African, continued from Previous Page


African spices with the more familiar of California’s bounty, such as common cuts of locally raised meat and produce. Chef Mihal’s menu “follows the Mediterranean down to Morocco,” applying an international palate to ingredients grown locally. Cumin, paprika, saffron, co- riander, caraway and turmeric play on the plate with Sonoma’s seasonal produce, making for winning combi- nations. Dishes such as spiced Marrakesh gigante beans and Merguez sausage with harissa and tomato dip depict how Chef Mihal creates balance in his dishes that is both approachable and comforting, while pushing customers outside of their culinary comfort zone. When he thinks of African spices, Chef Mihal says


he, “Imagine[s himself] in a Moroccan market, sur- rounded by mosaic tiles, walking down streets with cone shaped spices.” The African spices certainly bring a vivid image in one’s mind and a strong aroma to the senses. Chef Mark Sullivan of Spruce in San Francisco


creates his own Moroccan spice blend. “The predomi- nant ingredients are cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, oriander, cayenne – the 5 C’s,” said Chef Sullivan. “And then we add quite a bit of fresh mint before cooking.” “It’s a natural progression for chefs to want to explore the world of spices,” says Chef Sullivan. “As


chefs you can be inventive in a lot of different ways, and one of them is the use of spices. One can play with and deviate from and learn to utilize spices in different ap- plications. That makes our job more fun.” Chef Sullivan also blends this spice mix with olive


oil to make a rub or a paste. At Spruce they rub the spice blend on prawns and cook them in a cast iron pan to char the spices, as one of their hit appetizers. Chef Guillas hails from France and traveled to


North Africa several times as a child. “The spices in Africa are delicate, complex and intense,” he said. “The spice really finishes an African dish and makes it sing.” He also notes that African spices aren’t limited to cooking. “In Morocco and Tunisia they use a lot of their spices for baking and also for flavoring coffee and tea,” says Chef Guillas. “Or try breaking it down. You can extract the oil from most African spices and the oils can also be used in foams.” The tantalizing, aromatic spices bring a strong contrast of spicy, tangy and bold ethnic flavors that cre- ate synergy in African dishes. Western chefs particularly enjoy using these spices in updated versions of the African classic tagine.


See African, Continued on Page 15


THREE-LAYERED CHICKEN BASTILLA WITH EGGS & ALMOND


INGREDIENTS [chicken] 6 chicken legs


For the poaching liquid: In a medium pot, combine 3 qts chicken stock 2 cinnamon sticks 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp turmeric 1 pinch saffron


METHOD Let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the flavors come together. Place the chicken legs in the poach- ing liquid and gently sim- mer for about 20 minutes or until tender.


12


Set aside to cool. Re- serve the poaching liquid. Once cool, pick the meat off the legs discarding any un- desirable pieces. Dice into bite size pieces. To finish the chicken fill- ing, sauté 1 onion, medium dice until soft and translu- cent, add 1 1/2 cups of the poaching liquid and reduce


until almost dry. Fold the onion mixture into the chicken.


2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped Juice from 1 lemon, mix well


[Egg]


In a sauté pan, combine: 1 cup of the chicken poaching liquid 1 tsp turmeric Pinch black pepper


METHOD Reduce by 3/4, gently pour in 6 eggs, beaten. Scramble the eggs leaving them on the wet side.


[Almond]


1 cup almonds, whole skin on, toasted 1/4 cup sugar


1 heaping tsp cinnamon METHOD


In the bowl of a food


processor, combine ingre- dients. Pulse just enough to mix but leaving some larger pieces of almonds.


ASSEMBLY 1/2 cup butter, melted 8 sheets filo dough 6, 8 oz ceramic baking bowls


METHOD


Butter the bowls well with a pastry brush. Lay out 1 sheet of filo at a time, brush with butter, season with salt.


Cut the fillo sheet into


quarters. Fold each quarter in half making triangles. Place 2 triangles into each bowl, longest sides overlap- ping in the middle of the bowl.


Place a layer of chicken, followed by a layer of egg, finishing with a layer of nuts. It is important to let each layer settle on its own instead of packing them.


PHOTO BY LEILA SEPPA


This results in a much lighter delicate bastilla. Fold over the tops using


any remaining filo to cover any holes if needed. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool in the bak- ing dish.


SERVE Remove from the baking dish and place on a sheet tray. Place into a 400°F


oven for about 8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.


Executive Chef Bridget Batson Gitane


San Francisco, CA


Culinary Trends | Mid Winter 2011


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