CHEF JOHN ASH

John Ash: Cooking One on One:
Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food
from a Master Teacher

"Teaching has come to be the thing I love most in life..." Chef John Ash

Kebabs of one sort or another are the “fast” of street food throughout the Middle East and up into Russia and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia). In both cuisines, solid chunks of meat as well as ground are seasoned, skewered and grilled quickly. In Lebanon, Morocco and Syria the ground versions are also known as “Kefta” or “Kofta”. Seasonings vary but in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria ras-al-hanout is usually used which is an exotic mixture of up to 27 different spices including nutmeg, cumin, ginger, dried rose and according to old recipes, the aphrodisiac “Spanish Fly” or cantharides, a green metallic beetle which are actually toxic! You can find ras-al-hanout at Middle Eastern markets or mail order from Penzey’s (800) 741-7787 or www.penzeys.com or Vann’s Spices (800) 583-1693 or www.vannsspices.com.

Moroccan Lamb Kebabs

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

• 1 medium white onion, peeled and quartered
  
• 1/3 cup each cilantro and flat-leaf parsley leaves, lightly packed
  
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, lightly packed
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 2 teaspoons paprika
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 1 teaspoon ras-al-hanout
  
• 2 pounds ground lamb, preferably shoulder
  
• Sea salt
  
• Pita or other flat bread
  
• Tomato and Sumac Salad (recipe follows)
  
• 1 cup drained Bulgarian style yogurt mixed with 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Directions:

Place the onion, herbs and spices in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Place in a mixing bowl along with the lamb and mix until well blended. Season to your taste with salt.

Divide the mixture into 24 equal potions and roll each into a ball. Wrap it tightly around a long skewer (flat are best because they will hold the meat better), squeezing meat up and down to form a thin sausage about 4 inches long. Prepare remaining kebabs in the same manner.

Grill the kebabs over charcoal for 2 minutes or so on each side or until just cooked through. Serve immediately in flat bread topped with a tomato and sumac salad and a tablespoon or so of the yogurt mixture.

Tomato and Sumac Salad

Sumac is the dried berry of a shrub that lends a tart/sour or lemony flavor. Traditionally sumac appeared in recipes from areas in which lemons were rare such as remote parts of Syria and Iraq. I love it as a condiment to sprinkle on tomatoes, fruits, rice and yogurt. You can find it at the same sources as for ras-al-hanout above.

• 4 cups seeded and diced firm-ripe tomatoes
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  
• 2 cups finely chopped red onions, soaked in ice water for at least ½ hour and drained
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika or ras-al-hanout
  
• 1 tablespoon sumac powder or to taste
  
• 1/4 cup or so extra virgin olive oil or argan oil
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Gently stir all ingredients together and serve at room temperature.

Cookbooks Authored by Chef John Ash
Winner of the Julia Child "Cookbook of the Year" from the IACP One of California's foremost chefs, in association with Fetzer Vineyards, celebrates the bounty of the garden and the vine with a collection of more than 300 recipes that pay magnificent tribute to fresh and healthy high-flavor food--plus a a helpful--and fun--approach to testing and evaluating wines. Color photos.	Winner of the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award John Ash: Cooking One-on-One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher	American Game Cooking: A Contemporary Guide to Preparing Farm-Raised Game Birds and Meats Game farms have made exotic fowl and meats widely available to the non-hunter, and this is an excellent resource for those who want to cook on the wild side. From boar-based borscht to roast lacquered duck with muscat-tamarind sauce, the recipes contained herein are delicious.

"It's the process of cooking that's so much fun — the bonus is that you get something at the end to eat." Chef John Ash

Grilling Recipes from Around the World by Chef John Ash
These Recipes are Free to copy for personal use.

• Grilled Shrimp With Sangrita
  
  
• Moroccan Lamb Kebabs
  
  
• Spicy Grilled Squid Salad
  
  
• More Recipes

(Chef John Ash)