt, pepper  and oregano on a plate or piece of wax paper and coat each eggplant slice well with mixture.
2. Heat half of the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and fry as many slices of eggplant as can be accommodated without crowding until crisp and brown on both sides. Transfer slices to a shallow heat-proof platter or pie plate, and keep warm.
3. Add remaining oil to skillet and brown rest of eggplant slices. Sprinkle half of browned eggplant in platter with a tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. Add remaining slices and second tablespoon of cheese.
4. Pour hot sauce over and around eggplant. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, place under a hot broiler from 3 to 4 minutes, and broil briefly until cheese melts and is slightly brown.

EGGPLANT PROVENCAL

1 medium-sized eggplant (about 1-1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground  black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup capers

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Dip eggplant slices in olive oil, and arrange on a flat baking pan or dish (I prefer cast-iron). Bake 10-15 minutes or until tender.
 3. Crush garlic and brown lightly in a little olive oil in a small saucepan. Add tomato sauce and cook until hot. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and oregano.
4. Pour sauce over eggplant, sprinkle with capers and serve hot or cold.

For both recipes the yield is about 4 servings.

Caldo Gallego

Great. Back to recipes. Today it's Caldo Gallego  For those of you who've been to Spain recently, this will probably be familiar. For those who haven't been to Spain, then you're in for a treat.


Caldo Gallego (Cal-doh Gah-jeh-goh) is a dish that is very popular in Puerto Rico. Even in Ponce, in the southern part of the island, where my parents hail from, the measure of a good restaurant is not its arroz con pollo or mofongo, it's the quality of  its Caldo Gallego. This is a vigorous soup that was brought over from Galicia, a historic region in northwest Spain. I'm told that in Galicia the base for this rich broth is an aged bacon called unto (oon-toh). Since you may not find it here, lean cured ham and/or salt pork can be used instead. Also, in Spain the soup is cooked in a large earthenware pot and is served in earthenware bowls. For those who don't have  earthenware, any heavy pot or kettle can be used, like a caldera  (a heavy pot made from cast-iron or cast aluminum and found in any Caribbean store). And, yes, regular soup plates will do. Add a loaf of good bread, and you have the perfect repast. Simple, delicious, and filling.


Let me add that the recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in  America (Thunder's Mouth Press). The soup needs long, gentle cooking time ( about 3 hours). But it's worth the wait.


CALDO GALLEGO (Galician Style Broth)


1/2 pound dry white beans

3 ounces lean cured ham or salt pork, washed and diced

1/2 pound smoked ham, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 small onion, peeled and sliced in rounds

1 pound potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 turnips, rinsed and quartered

1 10-ounce package frozen turnip greens

Salt and ground black pepper to taste


1. Rinse beans under cold running water and drain.

2. Place beans in a large kettle or Dutch oven. Add water to cover, cured ham, smoked ham and onion. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.

3. Add remaining ingredients and gently stir to mix. Bring to a second boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 1 more hour. If needed, you can add more water during last hour of cooking. It depends on how "soupy" you want it.

    Yield: 6 to 8 servings.