Spice (44 page)

Four 6-to 8-inch skewers

2 pounds swordfish, boned and skinned

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

12 grape leaves

2 ribs celery

¼ teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

4 tablespoons coconut milk

1 tablespoon nigella seeds

Pepper to taste

¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted

1.
If you don’t have metal skewers, soak bamboo skewers in warm water for 1 hour.

2.
Slice the swordfish into 4 equal steaks, about ½-inch thick. Using a boning knife, trim off any blood line that may be left on the steaks (a dark red-brown color that the fishmonger may or may not remove). Cut each steak into three 1-inch-square nuggets.

3.
In a medium mixing bowl, big enough to hold the swordfish pieces, combine 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the oregano and 1 teaspoon of the salt and whisk until combined.

4.
Add the swordfish and toss with your hands until the nuggets are well coated with the marinade.

5.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and drop in the grape leaves, one by one. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer the leaves for a minute to remove excess brine or soften them if they are fresh. Drain and cool.

6.
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill (see Grilling Tips, page 100).

7.
Trim the stems off the grape leaves by pinching them with your fingers or cutting them off with a small paring knife.

8.
Place each grape leaf down on a cutting board with the ribbed side facing up and the smoothest side down. Place a nugget of swordfish on the bottom end or stem end of the grape leaf, ½ inch from the bottom of the leaf. Fold the sides over the swordfish and roll the swordfish up like a cigar, from the bottom toward the top.

9.
When all the swordfish nuggets are wrapped, assemble them on the skewers by piercing through the sides of each bundle, spearing 3 wrapped chunks to a skewer. Leave about ¼ inch between each swordfish nugget so that the sides can cook thoroughly.

10.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the first layer of tough strings off of the outer side of each celery rib. Chop the celery into small pieces and set aside.

11.
In a blender, make the vinaigrette by combining the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with the sugar, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the coconut milk, and celery, blending until the mixture is smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon.

12.
Scrape the vinaigrette into a small mixing bowl and stir in the nigella seeds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

13.
Pour the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil onto a large plate or platter big enough to hold the swordfish skewers. Roll the 4 skewers around in the oil so that the wrapped swordfish nuggets are lightly coated.

14.
Grill the skewers for 5 minutes on each side over a medium-high flame.

15.
Place the wrapped swordfish on a clean platter, lined with extra grape leaves if you like. Spoon a tablespoon of vinaigrette over each skewer and sprinkle the coconut over each and serve. Pass around extra vinaigrette.

Roasted Crispy Duck with Tomato-Sesame Jam

The smell of a roasting duck drives me wild with anticipation, but I often find the consistency of roasted duck to be too rich. When I created this recipe, I was playing with condiments that would cut through the duck’s richness. The North African spice tones, acidity of the tomato, spiciness of the ginger, and sweetness of the honey in this tomato-sesame jam do just that.

Duck is as easy to make as roasted chicken. I prefer Muscovy duck because the breast meat is larger than that of a Peking duck; when you roast the Muscovy duck whole, the breasts and legs cook in equal time. You can find Muscovy ducks at specialty meat or butcher shops or online at www.grimaud.com.

The tomato-sesame jam, inspired by the flavors of North Africa, is an excellent condiment for any roasted meat, including pork and rich fish, such as salmon. The idea is to cook the tomatoes as slowly as possible in olive oil over low heat so that they melt and become sticky, like jam or stewed fruit. The saffron, freshly grated ginger, and loads of sesame seeds add color, brightness, and texture. I serve this duck with Rice Cakes (page 65) and sautéed green beans, perfectly rounding out the meal.

Drink an Oregon pinot noir with this dish.

M
AKES
1
DUCK TO SERVE
4,
OR
2
WİTH SOME LEFTOVERS

1 whole Muscovy duck (about 4 pounds)

4 teaspoons salt

Black pepper to taste

1 lemon, cut into 8 slices

2 tablespoons plus ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 large plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 pinch saffron (about 8 threads)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ¼ lemon)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Rinse the duck under cold water and pat very dry with paper towels.

3.
Place the duck on a cutting surface with the breast side up and split it in half between the two breasts. Open the duck up, prying it open with your hands. Lay the duck flat with the rib side down, so that the skin side is facing up. Press on the duck legs with the palms of your hands so that you crack the bones a little, causing the duck to lay flat. Do the same with the breasts, making the duck as flat as possible. Trim off the tail part (it contains glands that are very bitter) and discard.

4.
Trim the excess fat from the neck and discard it or reserve it for something else. Discard the liver, kidney, and neck meat or reserve it for something else.

5.
Season the duck with 2 teaspoons of the salt and the black pepper. Turn the duck over and season the other side with the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and more black pepper.

6.
Place the duck skin side up into a very large roasting pan or heavy baking sheet with sides (the duck fat and juices will drip while roasting, so you need a pan that can catch the juices). The duck will be laying flat.

7.
Tuck the lemon slices under the ribs in the empty cavity. It’s okay if they rest between the duck and the roasting pan.

8.
Rub the skin side of the duck with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and place it in the oven to roast. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and roast the duck for 45 to 55 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the juices run clear from the leg when pierced. Remove the duck from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving and serving.

9.
While the duck is roasting, make the jam. Simmer the tomatoes in a large sauté pan over low heat, adding the remaining ½ cup of olive oil, saffron, and salt and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft. Stir in the honey, lemon juice, ginger, and sesame seeds.

10.
To carve the duck, remove the legs from the carcass and cut each leg into two between the joints of the thigh and bottom leg piece. Remove the breast meat from the carcass using your hands and a knife to pull the meat away from the bones. Trim off the wings. Slice each breast into 4 equal pieces. Discard or reserve the roasted bones for stock.

11.
Skim off the fat that rises to the top of the roasting pan; you may have as much as 1 inch to remove. Place the roasting pan with the lemons over a medium flame and add ½ to 1 cup of water. Using a spoon, scrape the bits of stuck sugars from the bottom of the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer for just a minute.

12.
Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and pour it back into the roasting pan. If the duck needs to be warmed before serving, you can place it in this glazy juice with the skin side up, so that the duck skin doesn’t simmer in the sauce and get soggy. Heat the duck for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat.

13.
Serve each guest 2 slices of breast meat and a half of a leg and pass around the bowl of tomato-sesame jam.

Roasted Red Peppers with Sesame Seed Vinaigrette

This recipe makes a delicious mezze served alongside Fried Haloumi Cheese with Pears and Spiced Dates (page 10) and a dry sherry such as Fino, or sparkling wine like the Paopao Cocktail (page 36).

The peppers are also great chopped into small pieces to make a relish for grilled fish; try mixing in some peeled and chopped grilled peaches in the late summer when peaches are at their best.

I recommend buying white sesame seeds and toasting them yourself for a richer flavor (see page 174).

S
ERVES
4