Aleppo pepper has suddenly become one of the darlings of the culinary world and with good reason. Its beautiful red color, not too hot flavor and rich fruity undertones make it a perfect accompaniment to so many dishes where you would ordinarily use a crushed red pepper flake. I love to add it to chili or sprinkle it on pizza for a richer, more full flavor but I especially love it in the following recipe, "Mhammara", one of a host of Mediterranean pepper-nut sauces with Arabic roots. I also serve this sauce on the side with grilled lamb or steak and sometimes chicken.
Mhammara
Adapted from the book “The Essential Mediterranean”
by Nancy Jenkins
Makes about 3C
4 red sweet bell peppers, roasted and peeled and seeded
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
1-1/2C of toasted walnut halves
1/2C bread crumbs from toasted Italian or French bread
1-2t “Global Palate” Aleppo Pepper
Juice of ½ of a lemon
1T pomegranate molasses (optional, can be found at a Middle Eastern food store)
Extra virgin olive oil
Toasted pine nuts for garnish
Pita triangles for serving or lightly blanched vegetables
Place the roasted peppers into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and puree until smooth. Add the walnuts, bread crumbs, and Aleppo peppers to the mixture and pulse until it forms a granular paste. Add the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice, garlic and salt and pulse again to purée. With the motor running slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream until you have the desired consistency. It should not be too thick or too thin. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and lemon juice if necessary.
Place the sauce into a shallow bowl , sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and surround with pita triangles or assorted lightly blanched vegetables and serve.
This is the best fried chicken I ever made!
Delicious and Spicy!
Spicy Crunchy Southern Fried Chicken
Makes 8 servings
2 free range chickens cut up into serving size pieces (8-10 pieces breasts cut in half if very large.)
salt and pepper to taste
1t all spice
1t thyme
1T finely minced garlic
1T “Global Palate”Aleppo Peppers
2 eggs
1/4C water
2C flour
Canola oil
In a large bowl, toss the chicken with salt, pepper, allspice, garlic, Aleppo pepper ,eggs and 1/4C of water. Mix together well with your hands. When the chicken is thoroughly coated, blend in the flour, using your hands. Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with the other ingredients and the chicken is coated (add a little more flour or water if the mixture is too dry or wet. It should be a bit dry but not powdery. Let sit on a baking sheet while you heat the oil.
Choose a skillet or stove-top casserole at least 12 inches in diameter and that has a cover. Add enough fat to come to about ½ in. depth and turn on the heat to med. high.
When the oil is hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle) raise the heat to high and slowly add the coated chicken pieces to the skillet. If you add them all at once the temperature of the oil will plummet. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to med.-high and cook for 7 min.
Uncover the skillet, turn the chicken over and continue to cook, uncovered for another 7 min. Turn the chicken a third time and cook for another 5 more min. turning as necessary to insure both sides are a rich golden brown.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and drain on a baking rack. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon or lime wedges. Do not wrap tightly in plastic wrap or it can get soggy.
Turkish Roasted Eggplant and Chile Salad
Patlican Ve Biber Salatas
Serves 4
1 lb. of Japanese eggplants or other mild eggplant
2 poblano chiles, roasted, seeded and peeled.
3/4C chopped onion
1/2C olive oil
1 tomato, chopped
1T finely minced garlic
Pinch of sugar
Salt
1t of Global Palate Aleppo pepper flakes
1/2C chopped flat leaf parsley
2t red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Wash and trim the eggplant. Using a vegetable peeler remove the skin, cut into 2”pieces and place the pieces on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and place into the oven. Roast for 10 min. then turn the pieces with a spatula and continue to roast until soft but browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
When the eggplant is cook enough to handle chop finely along with the poblano chiles and set aside in a large bowl.
Cook the onion in the remaining olive oil until very golden brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, a bit of salt, and the Aleppo pepper. Cook for 2-3 min. Add the eggplant, chiles and half of the parsley; cover and simmer for about 10 min. or until the vegetable are very tender. Stir in the vinegar, taste and adjust the salt and vinegar if necessary. Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley. Serve with some pita bread as an appetizer or as a side salad in a meal.
