Moroccan savoury dishes often include fruit. This recipe, from the cookbook The food of morocco by Tess Mallos, features prunes stuffed with almonds. To feed four, you will need 900g (2 lbs) of fish fillets. I used ling but any firm white fish will work. Salt the fish and set it aside in the fridge.…… Continue reading almond crusted fish with prunes
Tag: almonds
tocinillo de cielo + almond and orange florentines
My good friend Daniel Aguera introduced me to this traditional Spanish dessert. Although similar to a crème caramel, this rich custard is non-dairy and is made with only eggs, sugar and water. In the early 20th century, the wineries of Jerez de Frontera clarified their wines with egg whites. The left-over egg yolks were donated…… Continue reading tocinillo de cielo + almond and orange florentines
almond and apricot pastry
Eve made this ensaïmada, a pastry which hails from Mallorca. Traditionally made with a lot of pork lard (saiïm in Catalan) this version, from a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, uses only 100g (3½ oz) of butter. I’ve never tasted the original version but this one was moist and delicious and a fitting finale for a Spanish…… Continue reading almond and apricot pastry
almond and strawberry trifle
On the first Tuesday of November, everything in Australia (and particularly Melbourne) stops for the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious annual thoroughbred horse race. Everyone dresses up for the occasion and hats or fascinators are almost compulsory. For those who don’t go to the races it’s a great excuse for a party, usually involving sweeps on the races…… Continue reading almond and strawberry trifle
chicken with cardamom rice + spinach salad with dates
Two fragrant dishes from JERUSALEM by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. This one-pot chicken and rice dish is wonderfully spiced, rich with caramelised onions, tangy with barberries and fresh with herbs. First put 2-3 tablespoons of sugar into a small saucepan with an equal amount of water and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, add…… Continue reading chicken with cardamom rice + spinach salad with dates
almond honey spread
Moroccan amlou is a spread (much like peanut butter) made of almonds, honey and argan oil which is generally eaten on bread for breakfast. Argan oil, which is apparently quite nutty in flavour, is endemic to Morocco and, I discovered, hard to find and very expensive in Australia! I opted for a version without it. If you love…… Continue reading almond honey spread
prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
Nuts have been used to enrich sauces in Mexican cooking since Pre-Columbian times. Peanuts, or cacahuate, are thought to be indigenous to South America and were widely cultivated in Mexico. Almonds were introduced into the cuisine later, after the Spanish conquest in the 16th Century. This way of cooking prawns (shrimp) is quite simple and absolutely delicious. Soak 1 dried…… Continue reading prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
rhubarb ice cream with rhubarb purée and honey toasted almonds
Inspired by some magnificent rhubarb from my local market. To make the rhubarb purée wash and trim the rhubarb and chop it into 3cm (1″) lengths. The 2 bunches I bought weighed 1.35kg (3 lbs). Place in a saucepan with ½ a cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. This will result in a not very sweet purée which balances well…… Continue reading rhubarb ice cream with rhubarb purée and honey toasted almonds
ginger almond slice
Maybe it’s genetic – a taste for ginger runs strong in my family. Here it’s the star in a buttery almond slice adapted from a recipe by Valli Little which was published in Delicious magazine in February 2007. Preheat your oven to 180℃ (350℉) and grease and line an 18 x 28cm (7 x 11″) rectangular tin. In…… Continue reading ginger almond slice
almond and cinnamon scones
I had no cookie cutter when I made these hence the rustic look but the cinnamon flavour was delicious! Preheat the oven to 230℃ (450℉). Place 1½ cups of flour and 4 teaspoons of baking powder in a bowl. Add 45g (1½ oz) of cubed cold butter with a pinch of salt (unless you’re using…… Continue reading almond and cinnamon scones
michelle picker cooks 