Baked Fish Stuffed with Walnuts / Balig Levengi

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

This is my first recipe in the Fish category. And I started with the king of Azerbaijani fish recipes - fish stuffed with walnuts. On joyful occasions such as the celebration of Spring Holiday - Novruz, the Azerbaijani table overflows with food. But there is always room for fish stuffed with Levengi, a traditional walnut filling originating from the beautiful city of Lenkeran in the southeast of the country.

The best fish to stuff is KUTUM, also known as Caspian White Fish or Caspian Roach. Yes, finding kutum in Azerbaijan is not a problem. How about elsewhere, where there is no Caspian sea:) I was wondering too, until I discovered white fish in a nearby Persian grocery store. I don’t know where the raise this fish here but boy, is the taste delicious! It’s almost the same as Kutum we eat in Azerbaijan. I checked some Russian food stores and it sells there too. Check your area for this type ethnic or fish markets that may carry them as well.

If you can’t find white fish, you can substitute it with sea bass, red snapper, or red mullet, or any fish that looks like the one in the pictures below.

Typically, broiled, baked, or fried fish is served with thick pomegranate paste called Narsharab, which is actually pomegranate juice simmered on slow heat until it is thick and dark (sold in bottles). Fish flakes are dipped into this tart syrup. In U.S. Narsharab is usually available in Persian/Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can’t find it, no worries, freshly squeezed lemon juice over your fish would do just as well.

Levengi filling calls for three main ingredients: Walnuts, Onion and Sour Paste. Sour paste is a sort of chutney-like puree made of sour plums. I will post the recipe later once the plum season comes. In the meantime, you can use dried sour plums or fresh pomegranate seeds instead of the sour paste to add some tartness to the filling. I didn’t have sour paste. I used both dried sour plums and pomegranates. Using either or a combination of both is good. Some people add raisins to the filling, too, but I never do because walnuts are rich and sweet enough for me. It’s up to you. Enjoy!

Baked Fish Stuffed with Walnuts / Baliq Levengi

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 large white fish (3-5 pounds), scaled and cleaned (keep the head on)

For the Stuffing
1 large onion, finely grated or ground
1 ½ cups walnuts, ground
1 tablespoon sour paste* or 5-6 large dried sour plums, pitted and chopped, or 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper

To Rub and Baste
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
fresh juice of ½ lemon (2-3 tablespoons)

VARIATION: You can substitute white fish with sea bass, red snapper, or red mullet.

VARIATION: If the fish has a roe (in Azeri - kuru, in Russian - ikra), do not discard it when cleaning the fish. Add it raw to the walnut mixture, reducing the amount of walnuts accordingly. Stuffing with fish roe is very delicious. I have never found a fish with roe in Long Beach markets, but in Azerbaijan, you luck out finding a fish with roe quite often.

1. Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Rub inside and out with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare the filling. Place the onion on a fine sieve and press to remove the juices. In a mixing bowl, combine onion, walnuts, sour paste or dried sour plums, or pomegranate seeds, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

4. Using a spoon, fill the cavity of the fish with the walnut stuffing. Make sure you pack the mixture tightly inside.

5. Pin the cavity shut with wooden barbecue skewers or cocktail sticks. Or, if available, sew it up tightly with kitchen twine. Place the fish on a baking sheet and pour the lemon juice over it. If you sewed the cavity, place the fish on a baking sheet in an upright position, seam side down. It looks beautiful when you remove it from the oven and place it on a platter in that position. If you used skewers like me just lay the fish on one side. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the fish is browned and flakes easily with a fork.

6. Arrange the fish on a serving platter and discard the pins or twine. Garnish with lemon slices, pomegranate seeds and serve with rice pilaff or bread and pomegranate paste (Narsharab) on the side. When serving, slice the fish into pieces making sure each one has some filling inside.

Nush Olsun! Enjoy!

Baked Honey Chicken WingsBaked Honey Chicken Wings

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

They Are good - pleasantly crispy on the outside, surprisingly succulent inside, and utterly delicious.

How do you make chicken wings taste so good? Simple. You marinate them in nothing more than honey-ketchup-mayonnaise mixture, dredge them in bread crumbs, then bake in the oven until golden all over. Simple and delicious. Try and see for yourself. And it’s ok if you become a glutton too:)

BAKED HONEY CHICKEN WINGS
From “Anne, Ben Aciktim” by Sahrap Soysal

16 chicken wings
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
bread crumbs (I used panko)

1. Cut off and discard the wing tips. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken wings, ketchup, mayonnaise, honey, salt and pepper. Toss to coal the wings well with the marinade. Leave in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the bread crumbs on a flat plate.

3. Remove the wings from the marinade. Dredge them in the bread crumps all over, then transfer onto the baking sheet.

4. Bake in the 400F (180C) oven for about 40 minutes, or until the wings are cooked (juices should run clean) and are golden brown. Nush Olsun! Enjoy!

Georgian Chicken with Herbs (Chakhokhbili)

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

Tell me the truth now. When you read GEORGIAN, did you really think the state of Georgia?:) If so, I got you:) Because this post is about the country of Georgia, Azerbaijan’s immediate neighbor. Azerbaijani town of Balaken borders a town of Lagodekhi in Georgia. When I was a kid, my relatives who live in Balaken and I took a few trips down to Lagodekhi. My recollection of the town and of its food in particular, is very limited as it was long ago but I remember the town itself as beautiful, green, clean and warm and I would love to visit there again, this time with the goal to go beyond Lagodekhi and see as much of Georgia as possible.

Georgian food is delicious. I know. I have sampled some of the country’s traditional dishes in Georgian restaurants in Baku. Plus, Azerbaijanis know and love Georgian cheese bread called khachapuri which is one of the most popular snacks sold on Baku streets and in many pastry shops throughout the city. Although Georgian food is distinct in many ways (think lots of cheese and lots of walnuts), it shares similarities with Azerbaijani food and that’s how I know it’s delicious:). Georgian cooking incorporates the use of fresh ingredients in every dish, just like Azerbaijani cooking, where the concept of freezing something else besides the meat is almost non-existent. The ingredients must be fresh so I’d say frequent runs to markets are inevitable.

In the following recipe for chakhokhbili, a traditional Georgian dish, for example, the key is to use the freshest ingredients available. In this dish, chicken is simmered down with the freshest ripe tomatoes (don’t be tempted to use canned tomatoes if you want to make this dish truly Georgian) and plentiful of fresh herbs, to result in the most flavorful and delicious meal. This Georgian dish is a staple in my kitchen as I make it pretty often. You will love it too, I am sure. Enjoy!

Georgian Chicken with Herbs
recipe from The Georgian Feast by Darra Goldstein

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons butter
one 3-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
4 medium onions, peeled and chopped
8 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
generous 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, tarragon, basil, dill)
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Stir in the chopped onions and cook for 10 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.

Add the prepared tomatoes and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done.

Stir in the garlic, herbs, hot pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, covered, 5 minutes longer.

Let stand 5 minutes, covered, before serving.

Chicken With Eggs - Toyug Chighirtmasi

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a chicken recipe, hasn’t it? Considering that chicken is a widely used type of poultry in Azerbaijan and that there are countless recipes with it, I have no excuse not to post them on my blog from time to time. So, yesterday I decided to roll up my sleeves, get into kitchen and cook a classic Azerbaijani dish - Chicken With Eggs called Toyug Chighirtmasi in Azeri. The word Chighirtma is a general name given to dishes in which eggs are added at the very end and cooked until set, like in the recipe for Ispanag Chighirtmasi (Spinach with Eggs) I posted a while ago. Or, in Badimjan Chighirtmasi (Eggplant with Eggs), Kartof Chighirtmasi (Potatoes with Eggs), Pomidor Chighirtmasi (Tomatoes with Eggs), you name it. There is this entirely separate category with egg dishes in Azerbaijani cuisine.

Toyug Chighirtmasi is a very popular dish in Azerbaijan. The recipe varies slightly from region to region and even from family to family. Some people like to add squeezed lemon juice to the chicken for that nice tanginess. Or, in some cases, the chicken is boiled before it is fried.

The recipe I am posting is how I make chicken with eggs. What I like about this particular recipe is that the eggs do not overpower the overall flavor of the dish; I don’t add too many of them to it. The eggs blend in with other ingredients so well that you almost do not taste them in the cooked dish. Also, during the simmering process, the onions and tomatoes melt down to the consistency of almost a pasta sauce - so delicious. We enjoyed Toyug Chighitmasi at dinner yesterday, hope you do too when you cook it.

CHICKEN WITH EGGS / TOYUG CHIGHIRTMASI

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

3 spoons vegetable oil
2 spoons butter
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pounds / 900g boneless or bone-in chicken parts, cut into about 10 serving pieces (I use boneless chicken thighs)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon, or more, to taste, ground black pepper
4 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, with their juices
3 eggs, lightly beaten
chopped cilantro (coriander) or parsley, to garnish

NOTE 1: If your tomatoes are not ripe and juicy, dissolve 1 tablespoon tomato paste in 1/2 cup hot water and add it to the chicken along with chopped tomatoes.

NOTE 2: You can also bake this dish in the oven at the last stage. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish then pour the eggs over it. Bake in the 400F (200C) degree oven until the eggs are set. It makes for a beuatiful presentation if you serve this dish straight from your baking dish.

1. In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until it is light brown. Transfer the onion to a bowl and put aside.

2. Add the remaining oil and the butter to the same frying pan and heat over medium heat (Note: butter alone tends to brown when you melt it. Adding some fluid oil to the pan along with butter will prevent that). Add the chicken pieces and fry for about 20 minutes, or until they are brown, turning them once to cook on both sides.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the cooked onions and chopped tomatoes with juices to the pan. Cover and turning only occasionally, simmer over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

4. Pour the beaten eggs over the chicken, slightly tilting the pan to distribute the eggs evenly. Cover the pan and let cook for about 5-7 minutes (do not stir!) or until the eggs are set. Serve immediatley, garnished with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley. Chicken with Eggs is delicious with bread or rice. NUSH OLSUN! ENJOY!

Saffron Infused Chicken With Quince / Zeferanli ve Heyvali Toyug

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

I wrote earlier that I am addicted to cardamom, right? Well, I have another sinful confession to make - I am addicted to saffron too. My nose is quite adept at recognizing its aroma at such a distance you may think I have serious issues here:)

Saffron is quite an expensive treat, I should say. I used to buy it from a Persian grocery store about a 30 minute drive from where we live but I recently discovered Spanish saffron at a nearby Trader Joe’s and it made my life easier. Every time I go there I make sure I buy a small jar so that I have enough supply to satisfy my saffron cravings.

In Azerbaijan saffron is the king of spices. Saffron is used widely but at the same time sparingly in rice pilaffs, in soups and stews, desserts, sweets and syrups and many other dishes to add a nice touch of flavor and/or beautiful color.

My friend Maryam once made this chicken stew with quince infused with saffron. After having at least 3 servings (yes, I am a glutton) of it, I was ready to write the recipe down and whip up this glorious dish next time my addiction kicked in. This stew is pretty easy to make and it is delicious too. The flavors of quince, saffron and chicken go great together in the dish. Maryam and I share the same ethnic background but we grew up in different countries, she in Iran and I in Azerbaijan. I see this dish as a fusion of Persian and Azerbaijani cuisines that have a lot in common, and where both quince and saffron are widely used in cooking.

A word on quinces. If you ever travel to Azerbaijan, make sure you stop at a local farmer’s market to buy fresh quince. Don’t be tempted to rush to the first stand with quinces you see in the large market hall. Listen carefully and if you hear a seller proudly shouting “Ordubad Heyvasi!” or “Ordubad Heyvasi burda” meaning “Quince from Ordubad” and “Quince from Ordubad is here” don’t wait, head straight over in that direction and fill your bag with this exotic fruit. The city of Ordubad boasts the best quince in the country. It is so tender and sweet inside. Go ahead and eat them raw, just like you would eat an apple. In Azerbaijan we also make delicious quince preserve, we stuff the quince with meat and call if Quince Dolma. The exotic fruit can also turn into a nice refreshing syrup we call sherbet - perfect to finish a hearty meals with.

Ok, I’m being carried away here. I’ll stop. Without much ado, here’s the recipe. Thank you, Maryam!

SAFFRON INFUSED CHICKEN WITH QUINCE / Heyvali ve Zeferanli Toyuq

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 medium quinces (about 2 pounds / 1 kg)
6 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
1 teaspoon powdered saffron threads (using a mortar and pestle powder 2 teaspoons saffron threads) dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
3 pounds (about 1.5 kg) boneless chicken parts, cut into serving size pieces (I used thighs)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup water
about 10 dried sour plums, pitted and halved (if it is difficult to remove the pit, simply cut the flesh into strips to use and discard the stone) - substitute with 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

1. Do not peel the quinces. Quarter them and remove core with a knife. Cut into wedges not too thin and not too thick.

2. In a large frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the quince and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add saffron powder and cook together, for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the quince with the saffron. Remove from heat.

3. In a large deep frying pan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the onion and cook together for another 6-7 minutes. When the chicken starts to release the juices, add tomato paste dissolved in water. Cook together for another 10-15 minutes, or until the juices have slightly thickened. The chicken will be almost but not completely cooked at this point.

5. Add the quince and dried sour plums to the chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to medium to low, and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken and quince are tender (quince should not be mushy). Note that cooking times may vary depending on the chicken and how hard the fresh quinces were.

Nush Olsun! Enjoy!

Lamb Patties from Lenkeran (Shami)

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

I disappeared again. You must be used to this terrible behavior of mine. Please forgive me. I was around fighting this crazy cold I got from who knows where which I finally defeated. Thank you for all your emails asking me about my whereabouts. I really appreciate it. You guys are great!

I can’t wait to share one special recipe with you today. Shami is the name of the great dish and it hails from one of the best culinary destinations in Azerbaijan, the region of Lenkeran in the southeast. Lenkeran is home to the best chay (black tea) that comes from vast tea plantations tucked along the region, exotic delicacies loved in every corner of Azerbaijan, hospitable and friendly people, and many more. The recipe was given to me by my buddy Sevda, one of the sweetest Lenkeranis I’ve met.

So, what is shami and what is so special about it. Shami is a lamb patty. But not your regular lamb patty made of ground raw meat. Shami is a patty made of cooked ground lamb and this is how the process goes. First, the lamb is boiled in water along with whole onions until tender. Then the meat is ground together with the onions, the eggs is added, the ingredients are blended together and the mixture is shaped into patties. The patties are then fried on both sides until golden. Boiling the lamb in the first stage removes its heavy taste and smell as well as mellows its taste. Precooking the lamb also allows for short frying times in the second stage and the patties do not absorb as much oil as their counterparts made of raw meat. Shami has a beautiful golden crust on the outside and is super soft and flavorful inside. It is absolutely delicious. Next time, I am going to try making shami with beef. If you try it before me, please let me know how it turns out. Nush Olsun!

Lamb Patties from Lenkeran (Shami)
Makes 18-20 patties

2 pounds (1 kg) boneless lamb with no fat, cut into medium size pieces
2 medium onions, peeled
2 eggs
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Put the meat and peeled whole onions in a medium saucepan. Fill the pan with enough water to cover the ingredients completely. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook, maintaining a gentle boil, for about 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked. It should be tender and should not be pink inside). Strain on a fine-mesh sieve (reserve the strained broth for other uses, such as for dushbere).

Pass the meat and the onions together through a meat grinder (the traditional way). Or, grind in a food processor. Put the mixture in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Knead thoroughly with your hand until well blended.

Shape the mixture into 18-20 oval or round patties (I made round), about 3/8-inch (0.9 cm) thick (you can make them thicker if you want to. They should be somewhat “chubby” and not too thin).

Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan. Brown the patties on one side, for 3-5 minutes, then turn to cook the other side. Do not turn until one side is ready. These patties are fragile and may easily break if you keep turning them. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with rice pilaf or bread (traditionally shami is served as an accompaniment to rice, but I like it with bread too).

Braised Lamb with Pomegranates and Chestnuts

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

Nar, nar, more nar! This is what the family has been saying the most ever since nars
(pomegranates) hit the Long Beach markets stalls about a month ago. We buy loads of nar. And we have nar eating sessions every day. Even our dog is addicted. He eagerly joins our sessions, and we all munch on the the crunchy juicy seeds, the dog shamelessly sending the juices to the floor while we the humans, to our faces. When I want the floor and our faces clean, I cook with pomegranates. Like I did yesterday, when I made this classic Azerbaijani dish called Nar Govurmasi.

The dish hails from the region of Goychay in Azerbaijan, the pomegranate capital of Azerbaijan. There dozens of pomegranate varieties grow in each and every front and back yard and vast orchards across the region. Juicy pomegranates with flavors that run from tart and tangy to sweet, with seeds that are burgundy, red and even white, with skins that can be red, pink, or white - Goychay is a blissful paradise for pomegranate enthusiasts.

Because of the fruit’s abundance, cooking with pomegranates is a common practice in the region and numerous dishes, both sweet and savory, are prepared with their ruby seeds. Nar Govurmasi is one such dish. In this dish, the meat (traditionally, lamb is used, but veal is a great substitute) is first fried with the onions, then chestnuts are added to it. A little broth on top and a dash of saffron, and the dish is simmered until the meat is fully cooked. Pomegranates are added at the very last stage and a great care is taken not to overcook them - they should remain fresh and never lose their crunchiness. Sometimes, the pomegranates seeds are not cooked at all: instead, they are added to individual serving plates, to taste.

This is an unusual dish worth trying now that pomegranates and chestnuts are at their peak. You’ll be intrigued by its taste.



BRAISED LAMB with POMEGRANATES and CHESTNUTS
Nar Govurmasi

Note: Typically, saffron infusion is added to jazz up the flavor of the dish, but if not available, use a generous pinch of turmeric powder instead (no need to dissolve in water).

Serves 4

2 pounds (900g) boneless or bone-in lamb (such as breast, shoulder or leg), cut into medium size serving pieces (substitute with veal)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled, cut into half lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
4 cups blanched and shelled chestnuts
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons water
2 cups pomegranate seeds (preferably a tangy variety)

Put the meat in a medium saucepan and fill it with water, enough to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the meat is no more pink inside, about 20 minutes. During that time, with a slotted spoon, skim off the froth that may surface to top. Strain the meat through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving the broth (you will need some of it later). Put the meat on a separate plate.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until light golden, about 10 minutes. Add the meat to the onion and cook together, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes (the onions will almost melt down).

Add the chestnuts to the meat. Using a mortar and pestle, powder saffron threads (you should obtain about a pinch of powder), then dissolve the powder in 2 tablespoons hot water. Add the saffron-water along with 1 cup reserved broth to the pan with the meat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cover and cook stirring occasionally (too much stirring may break the chestnuts) for about 30 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked and the chestnuts are tender (they must hold their shape). If you are going to serve immediately, add the pomegranate seeds, cover and simmer over for 5 more minutes. If you are going to serve later, add the pomegranates just before serving and cook briefly. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with bread or as a topping to rice pilaf. Nush Olsun! Enjoy!