Malian burger recipe

Posted on October 28, 2018 by linda

Lamb burger with burger on Maasa with Tomato Peanut Sauce
So happy to be back to writing! Thanks to Josh at HostDrive for fixing my website, I wish I had called sooner, you rock! And now we can get back to the business at hand.

Today, we return to Africa, the M’s are certainly a roller coaster – geographically speaking.  Mali sounds to me like it should be an island country, but turns out it’s not even close, it’s landlocked. Which makes more sense when I read that Mali is the former Sudanese Republic. I can’t believe how out of date my country name recognition is.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

It is nestled in Northeastern Africa surrounded by Mauritania, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Senegal.

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Almost 18 million people live here and it is among the 25 poorest countries in the world. It is home to many ethnic groups; Barbara, Tuareg, Dogon, Songhai, Senufo and Fulani are the most prevalent. Over 90% of the population is Muslim with Suni Muslims in the majority. But what will be most familiar to Western readers is that Mali is the home of Timbuktu.

Even the name conjure up a vision of rich fabrics and the scent of incense and spices. Timbuktu was historically the trading post on the trans-Saharan caravan route and the center of Islamic culture. It was founded in 1100 BC  on the southern edge of the Sahara as a seasonal camp by Tuareg nomads. The story is that it was named after an old woman who was left to oversee the camp with the Taureg roamed the Sahara.

By the 14th century, Timbuktu was flourishing. It was captured in 1591 by Morocco after which the city declined. Europeans arrive to the city in the early 19th center and it was captured by the French in 1894. The Republic of Mali achieved independence in 1960 (yet my schools still taught it as the Sudanese Republic, what’s up with that?). Today Timbuktu is impoverished like the rest of Mali, but many groups have worked to save and restore its landmarks. It is home to 3 of the oldest mosques in Western Africa and they are amazing structures.

For the last 20 years, political unrest and tension has been rampant in Mali. Violence, coups, refugees fleeing the northern part of the country, all of these and more have exacerbated the economic plight of Mali.

Culturally, Malians have a rich history. Music is central and essential. From 2001-2012 Malians hosted an annual Festival in the Desert music festival. Showcasing Tuareg music and music from around the world, it was a major draw to the area. Unfortunately security concerns have kept the festival from Mali for the last six years.

Food is, of course, important because of the scarcity and poverty in the country (although Mali is approximately twice the size of Texas, only 2% of the land is arable). But it is also important culturally. Because Mali was historically a trading center, the flavors of Mali are diverse and pull from many regional cuisines. Grains are critical in the Malian diet and maasa is a gluten free pancake that is usually eaten as a sweet treat, but i thought I’d turn that around and use it as the base for my burger. I went with lamb for the burger itself, meat is usually a part of meals, but rarely the centerpiece due to the expense, so sauces are incredibly important. Like Benin, Malians are fond of tomato based peanut sauces. These can be spicy, but more importantly they are complex with a rich blend of spices. Malians use a 14 spice blend in much of their cooking, many of the 14 ingredients just aren’t readily available here, so I did my best with what we have.

Let me confess (and apologies to my GF neighbor), I generally shudder when I hear Gluten Free. Gluten is a wonderful thing and it makes most baked goods, well, good. So I had to suspend disbelief to make the maasa, but I have to admit it turn out quite tasty. As with many GF recipes, these are best if used soon after cooking, they don’t reheat very well as the texture changes and gets dense. But fresh they are really good and make a great base for a burger.

As for the sauce, it’s divine. If you’ve been reading for a while (and thank you if you have), you’ll know that I love spices. I’ve love the layered flavors that you get particularly those from the cuisines in the Middle East and Southern Asia. Yes, it’s a lot of ingredients, but fortune favors the bold, so give it a try. The result is a sweet/spice balance that will bring the flavors of the spice markets of old Timbuktu to life. The lamb has room to sing, while the subtle peanut gives an earthy nuance to the vibrant and complex sauce. Together it’s a win.

If you like this burger, you’ve got to try my Benin burger (one of my husband’s favorites), and maybe just pull a few African recipes and open up your palate to some new and glorious flavors.

Malian Buger (click here for printable version)
4 Maasa pancakes (recipe below – requires 30 minutes for dough to rise)
1 pound ground lamb
Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons Peanut Oil
Unsalted Peanuts chopped (for garnish)
Scallions sliced (for garnish)
Malian Tomato Peanut Sauce (recipe below, can be made ahead)

Form four patties out of ground lamb and salt both sides of each patty. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the patties and cook until desired temperature (I recommend medium or medium rare). Place each cooked patty on a Maasa pancake and spoon sauce generously over top. Note: for the photo, I tried to ensure you could see the patty, but feel free to be more generous with sauce, this is definitely a fork and knife burger. Add some peanuts and scallions and you’re ready to go!
 
Maasa Pancakes
¼ cup milk warmed to 105°F
1 teaspoon yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup millet flour
1 cup brown rice flour
½ Tablespoon baking powder
⅛ cup boiling water
¾ cup milk
1 Tablespoon ghee

Combine the warm milk, yeast and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. In a large bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients, use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients. Add the boiling water and milk to the bowl then add the yeast mixture (is should be foamy by now, if not your yeast may not be active or your milk may be too hot or too cold, try again). Mix all the ingredients – I find using my hands is easiest, but you can try it with a wooden spoon if you don’t like getting messy. Dover with a dry towel and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Warm the ghee in a nonstick pan. When ghee is melted, scoop batter into four pancakes. Cook until golden then flip and cook the other side until golden. Try to time this so that you can serve these while they’re hot. And, if you’re looking for a tasty GF treat, you can make these pancakes anytime and dust them with powdered sugar – they’re yummy!

Tomato Peanut Sauce
1 medium onion chopped
1Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 dried thai chili peppers crushed
¼ teaspoon anise seed
6 juniper berries
½ teaspoon dried hibiscus tea*
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon bean paste
2 ripe tomatoes chopped
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
Water
2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter (no sugar)

*If you can’t find a pure hibiscus tea, just look for a simple blend with few ingredients where hibiscus is the first ingredient. Hibiscus tea is sold both in the herbal and in the medicinal sections and it has a nice tart flavor – I am still enjoying the tea long after the burger has been consumed.

Saute the onion in the oil over medium heat until softened, add the spices and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cook over medium heat stirring until tomatoes get mushy, add water as needed while cooking and reduce the water out as tomatoes are cooking. This will take about 20-30 minutes depending on firmness of tomatoes, simmer the sauce, don’t boil it. When the tomatoes are mushy, reduce the excess water out of the sauce and add the peanut butter. Cook for 1-2 more minutes then serve. You want a thick consistency so that it tops the burger rather than drowning it.

This sauce can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated until ready to use, then heat and serve.

 

©Copyright 2018 Linda Monach

 

Posted in african recipes, burger recipes, lamb burgers | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Maldivian burger

Posted on November 7, 2017 by linda

Smoked Tuna Cakes with Curried Squash and Puff Pastry
I first started researching Maldives in February, so why, you ask, am I just posting it now? Smoked tuna and Japan are my answers. Let’s start with Japan. My husband and I went to Japan with his brother and sister-in-law in April – it was an amazing trip. We spent a couple days in California visiting old friends and drinking excellent wine, then we went Kyoto for two days, Koyasan for 2 days and Tokyo for 5 or 6 days. I could write pages and pages about how much I loved the people, the food, the scenery and the history, but that’s not what this blog is about. So, suffice it to say I was distracted for a least a month planning and experiencing this adventure.

Before we get to the smoked tuna, let me tell you a little about The Maldives. It is the most geographically dispersed country in the world with 1,192 islands spread out over some 35,000 miles to the southwest of India.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

At an average ground level of 4 feet above sea level, the Maldives is also the lowest country in the world. Listed as one of the 10 most vulnerable places on earth to the threat of rising sea levels, the Maldivians don’t question climate change, they are living it. So much so, they are currently building new islands at higher levels with three-meter sea walls to hold back the ocean and safeguard their way of life for the future. That’s right, BUILDING NEW ISLANDS!

Because the Maldives are strategically located between India, the Middle East, and Africa, it has been an important crossroads for international trade for centuries. As a result, the Maldivian culture and cuisine are a melting pot of Indian, Arabian, Asian, African, and European influences, with its own brand of sun-drenched, fresh-coconut flair.

Today, the Maldives is known for its pristine, pure white beaches, turquoise lagoons, coral reefs, luxury resorts, and tuna fishing. (Now we’re getting to the tuna). In fact, as you sip your coconutty cocktail, look out to the water and it’s likely you’ll see dhoni sailing by. The signature fishing vessel of the Maldives with its distinctive front bow, dhoni ferry fisherman out to sea each day where they use pole and line methods for their daily catch, a traditional of respect for the sea that has been passed down for generations.

Maldivians eat tuna for almost every meal – I was hard pressed to find a recipe that didn’t include tuna. Unlike other island peoples, Maldivians seem to prefer their tuna smoked (tuna is a pretty delicate fish, so smoking is a great way to preserve it). If you do an internet search, the wisdom of the world wide web will tell you that you can substitute canned tuna for smoked tuna. I am here to tell you that that is a disgusting lie. Please never, never, ever cook with canned tuna. Feel free to make a tuna salad sandwich or feed it to your cats, but don’t heat it up and pretend it’s smoked tuna. It isn’t even close to the same.

Since I live in Massachusetts, I can’t buy smoked tuna, so I was forced to get fresh tuna and smoke it myself. Now, in addition to my completely fact based views on canned tuna, I also have a very strong belief that you shouldn’t cook fresh tuna at all – I don’t even like it seared, it brings out the fishiness and does nothing good to the flavor. So, to say I was reluctant to smoke a tuna steak for two hours until it was completely cooked through, is a bit of an understatement. I was horrified. I think I spent at least two months just avoiding and trying to pretend it didn’t exist. I bought tuna twice and ended up making other dishes because I couldn’t bring myself to pull out the Weber.

And then, I finally gave in – I couldn’t let this project die over smoked tuna, I knew I needed to conquer my fear.

It turns out smoking a tuna steak is easy, easier and faster than smoking pork. And smoked tuna just tastes smoky and, well, yummy…almost bacony. Smoking does dry the fish out, so I added in a fair amount of mayonnaise, so this isn’t a low calorie dish. Combined with the spice and the curry and just a touch of coconut, and my husband and I were astounded at how good this burger is. We could literally eat this every week. So bravo Maldives, I tip my hat to you, smoked tuna rocks!

If you like this burger, give my Fijian Burger a try – it will put you in a tropical mood.

Maldivian Burger Recipe (click for printable version)
4 cups water
¼ cup kosher salt
cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 dried curry leaves crushed
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
1 pound yellow fin or ahi tuna
cherry wood chips
1 shallot minced
2 teaspoons Spice Mixture (recipe below)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup mayonnaise
1-2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 puff pastry sheet
Curry Sauce (recipe below)

Combine first 8 ingredients in a glass bowl (water thru cinnamon). Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Pour liquid into a gallon zip lock bag then add tuna and refrigerate for two hours. Drain the liquid and smoke using cherry wood chips and 2 zone grill set-up at 200-225F for about 2 hours. You want the tuna firm and completely cooked through.

(I use an old-fashioned Webber grill and it’s easy and yummy – I do not recommend using a gas grill as it’s almost impossible to get really good smoke flavor using gas). If you have any questions about how to set up your grill, I learned all I know from www.amazingribs.com – these guys are hardcore!

Flake the tuna then add the shallot, spice mixture, salt, coconut and mayonnaise. Mix together and make into patties.

Cut the puffed pastry into four circles. Gently pierce each circle with a fork. Bake per the directions on the box.

Heat the coconut oil in a non-stick pan (you want just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Fry the fish patties over medium high heat until golden and warmed through.

To serve, place cooked patties on puff pastry and top with Curry Sauce.

Maldivian Spice Mix Recipe
3 cardamom seed pods (seeds only)
1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
1 stick cinnamon
1 dried guajillo chili pepper chopped
1 teaspoon whole coriander
6 black peppercorns

Heat all in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Cool, remove the cinnamon stick and grind in a spice grinder. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric.

Curry Sauce Recipe
½ cup chopped butternut squash
1½ teaspoon coconut oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 leek sliced
1 jalapeno sliced
2 dry curry leaves crumbled
1 teaspoon Spice Mixture
1 teaspoon lime juice

Roast the butternut squash in 350F oven until it pierces easily with a fork. Heat the coconut oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Saute onion, leek jalapeno and curry leaves until soft. Combine the onion mixture with the roasted squash, Spice Mixture and lime juice. Can be used at room temperature.

Copyright 2017 Linda Monach

Posted in burger recipes | 2 Comments

Malaysian burger

Posted on May 18, 2017 by linda

BH&T Malaysian burgerSambal Belacan Flavored Chicken Burger with Bean Sprouts and Roti Jala
Now we continue our journey with a stop in Malaysia. Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia. It borders Thailand and Singapore on the pennisula, and makes up about a third of the island of Borneo bordering Indonesia and Brunei. It’s also just across the South China Sea from the Philippines and Vietnam.

courtesy of CIA Worldfactbook

courtesy of CIA Worldfactbook

courtesy of CIA World Facebook

courtesy of CIA World Facebook

With a locale like this (not to mention British colonization and Japanese occupation at various points in its history), the cuisine is bound to be interesting and delicious. So let’s skip all the upfront and jump to the food.

Malaysians typically eat 6 times a day, they’re like Hobbits in their love of food! With most of these meals you’ll find a unifying flavor and that is spice. Spice in the form of chili peppers makes the foundation of Malaysian cuisine. Dried or fresh, ground into a paste or diced in a sauce, peppers are pretty much always on the table.

My first attempt at making this burger overdid the peppers and had us guzzling milk to recover. Lesson learned, be thoughtful about the number and kind of peppers you use. I started with 15 Thai Bird Chilis, and ended with 5 Thai Peppers for a spice level that you notice but doesn’t cause pain.

The beautiful think about Malaysian cuisine is that it doesn’t stop at hot chilis, the heat is always balanced with a touch of sweetness. Like we saw in Indonesia, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) is used to temper the heat and adds a lovely and distinctive salty sweetness that, for me, really exemplifies the cuisine of this region. If you haven’t tried kecap manis, I strongly recommend that you do, it has a distinctive flavor for which I’m sure you will find lots of uses.

Malaysian also like their flatbreads or “roti.” Here I encountered Roti Jala, a turmeric seasoned lacy crepe-like dish. The first time I made this burger, I incorporated the lacy pattern, but I totally forgot to do so the second time, since it doesn’t change the flavor, I’d just go with a basic crepe. Then you can pick it up and kind of wrap the burger in the crepe – this keeps the sauces in and makes the whole thing less messy. Here’s a look at what the classic roti jala looks like.

Even with the crepe structure, this is probably best eaten as a fork and knife dish.  The trick of making authentic Malaysian food is balance. This burger gets umami from the bean sprouts and chicken, eggy custardy flavor from the roti jala, sweetness and saltiness from the glaze and spiciness to tie it all together from the sambal belacan. Serve the extra sambal belacan on the side so folks can dip and spice it all up to their own taste.

If you like this burger, you should definitely try the Indonesian burger and the Brunei burger – this will give you a broad taste of the region and leave you wanting to experiment more.

Malaysian Burger
1 pound chicken breast cut into 1-2 inch chunks
1 Tablespoon Sambal Belacan (recipe below)
Salt
Kepac Manis glaze (recipe below)
Ghee
Roti Jala (recipe below)
Sambal Bean Sprouts (recipe below)

Coat the chicken with the Sambal Belacan and salt. Grind chicken and form into four patties. Brush glaze over the patties. Heat ghee in a non-stick pan and fry patties until completely cooked through. Just before the burgers are done, drizzle a little extra glaze on the patties.

To serve, place 1-2 Roti Jala on each plate then put the cooked patties on top and top with a scoop of Sambal Bean Sprouts on each burger. Serve the Sambal Belacan on the side so your diners can add extra spice to their own tastes.

Sambal Belacan (can be made ahead 1-2 days)
2 ounces dried chile japonés
5 dried Thai chilis
hot water
3 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic peeled
1 Tablespoon tamarind paste
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 Tablespoon palm sugar
4 Tablespoons coconut milk

Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain the chili peppers. Place chili peppers, shallots, garlic, tamarind paste and lime juice in a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. In a small pan, heat the peanut oil over medium high heat. Add the chili paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add the palm sugar and the coconut milk (use the solids rather than the liquid if the coconut milk has separated), and cook for another 2 minutes.

If making ahead of time, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve at room temperature with the burgers.

BH&T Malaysia sambal belacan

Kecap Manis Glaze (can be made ahead 1-2 days)
½ cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lime

Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium low for 10 minutes. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate then heat to room temperature when you’re ready to use.

Roti Jala (can be made ahead same day)
1 cup coconut milk
1 large egg
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ cup water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sifted flour
½ Tablespoon ghee

Combine all ingredients except flour and ghee. Add the mixture to the flour and stir until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine strainer to remove and residual lumps.

BH&T Malaysia Roti Jala Batter

Heat ghee in a nonstick pan over medium heat until melted. Pour enough batter to create thin crepe (or drizzle for traditional lacy effect). Cook until firmed up then gently flip to cook other side. These only take a few minutes to cook, so watch them carefully. This is enough batter to make 8 crepes.

Make these ahead and just keep them warm in the oven until ready to use.

BH&T Malaysia Roti Jala

Sambal Bean Sprouts
2 bunches of scallions chopped (or 2 spring onions), about 1 cup
1 ½ teaspoons ghee
1 ½ Tablespoon sambal belacan
1 cup bean sprouts
2 teaspoons kecap manis glaze
Kosher salt to taste

Heat ghee in medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and saute for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

BH&T Malaysia Sambal Bean Sprouts

©Copyright 2017 Linda Monach

 

Posted in asian recipes, burger recipes, chicken burgers, south asian recipes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Malawian burger

Posted on February 21, 2017 by linda

BH&T Malawian BurgerSalmon Burger with Nsima and Sautéed Greens
Now we take a quick hop over to Continental Africa to the Republic of Malawi. Malawi is a landlocked country in southern Africa bordered by Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.  It is slightly smaller than Pennsylvania and home to approximately 50% more people (18 million vs. PA’s 12 million).  Oh, and, Lake Malawi takes up about 25% of the land – so that leaves very few wide open spaces in the country.

courtesy of CIA World Facebook

courtesy of CIA World Facebook

Malawi has had a difficult history since its independence in 1964. Underdevelopment and corruption have left the country poor and largely dependent on agriculture.  Adding to the difficulties of life in Malawi is HIV Aids.  Malawi has a HIV Aids adult prevalence rate of 9.1% (9th in the world) and it’s estimated that in 2015 26,700 people died from HIV Aids putting Malawi 11th in the world for HIV Aids related deaths (CIA World Factbook).  I read one article from the UK that put the number of HIV Aids orphans at over 1 million children.

hub and spokes II malawi

 

Because 80% of the population works in agriculture, the food that they eat is primarily fresh produce and grains.  Grains and starches are an important part of the Malawian diet as they give energy for the difficult labor of tending fields.  Corn is central to the life of Malawians – there is a saying in Chichewa “chimanga ndi moyo”  or “maize is life”.  Most corn is ground into flour and then made into a paste called nsima.  Nsima is a staple of the Malawian diet and is usually formed into patties and served with a “relish” of veggies, meat or quite often fish.  Sounds like a good basis to start the Malawian burger, no?

I tried making Nsima with medium grind corn meal and with masa – it was better with masa (this is a fine grind corn meal that can be found in the latin section of the grocery store).  I kept the nsima pretty simple with just a little salt and a hint of red pepper.  You could spice it up more if you want but the simplicity of the total dish is kind of refreshing, so I wouldn’t go crazy adding flavors.

lake-malawi-4

 

Lake Malawi contains more fish species than any other lake in the world (if you can believe the internet – could be “fake news”).  So we are definitely going with a fish burger.  While tilapia is one of the most plentiful, I’ve already done tilapia so I wanted something new.  Mpasa is a native fish similar to salmon, I thought the stronger flavor of salmon would compliment the nsima, so I went with salmon.  Add in some sautéed greens and you have a simple and delicious Malawian burger.

If you are a “ingredients forward” type of person, you will love this burger. It is fresh and light with nothing to obscure the buttery salmon.  The greens give just a little tang to relieve the oiliness of the fish and the nsima is a nice neutral starch that keeps you from being starving when you finish the meal.  It definitely feels like a warm weather dish, so wait for a nice spring day and treat yourself to a taste of Malawi.

If you like this burger but want a little more kick, you should try the Guinea Bissau burger – similar ingredients, just a lot more spicy.  And, totally different flavors, but one of my favorite fish burgers is the Fijian burger – check it out!.

Malawian Burger (click for printable version)
1½ pounds salmon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Zest of ½ lemon
1 shallot minced
1 egg lightly beaten
⅓ cup masa
Sautéed Greens (recipe below)
Nsima (recipe below)

Make the Nsima first and cover to keep warm.

Salt the fish.  Melt butter and olive oil over medium high heat.  Once the butter foam has subsided, place the fish skin side down in the pan.  Cook until you can see the fish has cooked about ¼ inch up from bottom (it turns light pink).  Flip the salmon and remove the skin with a metal spatula.  Continue cooking the salmon flipping as necessary until medium rare.  Remove the fish from the pan and chop.  Add lemon zest, shallot, egg and masa.  Combine and form into patties.  Return to pan and fry until just lightly browned and cooked through.

In the meantime prepare the Sautéed Greens.

To serve, scoop Nsima on each plate, add the cooked salmon burgers and top with sautéed greens.

Sautéed Greens
2 cups mustard greens
1 cup kale
1½ Tablespoon butter
1 small onion chopped

Roughly chop the mustard greens and kale removing any large stems.  In medium sauteé pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add chopped greens and cover until wilted (about 2 minutes).  Sauteé for another minute or two until greens are soft but haven’t lost their color.  Remove from heat and serve warm.

Nsima
4 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup masa

Place first three ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add masa and reduce to high simmer – cook stirring constantly until thick.  Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

©Copyright 2017 Linda Monach

Posted in african recipes, burger recipes, fish burgers | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Malagasy burger

Posted on February 3, 2017 by linda

BH&T Malagasy burgerBurger with Coconut Rice and Unripe Mangos
The Republic of Madagascar, despite what you’ve seen in the movies, is not run by lemurs and/or fossa.  It is home to over 24million people.  The animals are important, but let’s start with the people.  After achieving independence from the French in 1960, the Malagasy people have struggled with political instability.  It is a poor country with agriculture being the primary industry.  GDP per capita is 217th in the world.

ma_large_locator

Complicating matters is the youth of the country.  More than 60% of Malagasy people are under the age of 25.  Young women are often encouraged to marry even before age 18.  Very young women are getting married and having children themselves.  The average age for having a first child is just over 19.  Women average 4 children in their lifetime, the population continues to grow.  Poor access to healthcare and education along with food insecurity make this a challenging place in which to live.

At the same time, it is a beautiful place with an unimaginable diversity of flora and fauna.  I could geek out for hours on the super cool animals that are unique to Madagascar.  Between 1999 and 2010, 615 new species have been discovered in Madagascar.  The lemurs, OMG, lots of lemurs, so cute!

By Yves Picq - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15225934

By Yves Picq – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15225934

And there’s this cute little creature called a tenrec – there are around 30 species of tenrec in Madagascar.

http://www.wildmadagascar.org/wildlife/animals.html

http://www.wildmadagascar.org/wildlife/animals.html

And baobabs, the coolest tree ever!

http://www.wildmadagascar.org

http://www.wildmadagascar.org

So, if you have some extra vacation dollars and you’re looking for a place that welcome’s tourists and has stuff that can’t be seen anywhere in the world, try Madagascar.

Malagasy food is simple, mangos, rice, coconuts and greens are all staples of the Malagasy diet.  Meat is available, but typically eaten in small amounts with large helpings of rice and stewed vegetables as common accompaniments.  Like so many countries in this region, spicy peppers are used liberally to add flavor to otherwise simple foods.

I haven’t worked with unripe mangos before, so I really wanted to try them out.   I also took this as an opportunity to make my coconut rice.  By substituting coconut milk for most of the water, you get a creamy, sticky and slightly sweet rice that is a perfect accompaniment to spicy foods.  Some kale gives a little bitter bite to balance the sweet and spicy.  I used beef for the patty mainly because I was in the mood for beef.  It is eaten in Madagascar, so it’s fair game.  I probably should have used fish or chicken, but sometimes you’ve got to go with what you’re craving.

The result was a tropical treat.  The mangos and kale are a little sour, the rice lightly sweet.  Add those to the meaty beef and some spicy sauce and you have a you have a burger that feels light.  I wish it were warmer here, because this is really perfect for a warm weather day, but just bookmark it for summer and try it out when mangos become plentiful.

If you like some spicy, tropical burgers, I’ve got a bunch.  Try the Liberian burger, Burundian burger and Haitian burger.

Madagascar burger (click for printable version)
1 cup long grain rice
1 can coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
½ cup water
1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
Kosher salt
Olive oil
Chopped fresh kale
Unripe Mangos (recipe below – make ahead)
Chili Mayo (recipe below – make ahead)

Make the Unripe Mangos and the Chili Mayo first then let the mangos cool to room temperature  and refrigerate the mayo.

In a medium pot, combine rice, coconut milk and water.  Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes or until liquids have been absorbed (this will make a sticky rice, not a light fluffy rice).  In the meantime, form four patties from the beef.  Salt them liberally.  Cook the patties in enough oil just to coat the pan.

To assemble, place a scoop of rice on each plate then layer on some chopped kale.  Placed the cooked patty on the kale (this will wilt the kale a little bit, but that makes it yummier and easier to eat).  Now a dollop of Chili Mayo and a scoop of Unripe Mango – I know, dollop and scoop aren’t measurements, but taste each of the components and put more or less depending on your personal preferences.

Unripe Mangos
1 unripe mango peeled, pitted and cut horizontally into thin slices1 small onion sliced thin
4 cloves garlic peeled and cut in half
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup white wine vinegar

Put all ingredients into a medium pot.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Cover and cool to room temperature.  Remove the garlic pieces before using.

Note: pick a hard green mango – if you get a soft yellow or red one, the whole flavor will be too sweet.

BH&T Madagascar Unripe Mangos

Chili Mayo
1 red fresno chili chopped
¾ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon dried ground ginger

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

 

©Copyright 2017 Linda Monach

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Luxembourg burger

Posted on January 26, 2017 by linda

BH&T Luxembourg burger

Pork Lover’s Burger with Riesling Onions and Applesauce on Potato Pancake
It’s been too long, literally.  I originally worked on the Luxembourg burger in spring of 2015, then life got busy and I took a break from writing.  Fast forward to January 2017 and I decide, “time to get back to work”.  Great!  Let’s go!  Oh, wait, where in the hell is my recipe?  I have a picture, pretty, but the recipe has vanished.  I may have recorded the recipe (I tried speaking instead of writing as I was cooking, but didn’t like messing with technology during cooking process), but I have a new phone and I deleted all the apps that I don’t use, including the recording ones.

Here’s the burger I made two years ago.

BH&T Luxembourg lost recipe

I’m pretty sure it’s a beef burger with grilled plums and some fresh greens (tarragon and something else).  I have no idea what that sauce is, but lord knows I like a yummy sauce.  But that’s really not enough to write a recipe for you, so clearly it was time to start over.  We’ll consider this one lost forever and we move on.

Our journey now takes us to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a tiny little country wedged between Germany, France and Belgium.  And I mean TINY!  It’s 2,586 sq km, that’s smaller than Rhode Island.  About half a million people live there and many more people commute in from neighboring countries to work in Luxembourg every day.  (Just like I used to commute from Massachusetts to Rhode Island each day).

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

You may be asking what the heck a Grand Duchy is, I know I wondered.  It turns out a Grand Duchy is a state ruled by a Grand Duke or Duchess – seems a little like using the word itself in the definition, but, whatevs.

Grand Duke Henri

Grand Duke Henri

Due to robust bank secrecy laws, Luxembourg has become a banking center – great place to stash cash you’re trying to hide from your own government, spouse or law enforcement.  Not that I’m advocating any such thing, just passing on facts folks.  Banking is a big part of why this little country is the second most wealthy country in the world (in terms of GDP per capita).  This could also be why it has the 3rd highest net migration.  Doesn’t hurt that it’s beautiful, a founding country of the EU and one of the safest places to live in the world.

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Now that we’ve all started picking out homes, let’s talk about the food.  Pretty much ever source you look to will tell you that Luxembourg cuisine is highly influenced by German and French cuisines – gee, how insightful.  Shocking that a country smaller than Rhode Island would have many cultural similarities to the largest countries that surround and have periodically engulfed it.  (Please read with sarcasm dripping from each word – that’s generally a good rule of thumb when I’m making side comments).

The “national dish” of Luxembourg is widely touted as judd mat gaardebounen (which gives you a sense for Luxembourgish as a language).  It’s smoked pork collar with broad beans.  Pork seems to be quite popular across multiple recipes, which is fine with me, let’s go with pork.  I considered bacon, but decided we’ve done too much bacon, let’s try ham.  Fry up a little ham and throw it on the burger – yum!

Another key piece to this burger is the gromperekichelcher (love Luxembourgish) or potato pancake.  This is a really popular street food in Luxembourg.  I won’t lie, I really didn’t want to make a potato pancake.  It’s not that it’s that difficult, it’s just work and more steps and a bunch of you saying “Linda, why do you make these recipes so complicated?”.  So if you want to just put this burger on a bun I support you wholeheartedly, but I’m not allowed to do things the easy way.  So potato pancake it is.  Miraculously these potato pancakes came together better than any previous versions – each was pretty picture perfect.

Now Luxembourgers like to munch their potato pancakes dipped in either ketchup or applesauce.  Here’s where you can all roll your eyes (my husband did)- I decided this was a great opportunity to try making homemade applesauce.  I looked it up online and it’s actually pretty easy – peel and core some apples,  slice them into chunks and cook in a pot with some water and lemon juice.  I made some super yummy applesauce that tasted exactly like the applesauce you buy in stores.  Exactly like that.  So feel free to do this if you are curious, but don’t bother otherwise.  Just use a natural applesauce with no sugar added and for the love of God, no cinnamon or other crap flavoring it.

Since Luxembourg is known for its Riesling (slightly sweet white wine), that gave me the opportunity to drink, I mean cook with wine.  I love me some drunken onions, so another flavor done.  Add a little cheese and some mustard and we’re in good shape.

The final combination was delicious – I’m pretty sure it was even better than the original “lost” burger.  Such hearty flavors, but somehow lighter overall than I expected.  The resiling onions elevated the whole dish and added a tanginess that cut through the heavier flavors.  It would be easy to overpower with too much cheese or ham, so stick to the recipe.  Somehow this came together with more subtlety than I imagined and really nice balance of smokey, tangy, sweet and meaty.

If you enjoy this burger, you should try the German burger and the Cypriot burger. they have some similar tastes and nice complexity of flavor.

And one last note – my husband has already made the Luxembourger/Luxemburger joke…thanks honey.

Luxembourg Burger (click for printable version)
2 ounces good deli ham (I used Boar’s Head Black Forest), sliced very thin
Olive oil
1 pound ground pork
Kosher salt and pepper
4 Tablespoons camembert cheese
4 potato pancakes (recipe below)
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
Riesling onions (recipe below)
Parsley (optional)

Chop up the sliced ham into ½ inch pieces.  Pour a scant amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add the ham and cook stirring regularly until lightly browned.  Set aside.  Form four patties from the ground pork (pork is easier to cook if you keep the patties relatively flat, so try to flatten them out as much as possible – but as always, don’t over handle the meat).  Generously salt and pepper both sides of each patty.  Add some more olive oil to the pan – enough to just coat the bottom and fry the burgers over medium high heat until cooked through.  In the last 2 minutes, add a Tablespoon of camembert to each burger.  Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

To plate – start with the potato pancakes then spread ½ teaspoon of mustard on each.  Portion the ham evenly on each pancake then add 2 Tablespoons of applesauce to each then the cooked patties.  Add some onions to each burger then sprinkle some chopped parsley (if you want a little color).

Potato Pancakes
3 cups of peeled and grated Yukon gold potatoes
¼ cup parsley chopped
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons flour
Vegetable oil

Combine first 5 ingredients and let sit for a couple of minutes.  Pour ¼ inch of oil in a heavy skillet.  Heat the oil until shimmering.  Squeeze the excess liquid from the potatoes (this is important, don’t forget this step).  Form the potatoes into four patties/pancakes.  Cook in the hot oil until lightly browned on each side.  It helps to turn them over a couple times to ensure that they don’t burn and to get them evenly cooked. Place the cooked pancakes on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

BH&T Luxembourg potato pancakes

Riesling Onions (can be done up to a day ahead of time)
2 large onions sliced (3 cups)
2 Tablespoons butter
½ cup Riesling

Melt the butter in a medium skillet.  Add the onions and cook over medium low heat until the onions are beginning to soften (about 10 minutes).  Add the Riesling and simmer until the liquid has mostly evaporated (about 20 minutes).  Turn heat to low and cover, cook for another 30 minutes.  If you make this ahead of time, just heat the onions in the microwave before using.

 

©Copyright 2017 Linda Monach

 

Posted in burger recipes, european recipes, pork burgers | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Lithuanian burger recipe

Posted on January 16, 2017 by linda

BH&T Lithuania Burger

Burger with Bacon Jam and Borscht Sauce

After a lengthy break, we are back and on our way to Lithuania.  Lithuania is an Eastern European country bordering Belarus, Latvia, Russia and Poland.

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Once upon a time Lithuania was the largest state in Europe, encompassing most of modern day Belarus and Ukraine.  Of course, that was in the 14th century, things kind of went downhill after that.  At one point Lithuania was completely swallowed up by the surrounding countries and ceased to exist as an independent state.  Then there was the Soviet problem.  Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940.

During all this, Lithuanians managed to maintain a strong national identity.  United by Catholicism and the Lithuanian language (a Baltic language closely related to Latvian), the people of Lithuania were the first Soviet state to declare independence on March 11, 1990.  Moscow agreed by September of the following year and was even nice enough to remove troops by 1993.

Modern day Lithuania is part of the EU and the Eurozone.  It continues to be largely Roman Catholic, and the Lithuanian language is alive and well.  Like several of its neighbors, Lithuania is becoming more and more of a draw for tourists.  Between gorgeous coastlines and a lively capital city, Lonely Planet describes Lithuania as “one of Europe’s gems.”

Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

Neringa-Dunes-SPL_741-Main

Since I’m a bit of a data geek, I always like to look at the country stats and see if anything jumps out.  In this case, not much does.  The only number, in fact, that jumps out as being unusual is the death rate.  Oddly, Lithuania has the 3rd highest death rate in the world (according to CIA World Factbook).  WTF?  So, I, of course, had to know more.  Luckily, the internet is designed to help those of us who are terminally curious.  According to the World Health Organization Lithuania is 4th in the world in suicide deaths and 2nd in the world for death from alcohol.  This, despite being over 75% Roman Catholic.  Poisoning and suicide rates in Lithuania are twice as high as the regional average (which is higher than EU average).  Alcohol deaths are almost 5 times that in the region.  I couldn’t figure out if these were all independent numbers – for instance, does suicide by poisoning show up in both the suicide numbers and the poisoning numbers?  Any way you slice it, these numbers are sad and perhaps an indication that life in Lithuania is not always so easy as the travel blogs would like us to believe.

I hear you saying, “enough Linda, what about the food?”.  Lithuanians love food.  Their cuisine is typical to the region with lots of dark bread, mushrooms, potatoes, pork, beef, borscht and pickles.  Perfect food for a cold January in Boston – so let’s get started.

I personally don’t care for bacon on burger – this has as much to do with the texture as anything.  Strips of meat on a patty are just annoying to eat and the flavor can overpower the burger.  My mother recently introduced me to bacon jam.  Bacon jam is an amazing invention, it gives you bacon flavors without the annoying strips of meat.  And when you mix bacon with onions and mushrooms and a little sweetness of reduced vinegar, you have a little bit of perfection.

So I started there and added a sauce based on borscht – I love roasted beets, so this sauce was a big hit for me.  The tanginess of the sour cream and dill compliment the earthiness of the beets and balance out the complex flavors of the bacon jam.  Add some hard boiled eggs and a few dill pickles and put the whole thing on dark rye.  The result is a super messy burger that is rich and dark and meaty.  This is a heavy dish, so keep your sides light, a nice salad with roasted beets and goat cheese would be perfect.

If you like this recipe you should try some of the other recipes from he is region.  The Estonian burger is one of our favorites.  Belarus and Latvia also inspired terrific burgers.

Lithuanian Burger (click for printable version)
1 pound ground beef
Kosher salt
8 slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread
Mushroom-Bacon Jam (recipe below)
Dill pickle slices
2 hard boiled eggs
Borscht Sauce (recipe below)

You’ll want to make the Bacon Jam and the Borscht Sauce first, then come back and make the burger.

Start by trimming 2 large beets, wrap them in foil and roast in a 350℉ oven for 1 hour or until they are easily pierced with a knife.  While the beets are cooking soak 1 ounce of dried chanterelle mushrooms (covered) in boiling water.  Set beets aside to cool.  Leave the mushrooms soaking until you’re ready to use them

Form four patties from the ground beef and generously salt both sides.  Using the pan that you used to make your Bacon Jam and the reserved grease, cook the patties over medium high heat until they reach desired temperature.  Now grill your bread.

Depending on the size of your bread, you may want to cut each slice in half to fit the burger.  Trim your bread and necessary so that you have 8 burger sized pieces.  Grill them (on one side only) in the same pan until lightly browned.

Place grilled side of bread up and portion bacon jam on four pieces of bread.  Add dill pickle slices (I slice my own from whole dill pickles because I like very thin slices on my burger), enough to make one layer across jam.  Now add your patties and two slices of hard boiled egg.  Top with a generous scoop of Borscht Sauce and the last 4 pieces of grilled bread.  Keep the grilled side facing the burger – it will help keep the bread from disintegrating.

Mushroom-Bacon Jam
8 ounces bacon chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 onion sliced
½ ounce dried chanterelle mushrooms
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
     
Brown the bacon pieces over medium high heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy.  Remove bacon and place on paper towels to drain excess fat.  Cook the onions in the bacon grease over low heat for about 5 minutes.  Drain the mushrooms from the hot water and chop.  Add the mushrooms to the onions.  Continue to cook until the onions are very soft.  Drain and reserve bacon grease.  Add bacon back into pan then add the vinegar.  Turn the heat up and cook until vinegar reduces into syrup (this happens quickly, so stay close and stir constantly).  This can be made ahead and just heated up before serving.

Borscht Sauce
2 roasted beets
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup spring onions chopped (green parts only)
1¾ Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste

Pulse the beets in a food processor then combine with all other ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

©2017 Copyright Linda Monach

Posted in beef burgers, burger recipes, eastern european recipes, european recipes | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Liechtenstein burger

Posted on January 25, 2016 by linda

BH&T Liechtenstein burgerSpaetzle Burger with Mushrooms and Fried Onions
I’ve got to admit that I had little faith that there would be anything interesting to talk write about a country that is only 62 square miles. If you wanted to, you could walk across the country in less than a day. So, other than being small, what else is there to say about Liechtenstein? As a matter of fact, there’s quite a bit of interesting trivia – just search “fun facts Liechtenstein” and see for yourself.

My favorite story about Liechtenstein is the “Great Swiss Invasion of 2007” – ok, I totally made up that name for it, but the invasion was real. Apparently 107 Swiss soldiers got turn around and accidentally wandered about a mile into Liechtenstein. The 37.6k citizens of Liechtenstein didn’t even notice they had been invaded. The Swiss apologized, but I can’t confirm that a couple of cases of wine were exchanged to smooth things over. 🙂

"Schlossvaduz" by Michael Gredenberg - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schlossvaduz.jpg#/media/File:Schlossvaduz.jpg

“Schlossvaduz” by Michael Gredenberg – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schlossvaduz.jpg#/media/File:Schlossvaduz.jpg

Theres’s also the story about how Snoop Dogg tried to rent the entire country to film a video. The request was denied, but only because he didn’t give enough notice. About a year later, the principality offered up the opportunity for anyone to rent the country. From $70,000 per night, the package would include street signs and customized currency.  No reports of anyone actually doing this, but if I ever win the lotto, I might just throw a party there – how cool would that be?

Ok, enough silliness. The Principality of Liechtenstein is a small country surrounded by Switzerland and Austria. It has the 3rd highest GDP per capita in the world (after Qatar and Luxembourg). It is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The land was first purchased in 1719, and the family continues to rule today (although it took them about 100 years before any family members actually lived in Liechtenstein). The economy is fueled by the production of false teeth – it seems that if you want really excellent false teeth, you want them made in Liechtenstein.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

As you can imagine, a country this small does not have a cuisine that is substantially different from that of its neighbors. Although not unique to Liechtenstein, spaetzle is commonly enjoyed and sometimes made into Käsknöfle (basically spaetzle baked with cheese and onions). Since I’ve always wanted to make spaetzle, this seemed a wonderful opportunity. I’ve tried making pasta many times with varying success, the joy of spaetzle is that it’s mostly foolproof. Just make the batter and push it through anything you have that has holes in it – bigger holes=fatter spaetzle. It isn’t pretty, but it’s yummy and makes a great noodle cake for the base of a burger.

Add some beef, cheese, onions and mushrooms and you’ve got a classic burger with meaty yumminess. Oddly the combination didn’t seem heavy, but it certainly is perfect for a cold winter’s day.

This has classic flavors of the region, if you enjoy this burger, you’ll also like the German burger.

Liechtenstein Burger
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces Gruyere cheese sliced thinly or grated
4 Spaetzle Cakes (recipe below)
Sautéed Mushrooms (recipe below)
Fried Onions (recipe below)

Combine beef, salt and pepper and form into 4 patties.  Fry burgers over medium high heat (preferably in a cast iron skillet) until desired doneness.  Add cheese about 2 minutes before burgers are done, reduce heat and cover to melt cheese.

To plate, place Spaetzle Cake on each plate, add a scoop of Sautéed Mushrooms, cooked burger patty and top with Fried Onions

Spaetzle Cakes
2 cups flour
3 eggs (beaten)
¾ cup water
pinch nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Lightly whisk together all ingredients (don’t over beat) until combined.

BH&T liechtenstein spaetzle cook1

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Using a slotted spoon or colander, drip the batter into the water in small batches.

BH&T Liechtenstein spaetzle cook2

BH&T liechtenstein spaetzle cook3

Cook for 2-3 minutes, then strain.

BH&T liechtenstein spaetzle cook4

Form 4 discs from the cooked spaetzle.  Coat the bottom of a non-stick pan with a thin layer of olive oil over medium heat.  Fry the spaetzle discs for a 2-3 minutes per side until just lightly browned.  Place in a warm oven until ready to use.

Sautéed Mushrooms
18 crimini mushrooms (aka baby bella)
3 Tablespoons butter

Slice mushrooms ¼ inch thick. Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat until foam starts to subside. Add the mushrooms and cook until brown – don’t mess with the mushrooms too much, shake the pan a couple times to turn them over, but don’t stir or use any tools – the more they sit on the pan, the more you’ll get nice browning.

Fried Onions
1 large onion
Flour
Salt
Vegetable oil for frying

Slice the onions into rounds and separate the layers.  Place some flour in a bowl and generously salt it.  Dredge the onion rounds in the flour.  Heat the oil to 350°F.  Fry the onion in batches until onions are lightly browned.  Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

©Copyright 2016 Linda Monach

Posted in beef burgers, burger recipes, european recipes | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Libyan burger recipe

Posted on June 16, 2015 by linda

BH&T Libyan burgerLamb Mb’atten Sliders with Bzaar Seasoned Ketchup
Our next stop on this culinary journey is Libya.  Libya is a country in North Africa bordering Tunisia, Algeria, Chad, Niger, Sudan and Egypt.  Originally settled by the Berbers, the area was later ruled by Egyptians then became part of the Roman Empire.  After the Roman Empire fell, various groups ruled the area until the Ottoman Empire took over in 1551.  Then in the 20th century the Italy began an occupation that lasted until the end of WWII.  Libya became independent in 1951.  Muammar al-Qadhafi assumed leadership in 1969.  Qadhafi espoused a mix of socialism and Islam.  But he wasn’t happy spreading his ideology in just his home country.  Because Libya has large oil stores, he was able to use the money from oil to support other like minded people and he became the face of terrorism in the 1970s.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Facebook

In 2003 Libya admitted responsibility for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland.  The government turned over two suspects and paid reparations to the families of the victims.  Qadhafi also agreed to stop trying to develop weapons of mass destruction.  After 7 years of normalizing relations between Western nations and Libya, the unrest that began late in 2010 and later became known as Arab Spring, spread to Libya in early 2011.  Qadhafi was overthrown by mid-2011 (and killed in the process) and a transitional government took over until elections in 2014.  Since then, Libya has continued to struggle with instability and violence.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

So that’s the short version of a very long and complicated history.  Which brings us to the more uplifting part of the tale – the story of food.  Food is central to Libyan life and culture.  Libyans have a popular saying “One must eat well.”  Central to Libyan cooking is olive oil, dates, grains and milk products (like ghee and yogurt).  My favorite fun food fact is that the sand in Libya gets so hot in the summer that you can (and many do) bake bread, potatoes or eggs by burying them in the sand.  Unfortunately, the sand in Boston is not quite up to the task, so I didn’t get to try it out.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

As I was researching the various flavors of Libya, and this is a country that loves complex flavors and myriad spices so there was lots to build on, I came across Mb’atten.  There are some who claim that this is a dish unique to Libya, but I have friends who are from the Middle East and they assure me that this dish can be found outside of Libya.  They also assured me that it is delicious.  So, what is Mb’atten you ask?  It is herb, onion and lamb stuffed inside a thinly sliced potato pocket then fried!  That’s right folks, it’s like potato skins that you didn’t cut all the way, so they’re connected and then you stuff with the most deliciously seasoned meat you can conjure up and some zesty fresh herbs and it’s heavenly.

I’m sure you can tell from the picture that I totally overstuffed the potato; I found that a generous meat to potato ratio tasted the best, but this also makes it more difficult to eat.  My choice is always going to be for yummy vs. easy to eat, a little mess and lamb juice running down your chin is good for the soul.  I added the seasoned ketchup because I always like a little sauce and I think the juxtaposition of tart ketchup and sweet lamb is nice – you could also make a seasoned or herbed yogurt if you prefer (insert joke about American love of ketchup here…).  If you do make the ketchup, just go light with it.  Tomato is a strong flavor and it can easily overwhelm the lamb.  I found serving it on the side worked better so each diner could decide how much was perfect themselves.

Cutting the potatoes just right is not easy, be prepared to scrap a few as you learn the feel.  I went through three versions before I came up with one pretty enough for the blog.  The good news is that the ugly ones were just as tasty.  Even if they fall apart completely you end up with a thick potato chip – hard to be sad about that.  Try to find fat potatoes so that you get decent sized “buns”.  Once you mastered the potato “bun” or “pocket”, this technique could be used with any number of different flavor profiles and meats – I’m thinking carnitas might be a good match.  Let me know if you try any crazy combos…sweet potato pockets with pulled pork anyone?

But I digress, if you fried food and/or Middle Eastern spices, you will enjoy this burger.  It’s meat and potatoes with flair and zing.  If you enjoy this burger you should also consider my Bahrainian burger, it’s another take on lamb and fresh herbs, perfect for summer dining.

Libyan Burger
1 pound ground lamb
2 Tablespoons Bzaar Seasoning (recipe below)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cloves garlic minced
8 scallions chopped (white and light green parts)
½ cup fresh dill chopped
4 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
4 teaspoons minced Serrano chilies
1 egg beaten
3-4 large Yukon gold potatoes
Flour
Vegetable oil
Bzaar Ketchup (recipe below)

Combine the lamb, Bzaar Seasoning and salt.  Cook the meat mixture in a medium skillet over medium heat until just browned.  While meat is cooking combine the garlic, scallions, dill, cilantro and chilies.  When meat is just browned (don’t overcook), turn off the heat and add the herb mixture.  Stir until herbs are wilted the transfer mixture to a glass bowl.  Let it cool a bit then add the beaten egg.

In the meantime peel the potatoes.  It helps at this point to take one side of the potato and slice a little bit off so that you have a flat side to keep the potato steady, if you feel ok with your knife skills, then you can skip this.  Now comes the tricky part.  Slice the potatoes into 8 rounds that are less than ½ inch thick.  Now comes the even trickier part, slice each round ¾ of the way through (or more if you can do it without the seem breaking).  Try to keep your knife centered so that each side of the “bun” is the same thickness.

Stuff each “bun” with a generous helping of the meat and herb mixture.

BH&T Libya burger pre-fry

Dip the open end into flour.  In a large skillet, heat ¼” of vegetable oil until shimmering.  Fry each of the stuffed potatoes until golden then gently flip them and fry the other side until golden.  This takes about 4 minutes per side and it helps if you baste (especially at the seam of the potato).  The challenge is moving these gently so you don’t lose your filling and making sure the potato is cooked through.  The seam will take longer to cook than the ends, so basting it with oil as it cooks help cook both sides of the seam at the same time.

When the potatoes are cooked through and golden, serve the sliders hot with a side of Bzaar Ketchup.

Bzaar Seasoning
1½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all the spices and store any extra in an airtight container in the freezer.

Bzaar Ketchup
½ cup ketchup
1½ teaspoon Bzaar seasoning
1½ teaspoon olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and store covered until ready to use.

Libyan burger recipe

©Copyright 2015 Linda Monach

Posted in african recipes, burger recipes, lamb burgers, middle eastern recipes | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Liberian burger recipe

Posted on April 8, 2015 by linda

BH&T Liberian BurgerBurger with Spicy Greens on a Sweet Potato Pancakes –
The snow is finally (almost) gone, and we have dug out of the winter craziness.  It must be time to get back to burgers.  Luckily we get to start things off with both an interesting country and a scrumptious meal.  We’ve finally (only two years behind schedule) reached the mid point, number 96 of 192 countries.  Liberia here we come!  Liberia is a country on the coast of Western Africa bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte D’Ivoire.  The history of this country is unique.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Rather than being colonized as so much of Africa, Liberia was founded a little differently.  The journey began in 1815.  After the American Revolution, free African Americans struggled to find work and community in the US.  Some free blacks and whites began to work together to “solve this problem.”  At this time, the idea of whites and blacks mingling and living together seemed impossible to most.  From this tension came the idea to return free blacks to Africa.

In 1815, Paul Cuffee, an African American entrepreneur, financed a voyage to Sierra Leone.  He helped settle a small group of immigrants with the dream that they would be able to set up a trade network, educate local black with the skill that the immigrants brought from the west, and live a life free of the restraints of the US limits on black freedom.

In 1820, the American Colonization Society (ACS), a white dominated organization sent another group of immigrants to Africa.  They started on an island in Sierra Leone, but it was swampy and disease ended up being a huge problem.  So, with the help of the British, the group convinced the locals to sell some coastal land and so began the settlement that would eventually become Liberia.  The early history of Liberia is fraught with conflict.  Conflict between the immigrants and the native populations and conflict between the immigrants and the ruling government (originally governed by representatives chosen by ACS).

from www.virtualtourist.com

from www.virtualtourist.com

Fast forward to 1847 and Liberia declares independence.  This independence was not recognized by the US until 1862.  I wish I could say it was smooth sailing from there, but it wasn’t.  Liberia has continued to struggle with conflict between decedents of American immigrants and native people.  There has been corruption and civil war (which lasted 14 years).  Relative peace was established in 2011, and Liberia has been slowly working to rebuild and strengthen its infrastructure.  The recent Ebola outbreak has been a set back to the progress that has been made over the last few years.  New cases have slowed dramatically and there is hope that the spread will be contained some time this year.

With such an interesting history, there was no doubt that the food would be equally interesting.  While only about 5% of the population is decedents of American immigrants, they have been extremely influential.  This group has been over represented in government and community leadership.  These immigrants brought skills learned in the US, but they also brought food traditions and flavors.  So, while the original slaves brought food traditions from Africa to the US (especially the South), their decedents reversed the process and brought southern cooking to Africa.  The result is a fabulous blend of fatty sweetness and exotic spiciness.  We have spicy greens that you expect from this part of the world, with that warm red palm oil flavor and habeneros to spice it up.  Then I brought the south to our burger by making sweet potato pancakes with the homey flavors of cinnamon and molasses.  The result is amazing.  I don’t even like sweet potatoes, but I loved the balance of the sweet with the spicy greens and the meaty burger.  I liked the combination so much I made the sweet potato pancakes a week later with spicy pork chops – yum!

If this sounds good to you, I recommend you try the Cote D’Ivoire burger; it’s got classic flavors from the region and is a personal favorite of mine.

Liberian Burger
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1½ ground pepper
Sweet Potato Pancakes (recipe below)
Spicy Greens (recipe below)

Form four patties out of the ground beef.  Generously salt and pepper each side of the patties.  Cook to desired temperature.  To serve place cooked patties on top of the Sweet Potato Pancakes and top with the Spicy Greens

Sweet Potato Pancakes
4 cups grated sweet potatoes (use large holes on a box cheese grater, or food processor)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3-6 shakes Tabasco sauce
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 eggs
Peanut oil

Combine first six ingredients and let sit for 15 minutes.  In a small bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs.  Add the eggs to the sweet potato mixture.  Form the mixture into four disks (about ½ inch thick).  Heat ¼ inch of peanut oil until shimmering.  Cook the cakes in the oil until warm through and brown on each side (because of the molasses, this will brown more than you might expect, don’t worry, it will taste delicious).  Set on paper towel until ready to serve.

BH&T Liberia Sweet Potato Pancake

Spicy Greens
1 Tablespoon red palm oil
1 onion halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 habenero pepper sliced
4 cups collard greens chopped (remove big stems)

In a large sauté pan, heat palm oil over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic and peppers and cook until soft and translucent.

In the meantime, put greens into boiling water for 2-3 minutes then shock them in an ice bath.  Once they are completely cool, drain the excess water.

Remove the peppers from the sauté pan and add the greens.  Sauté for 1-2 minutes just until greens are heated through and coated in the onion mixture.

Serve warm.

BH&T Liberia Spicy Greens

 

Liberian burger recipe

©Copyright 2015 Linda Monach

 

 

 

 

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