Sweetness of Two Cultures

At last, a post celebrates two civilizations, Spanish and Moroccan (Moorish) that have inspired many creations.  Today’s attempts draw from a time, centuries ago, when the two societies were more closely intertwined and seemed to share a common destiny.  In fact, today we explore the culinary history of Al-Andalus, as medieval Moorish Spain was known then.

The first item for contemplation is Zirbaya, or Chicken in Sweet Sauce.  Though the dish may have been North African in inspiration, it draws deeply from Spanish ingredients, including almonds, wine vinegar and saffron.  These bathe the bird in a lightness that compliments the chicken’s savory profile, while emphasizing its sweetness.  A text of the era, Cariadoc’s Miscellany,  describes the preparation:

Take a young, cleaned hen and put it in a pot with a little salt, pepper, coriander, cinnamon, saffron and sufficient of vinegar and sweet oil, and when the meat is cooked, take peeled, crushed almonds and good white sugar, four ounces of each; dissolve them in rosewater, pour in the pot and let it boil; then leave it on the embers until the fat rises.  It is very nutritious and good for all temperaments…

The rosewater-almond paste is an extraordinary mixture that definitely gives the sauce, and the dish, its character.  By the way, Miscellany also pronounces this preparation suitable for “pigeons or doves,” which suggests Cornish hens for this experiment, not a chicken.  Thus, it came to be.

Also on the plate is Carrot Paste, which is intended to be served with pita bread.  It’s a possible companion to Zirbaya, as the author, an anonymous Spaniard, included instructions in an Andalusian cookbook from the same era.  It’s essentially cooked carrots pureed with honey, to which various spices are added.

One of those spices is cubeb, or Javan pepper.  As that wasn’t available, a good substitute was grains of paradise, an African spice common in pre-Renaissance Europe, and one surely familiar to Andalusian cooks:

Carrot Paste has an appearance and taste similar to that of sweet potatoes.  It could’ve used a bit less honey, though that likely is a function of modern carrots being sweeter than their medieval counterparts.  The sweetness goes beyond taste, as the cookbook opines Carrot Paste also is an aphrodisiac that, “increases desire beautifully; it is admirable.”  Well.

Whether or not Cupid concocted the paste, both dishes recall a time when two people, now divorced, once mingled sweetly.  These are their children.

*****

Zirbaya

(Chicken in a Sweet Sauce)

For the chicken:

• 1 3-pound chicken, cut into parts (*1)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 20 threads saffron (*2)
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar (*3)
•  2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup water (*4)

For the almond paste:

• 2/3 cup blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons rosewater

Set a stockpot over a medium-low flame.  Pour in the oil, and add the chicken, water, spices and vinegar.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the chicken from sticking.

Meanwhile, put the almonds, sugar and rosewater in a food processer.  Pulse until the mixture forms a grainy paste.

After the chicken has simmered for 40 minutes, per the instructions in the first paragraph, stir in the almond paste.  Once the chicken comes back to a boil, let it simmer for another eight minutes, then serve, plating the bird and ladling sauce over it.

NOTES:

1 – As mentioned in the intro above, Miscellany suggests a “young hen,” or substitutes pigeons or doves.  As most chickens today are larger than they were in the Middle Ages, Cornish hens (in today’s preparation, two of them) probably are closer than is chicken to what was used in the original.

2 – This works out to about half a teaspoon, unless, that is, you enjoy counting out saffron threads.

3 – Both red- and white-wine vinegars were in the pantry.  I chose white, as this is a poultry dish after all.

4 – The original recipe omits the water, though the mixtures seems to be a bit too dry without it, particularly before the birds (eventually) surrender their juices.  By that time, most of the water will have evaporated.

*****

Carrot Paste:

• 1 pound carrots (*5)
• 3/4 cup honey (*6)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cubebs (*7)

Clean and trim the carrots and cut them into thirds, lengthwise.  Put them in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover them, and an inch more.  Place pan over a medium flame and bring to boil.  Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer until carrots begin to get tender, about twenty minutes.

Drain the carrots in a colander and rinse them with cold water.  Put them in a food processer, along with the honey.  Pulse until you have a smooth paste.

Transfer to a skillet and set flame to medium.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly, about five minutes.  Turn off the flame and stir in the spices. (*8)  Serve with pita bread.

NOTES:

5 – A good-sized bunch.

6 – This was a bit much, particularly as it’s not intended as a dessert.  Maybe centuries ago, when carrots were more subdued, but nowadays 1/3 cup of honey would be perfect.  Go up to half a cup if you prefer it to be sweeter, though you run the risk of drowning in honey the tastes of carrots and the spices.

7 – Cubeb is another name for the Java peppercorn.  Neither is easy, or even possible, to find today.  Considering the miniscule portion, “regular” ground pepper would be a good replacement.

8 – In addition, I sprinkled a bit of sumac over the carrots.  Not only is sumac culturally allied, as it’s common in southern and eastern Mediterranean cooking, but its slightly tart nature helped to scale back a bit of the excessive sweetness. Of course, the next time I’ll add much less honey, which will make the sumac unnecessary.  It’s not that the carrot paste was unpalatable, just that it was more reminiscent of candied sweet potatoes, whereas I prefer them without sugar.

 

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