Egyptiantabilch Recipes

EGYPTIAN FAATAH (RICE & MEAT WITH CRISPY BREAD ON BOTTOM)

Steps:

• To prepare bread for bottom of dish: Take pita bread and rip into bite size pieces. In a frying pan, add about a 1/4 stick of butter, add bread pieces and fry until golden brown and crisp. Put these pieces in a glass baking dish, preferably a square sized dish. Set aside.
• Then add to same pan, a little more butter, salt, approximately 2 cloves of crushed fresh garlic, and a teaspoon or so of cumin stir around a bit until you can smell aroma, then add fried bread pieces to this mixture, stir to coat bread and put back into glass baking dish. Set aside.
• To prepare meat: put some butter in a pot, stir fry meat until brown, add 1 onion quartered, salt & pepper, 1 cube of chicken bouillon and water to cover meat. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover and cook until tender, approximately 2 hours. After meat has cooled, take out chunks of meat and put in a bowl, set aside. Reserve soup from the meat separately.
• To prepare the rice: Put some butter into a pot, add shareya (fideo noodles) like a handful or so, keep stirring until golden brown, not too dark, but very golden. Then add two cups of rice, stir a little bit until some of the rice turns an opaque white. Add 2-1/4 cups of water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer, cook until tender. Test the rice tenderness after about 35 minutes.
• Now take some of the soup from meat and add to the top of the bread pieces in baking dish to saturate.Add cooked rice on top of bread pieces. Slowly spoon remainder of soup onto rice, looking at glass dish sides to see level of soup, should reach just to top of rice, don't worry, this doesn't have to be exact. Now you're ready to make the sauce and fry the meat to put on top.
• To prepare red sauce: In a pan, add a little oil or butter, crushed tomato, a half teaspoon of tomato paste, salt & pepper, 2 cloves of fresh crushed garlic and cumin. Add also approximately 3 tablespoons of vinegar, stir this until you smell aroma and it is a bit smooth. It should be a bit thick, not watery, but if too thick you can add a bit of water. Spread with a wooden spoon atop the rice to cover.
• To fry meat: In a pan add a bit of butter or oil, the meat, just a touch of tomato paste, about a tablespoon of fresh crushed garlic, salt & pepper, a teaspoon of cumin. Cook until meat is golden fried.
• Spoon this atop the rice and serve. Enjoy!

EGYPTIAN STYLE BAKED FISH (SANEYA SEMAAK)

Steps:

• Spray a glass baking dish with a bit of non-stick cooking spray, or rub lightly with Olive Oil.
• Wash the fish well.
• Slice the fish into medium size slices. Not too thick or thin, up to you.
• Lay the fish slices in baking dish.
• Sprinkle generously with cumin, salt, pepper, old bay spice and add a bit of garlic, keep the rest for top later. Squeeze the juice of lemon over this.
• Take remaining garlic, jalapeno, celery leaves and cilantro, add a half teaspoon of cumin and pound into a paste (using a mortar pestle or even a quick spin in food processor), does not have to be totally paste, but put together and blend well, spread this over fish. (You can squeeze lemon juice into this to make easier to blend).
• Add all chopped vegetables, peppers, onions.
• Squeeze the juice of orange into baking dish, top with pats of butter. You may add a bit more seasoning to top if you like.
• Cover with foil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.
• Towards end of baking, you may uncover if you want to lessen juices or to brown, but just as good with juices, great over brown fish rice with onion. (see my recipes).
• ***LEFTOVER TIP*** If you make this dish and you have leftovers, the next day slice an onion, sauté it in butter, chop a small tomato, add to the onion and cook until a bit smooth, add leftover fish dish, and a few pats of butter...this way is even better than when made fresh the first time, it was for me anyway... ENJOY!