Recipes
Spicy Fish Salad
The countries in the Persian culinary region are home to many religions, languages, cultures and politics. In culinary traditions, however, they all have a deep love for food that has tart flavors and is fresh and colorful. You'll find fresh herbs at every meal and colorful ingredient used such as pomegranates and saffron. Naomi Duguid's Taste of Persia shows us through delicious recipes and fascinating stories how diverse and wonderful this region is. This gorgeous looking salad uses poached fish and makes for something a little bit different for any meal. From the author: "Kuchmachi is a Georgian dish that’s most often made of simmered chicken or beef or lamb, a kind of meat salad dressed with a savory rich walnut sauce and served at room temperature. This version is made with poached fish. I first tasted a version of fish kuchmachi at a Palm Sunday fasting feast in Akhalkalaki hosted by the Bishop of Javakheti. The guests, most of whom were keeping the Lenten fast (no animal products except for a few days when fish is permitted), were happy to be able to eat fish on this special day. Outside, the landscape was spare and beautiful, with snow capped peaks on the horizon. Not far away lay the borders with Turkey and Armenia. Serve this on a hot day as a main course with an assortment of salads, or serve it as one course in a winter feast, preceded by a clear soup and followed by roast meat or roast vegetables."
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Fried Eggplant Roll-Ups
One of the countries in the Persian culinary region that has colorful and flavorful food is Georgia. Nestled between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, Georgia has a climate similar to the Mediterranean's, and a love of vegetables blended with walnuts and vibrant herbs. This recipe from Naomi Duguid's book Taste of Persia shows up how the combination of eggplant and a rich walnut paste can make for one delicious dish. From the author: "These succulent roll-ups are one of the treasures of the Georgian table. Strips of fried eggplant are coated with spiced walnut paste and rolled up. They're best if made an hour or more ahead of time and slightly chilled, so that the filling firms up and the flavors have time to blend. Badrigiani make a great appetizer, though in Georgia they are usually served as part of a wide selection of dishes at a meal."
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