Read The New Persian Kitchen Online
Authors: Louisa Shafia
The New Persian Kitchen (17 page)
4 farmed rainbow or brook trout, 8 ounces each, cleaned and butterflied
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup whole raw almonds, coarsely ground
1 cup barberries, soaked in warm water for ½ hour and drained
1 cup tightly packed minced fresh herbs, any combination of at least two of the following: cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, basil, mint
2 limes, cut into wedges
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease two baking sheets.
Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry thoroughly. Season them inside and out with salt and pepper and divide them between the baking sheets. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the onion for 10 minutes, until it starts to darken, then cook slowly over low heat for about 30 minutes, until it is dark brown and about half its original volume. Add the garlic, almonds, barberries, and tamarind, and cook over low heat until the mixture becomes fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
Remove the fish from the refrigerator. Open each fish toward you, leaving the bottom flat against the pan. Spread the filling evenly from head to tail, then press the top half of the fish down firmly to cover the filling. Tuck any excess filling inside. Brush the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the top turns golden and the fish flakes easily. Serve with the lime wedges.
Celebrating the Seasons: Persian Holidays and Iran’s Zoroastrian Legacy
olive oil–poached fish with fresh herbs and lemonTaking the first footstep with a good thought the second with a good word and the third with a good deed I entered Paradise.
—Zarathustra
Iran has been a Muslim country for many centuries, but before the Islamic conquest in the seventh century CE, the Persian Empire was Zoroastrian. The tenets of this little-known but extremely influential religion are said to have been revealed to the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) around 1200 BCE. Zoroaster, adherents believe, experienced a great vision that told him to worship the one benevolent god Ahura Mazda, the “creator of everything good.”
A departure for Iran’s pagan society, this curious new religion would introduce several novel ideas to the world, including direct contact with the divine, equality between the genders, and kindness to animals. Prefacing the Judeo-Christian tradition,
Zoroastrianism teaches that life is ruled by dualism, resulting in an ongoing conflict in the universe between light and darkness. Within each human being, the faith suggests, there is the free will to choose evil or righteousness, and it’s up to the individual to choose “good thoughts, good words, and good deeds” in order to stay on the right path.
Zoroastrianism teaches that life is ruled by dualism, resulting in an ongoing conflict in the universe between light and darkness. Within each human being, the faith suggests, there is the free will to choose evil or righteousness, and it’s up to the individual to choose “good thoughts, good words, and good deeds” in order to stay on the right path.
The Persian Empire remained Zoroastrian for roughly twelve hundred years, but with the Arab conquest, the majority of Iranians eventually embraced the Islamic faith. Still, many Persians, intent on resisting conversion, fled to India, where their descendants, the Parsis, still practice Zoroastrianism today. In fact, there are an estimated forty-five thousand practicing Zoroastrians in Iran itself, while smaller Zoroastrian communities flourish around the world, including roughly ten thousand in the United States. Despite these diminished numbers, Zoroastrian customs, mythology, and attitudes strongly pervade the Persian cultural identity inside and outside Iran.
A New Day
Spring is here, friends.
Let’s stay in the garden
And be guests to the strangers of the green.
We’ll fly from one flower to the other,
Like bees making the six corners
Of this earth’s hives prosperous.
—Rumi,
Divan-i Kebir
—Meter 1, translated by Nevit O. Ergin
Divan-i Kebir
—Meter 1, translated by Nevit O. Ergin
Iran’s Zoroastrian roots are perhaps most telling during the winter and summer solstices and the fall and spring equinoxes. Once marked by religious observances, these seasonal milestones have evolved into days of national pride and celebration. The most significant of these events is the Persian New Year celebration
Norooz
(new day), which takes place in March on the spring equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator and makes night and day equal again for the first time since the fall equinox on September 21.
Norooz
(new day), which takes place in March on the spring equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator and makes night and day equal again for the first time since the fall equinox on September 21.
This cosmic event, akin to the Christian Easter celebration, marks the beginning of the Iranian New Year, a joyful time of cultural unity that’s observed by Persians in and outside of Iran. (Today,
Norooz
often carries a wistful undercurrent, as many expatriate Persians, forced to leave Iran in the years since the 1979 revolution, spend the holiday separated from family and friends.)
Norooz
often carries a wistful undercurrent, as many expatriate Persians, forced to leave Iran in the years since the 1979 revolution, spend the holiday separated from family and friends.)
In keeping with the
Norooz
spirit of renewal, it’s customary for Persians to clean the house, get rid of clutter, buy new clothes, and settle disagreements. A ceremonial table called a
sofreh
is
spread with symbolic items, including flowers, candles, a mirror, a goldfish in a bowl, eggs, an orange, and gold coins—all Zoroastrian symbols of hope and prosperity. (
You can read more about
sofrehs
and the New Year table
.)
Norooz
spirit of renewal, it’s customary for Persians to clean the house, get rid of clutter, buy new clothes, and settle disagreements. A ceremonial table called a
sofreh
is
spread with symbolic items, including flowers, candles, a mirror, a goldfish in a bowl, eggs, an orange, and gold coins—all Zoroastrian symbols of hope and prosperity. (
You can read more about
sofrehs
and the New Year table
.)
Norooz
celebrations are notable for a profusion of green hues, echoing the holiday’s emphasis on the reawakening of nature. Even the food at
Norooz
gets the green herb treatment: the classic dinner menu consists of
Bean, Herb and Noodle Soup
; as well as fish cooked with herbs, such as
Parvin’s Tamarind Stuffed Fish
, herbed rice;
herb frittata
; and
Sabzi Khordan
.
celebrations are notable for a profusion of green hues, echoing the holiday’s emphasis on the reawakening of nature. Even the food at
Norooz
gets the green herb treatment: the classic dinner menu consists of
Bean, Herb and Noodle Soup
; as well as fish cooked with herbs, such as
Parvin’s Tamarind Stuffed Fish
, herbed rice;
herb frittata
; and
Sabzi Khordan
.
Dawn Over Persia
AWAKE! for Morning in the Bowl of Night Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light.
—Omar Khayyam,
The Rubaiyat
, translated by Edward FitzGerald, Dave Gross
The Rubaiyat
, translated by Edward FitzGerald, Dave Gross
The holiday
Shab-e Yalda
, on December 21 (the winter solstice), marks the longest night of the year. For Persians, it represents the victory of light over darkness, as the days only grow longer, and the nights shorter, for the next six months.
Shab-e Yalda
, on December 21 (the winter solstice), marks the longest night of the year. For Persians, it represents the victory of light over darkness, as the days only grow longer, and the nights shorter, for the next six months.
Shab-e Yalda
, like its sister holiday,
Christmas, is a festive occasion, an excuse to stay up past midnight telling jokes, snacking, and reading poetry.
Shab-e Yalda
parties typically include the game
Fal-e-Hafez
, or “Ask Hafez”—one presents a question or concern to the spirit of Persia’s legendary poet, and then opens a book of Hafez poetry at random, taking the words as a serendipitous solution to one’s question.
, like its sister holiday,
Christmas, is a festive occasion, an excuse to stay up past midnight telling jokes, snacking, and reading poetry.
Shab-e Yalda
parties typically include the game
Fal-e-Hafez
, or “Ask Hafez”—one presents a question or concern to the spirit of Persia’s legendary poet, and then opens a book of Hafez poetry at random, taking the words as a serendipitous solution to one’s question.
Because celebrants are up so late, there are plenty of snacks to keep energy high and hunger at bay throughout the night; this continuous nocturnal snacking is known as
chap charee
, or “night grazing.” Traditional dishes for this winter celebration include
Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Pomegranate Molasses
Saffron Rice
,
Turmeric Chicken with Sumac and Lime
, and yogurt.
chap charee
, or “night grazing.” Traditional dishes for this winter celebration include
Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Pomegranate Molasses
Saffron Rice
,
Turmeric Chicken with Sumac and Lime
, and yogurt.
Harvest Moon
Mehregan
is the celebration of the autumnal equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward on October 9 or 10. This holiday commemorates the beginning of the world when Ahura Mazda destroyed evil with the help of the goddess Mehr, a deity of love whose power was so strong that she turned the world upside down and defeated the Devil in the process.
is the celebration of the autumnal equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward on October 9 or 10. This holiday commemorates the beginning of the world when Ahura Mazda destroyed evil with the help of the goddess Mehr, a deity of love whose power was so strong that she turned the world upside down and defeated the Devil in the process.
This ancient harvest festival honors love and generosity, and it’s become customary in Iran to make a
ash-e khirat
, a “charity soup,” to be shared with neighbors and those in need, which is comprised of beans, meat, rice, and herbs. For those with a sweet tooth, seven different kinds of Persian pastries are served, as well.
ash-e khirat
, a “charity soup,” to be shared with neighbors and those in need, which is comprised of beans, meat, rice, and herbs. For those with a sweet tooth, seven different kinds of Persian pastries are served, as well.
The Rain Festival
Imagine a holiday that’s essentially a national waterfight, when you can expect to be drenched by a bucket of water, or find yourself frolicking in a fountain. That’s
Tirgan
, or The Rain Festival, celebrated on July 1, just after the summer solstice. It’s meant to summon down rains when Iran is at its hottest and pay homage to the divine water that keeps crops and people alive.
Tirgan
, or The Rain Festival, celebrated on July 1, just after the summer solstice. It’s meant to summon down rains when Iran is at its hottest and pay homage to the divine water that keeps crops and people alive.
The foods served on
Tirgan
can include
shooly
, a soup of spinach and beets, and
sholeh zard
, a rice pudding flavored with rose water.
Tirgan
can include
shooly
, a soup of spinach and beets, and
sholeh zard
, a rice pudding flavored with rose water.
This summery dish is inspired by the cuisine of Turkey, which strikes a sophisticated balance between the food of its European and Middle Eastern neighbors. Poaching is a wonderful way to cook with olive oil, because the low heat used in poaching leaves the delicate nature of the oil intact. You’ll want to adjust the heat from time to time, as the flame has to be both powerful enough to cook the fish and low enough that it doesn’t burn the garlic. Serve with a crisp white wine and warm flatbread to soak up the pan juice.
serves 41½ pounds US-caught swordfish fillet or other meaty white fish like Pacific halibut or Atlantic cod, cut into 1½-inch pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups loosely packed fresh dill, minced
2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
Season the fish with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over low heat for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest, then place the fish in the pan in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed. Turn the fish and cook for 5 minutes, or until it’s just opaque in the center. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Fold in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Let the fish rest for 5 minutes before serving, or let cool completely and serve at room temperature. The fish tastes best within a day of being made.
Vegetarian OptionReplace the fish with an equivalent amount of meaty mushrooms such as portobellos, morels, or hen-of-the-woods (maitake), or simply use button mushrooms, sliced in half. Increase the poaching time to 20 minutes, and taste the mushrooms for doneness before taking them off the heat, because you may want to cook them a little longer.
Lamb Kebabs in Pomegranate-Walnut Marinade
kebab-e torsh
This sweet-and-sour kebab is from Gilan Province in northern Iran, where people like their food extra tart. The russet-colored marinade uses the same ingredients as
Fesenjan
(
Pomegranate Walnut Stew
), and is one of the tastiest discoveries I made while researching this book. Before grilling the kebabs, brush off the extra marinade, because it can burn and leave charred flakes on the meat. You can also make these kebabs using beef sirloin, fish, chicken, or vegetables. Start this recipe the day before you plan to serve it so that the kebabs can marinate overnight.
Fesenjan
(
Pomegranate Walnut Stew
), and is one of the tastiest discoveries I made while researching this book. Before grilling the kebabs, brush off the extra marinade, because it can burn and leave charred flakes on the meat. You can also make these kebabs using beef sirloin, fish, chicken, or vegetables. Start this recipe the day before you plan to serve it so that the kebabs can marinate overnight.
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