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Moorish Feast Recipes
from The Alhambra Palace The serene courtyards of The Alhambra Palace where once alive with the music of flutes and zitars
which floated up above the towers to the tiny narrow streets below. Dancers wore red with blue caps,
their faces covered with silk masks, edged with gold and silver depending on their rank.
The Alhambra was built by the Moorish taifas, who reigned with a more relaxed style to the war
warriors before them. They lived more for pleasure than for sacking villages and taking
of heads and this was shown in their love of the arts and need for harmony in their surroundings.
Great celebrations took place at the palace where all would come together in the lantern lit
courtyards to dance, sing and recite poetry, they would also eat great banquets that would last many days.
Below are a few dishes from these feast days, taken directly from cook books found at The Alhambra
which have been translated from the original Arabic text. The Moors brought many of Andalucia's modern day ingredients in to Spain including oranges, lemons, saffron, figs, sugar cane and rice. Many of Andalucia's
most traditional dishes are of Moorish origin including the famous dishes of Gazpacho and Paella.
We have chosen three dishes that translate very well to modern cooking. The ingredients should also be
quite easy to find and usually such foods would have been cooked in a the clay Moroccan tajin, but a casserole
dish will do just as well.
Baked
Lamb with Garlic - 15th Century
Take a nice cut of lamb, rinse it and cover with salt. Place in a casserole dish or tajin if you have
one with oil, pepper, dried coriander, cumin, soaked chickpeas, chopped onion, orange leaves, fennel
and vinaigrette sauce. Cook at a low heat, stirring occasionally until the meat has released its juices.
Add a little water if it becomes too dry. Prepare the garlic heads by cleaning the outside and cutting
off any shoots and then coat with diluted saffron. Place in the the pot with the meat and cook until
the garlic has released its aroma.
Mixed Meat Tajin with Vegetables
A Classic Berber recipe from The Sinhaya Tribe - said to contain all the vital nourishment for good health
Take a large casserole dish (or Tajin) and put in vinegar, pepper, coriander, cumin and a good quantity of
saffron. Place over a medium heat and then add equal amounts of sliced veal, lamb and chicken. Finally add
some soaked chickpeas and water to cover. Sometimes peeled and ground almonds, chestnuts and garlic were also
added. When the meat and chickpeas are cooked it should be served with a selection of cooked vegetables such
as carrots, aubergines, pumpkin, celery, lettuce hearts and turnips.
Fresh Baked Tuna - 13th Century
Marinade slices of fresh tuna overnight in vinegar, cumin and garlic. When cooking remove the slices
from the marinade and place in a casserole dish with salt, pepper, dried coriander, cumin, saffron,
sweet and sour sauce. Leave for a while in the dish for the fish to absorb the flavours. Finally before
cooking pour over a little olive oil and top the dish with peeled and thinly sliced cooking apples. Put
in the oven on a medium heat and when the apples are cooked the fish will be too.
and now one for the slaves.....
The basic domestic slave was allowed to eat the following....
Slices of liver, kidney, heart and spleen, cut into little bits with onions, spices, garum, thyme,
oil and pine nuts. It was then all mixed with water and cooked in the tajin. (and eaten in peace God
willing)
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