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661 recipes

Miel de chiverreSquash strand preserve

Chiverre is a large, pale squash with stringy flesh that Costa Rican families save for Semana Santa. The strands are cooked for hours with tapa de dulce (cane sugar), cinnamon and cloves until they turn into a golden, chewy, sweet preserve called miel de chiverre, eaten on its own or used to fill the Holy Week empanadas and tortas. Spaghetti squash, though milder, is the closest substitute. It is vegan. Chef's tip: soak the squash strands in cold water for a few hours and drain well, which removes the bitterness.

180 minCentral AmericanDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tamales coloradosRed tamales

On Christmas Eve in Guatemala, families gather before midnight to eat tamales colorados, made in big batches the day before. Soft corn masa enriched with lard is filled with pork (or chicken) in a red recado sauce of tomato, dried chillies and toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds, topped with an olive, a strip of red pepper and a caper, then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. They are eaten with bread and hot ponche. Chef's tip: beat the lard into the masa until a spoonful floats in water; that is how you know the tamales will be light.

240 minCentral AmericanMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Śledzie w śmietanieHerring in soured cream

Herring is a must at the Polish Wigilia, the meatless Christmas Eve supper, and śledzie w śmietanie, salted herring fillets in soured cream with crisp apple, onion and dill, is the favourite way to serve it, with boiled potatoes or rye bread. The herring is cured, not cooked: use good-quality salted or matjes fillets from a shop, which have been frozen to kill parasites, and keep the dish chilled. Cured fish is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, make the safer version in the last step with hot-smoked mackerel or herring fillets baked until opaque. Chef's tip: dress the herring a few hours ahead so the cream picks up the flavour.

20 minPolishFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gallo en chichaRooster in sweet-sour corn sauce

Gallo en chicha is a festive dish of Granada and Masaya in Nicaragua, cooked for Christmas Eve and the purísima season. A rooster (today usually a large chicken) is stewed in chicha, a fermented corn drink, with raisins, prunes, olives, capers and spices until the sauce is thick, dark and sweet-sour. Traditional chicha can be slightly alcoholic; this recipe gives a quick unfermented version made from masa and pineapple, so it is alcohol-free. Serve with rice and plantains. Chef's tip: brown the chicken well first, as the dark sauce relies on that caramelised flavour.

150 minCentral AmericanChickenGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Paches de papaPotato tamales with chicken

Paches are the tamales of Quetzaltenango (Xela) in the Guatemalan highlands, made with mashed potato instead of corn and eaten on Christmas Eve and, by long custom, on Thursdays. The potato masa is coloured red with a recado of tomato, chillies and spices, filled with chicken, and wrapped in banana leaves to steam. They are soft and spoonable, served with bread and a squeeze of lime. Chef's tip: mash the potatoes while hot and mix in the recado straight away, so the masa stays smooth and doesn't turn gluey.

180 minCentral AmericanChickenGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

ManalaBrioche men

On 6 December, St Nicholas' Day, Alsatian bakeries fill with manala (also mannele): little brioche men with raisin eyes and buttons and a snipped belt, given to children by St Nicolas, who brings treats to good children. They are eaten for breakfast or an after-school snack, dipped in hot chocolate. The dough is a soft, buttery milk brioche. Chef's tip: shape the figures loosely and well apart, because they double as they rise and bake, and thin arms that touch become one blob.

60 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Dowina (Kurdish yogurt soup)

Dowina, called ash-e doogh in Persian, is warming spring food in Kurdish homes around Newroz, when yogurt is plentiful and the first herbs are cut from the garden. Rice and chickpeas simmer in a tangy, lightly thickened yogurt broth, finished with fresh dill, coriander and a sizzle of dried mint in oil. It is eaten warm, never boiling hot, with flatbread. The common mistake is to heat the yogurt too fast without stirring, which makes it split into grainy curds. Chef's tip: whisk an egg yolk and a spoonful of rice flour into the yogurt before it goes on the heat; it holds the soup smooth all the way to the simmer.

75 minMiddle EasternSoupsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

OponkiQuark ring doughnuts

On Tłusty Czwartek, Fat Thursday, Poles queue at bakeries for pączki, but at home many families make oponki instead: little ring doughnuts from a quick twaróg (curd cheese) dough with no yeast and no waiting. They fry in minutes into light, tender 'tyres' that are rolled in sugar or glazed and eaten warm by the plateful. The common mistake is kneading the dough too much, which makes them tough; mix only until it holds together. Chef's tip: press the twaróg through a sieve first, or blend it, so the dough is smooth and the rings puff evenly.

40 minPolishDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Biała kiełbasa z cebuląWhite sausage baked with onions

Biała kiełbasa is a fresh, unsmoked white sausage of pork seasoned with garlic and marjoram, and on Easter Sunday morning in Poland it is the star of the breakfast after the blessed basket (święconka) is shared. It is also the sausage that goes into żurek, the sour rye soup. Buy it raw from a Polish butcher, then poach it gently and bake it with onions until golden. Serve with horseradish, mustard, rye bread and Easter eggs. Chef's tip: never boil it, as the casing bursts; keep the water just below a simmer.

60 minPolishMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Almíbar nicaragüenseFruit preserve in panela syrup

In Nicaragua, Semana Santa means almíbar: a big pot of mango, papaya, jocote (hog plum) and grosella (gooseberry) simmered for hours in a dark panela syrup with cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Families make it ahead and share it with neighbours, who return the bowl full of their own. It is served cool in small bowls, sometimes with a slice of cheese. Jocotes and grosellas are hard to find abroad; firm plums and cape gooseberries are good stand-ins. It is vegan and gluten free. Chef's tip: add the fruit in order of firmness so everything finishes tender but whole.

180 minCentral AmericanDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pescado envuelto en huevoEgg-battered fish in tomato sauce

In Guatemala, Cuaresma and Semana Santa mean the smell of pescado seco envuelto en huevo: pieces of dried salted fish (usually cod) soaked, dipped in whipped egg batter, fried until puffy and golden, then served in a light tomato sauce with rice. It fills the house during the processions of Holy Week, when carpets of sawdust and flowers line the streets of Antigua. Soaked salt cod is the easiest to find abroad. Chef's tip: whisk the whites very stiff and fold in the yolks gently, so the coating puffs into a soft cloud.

60 minCentral AmericanFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pâté de Pâques berrichonPork, veal and egg pastry loaf

In the Berry region of central France (around Bourges and Châteauroux), Easter Sunday lunch begins with pâté de Pâques: a long loaf of puff pastry filled with seasoned minced pork and veal around a row of whole hard-boiled eggs, so every slice shows a golden yolk in the middle. It is eaten warm or cold with a green salad. Some cooks marinate the meat in white wine or Cognac; this recipe uses no alcohol. Chef's tip: cut a chimney in the top crust and keep it open with a roll of card, so steam escapes and the pastry stays crisp.

110 minFrenchMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

TaloaMaize flatbread with ham and cheese

During the Fêtes de Bayonne in July, when the whole town dresses in white with red scarves, stalls in the Pays Basque sell taloa: thick flatbreads of maize and wheat flour cooked on a hot griddle and folded around fillings. The classic is with jambon de Bayonne (a cured pork ham), with sheep's cheese or with ventrèche (cured pork belly), and it's eaten hot in the street. Cheese alone makes a good vegetarian version. Chef's tip: cook the taloa on a dry, very hot pan; it should blister and puff in patches like a tortilla.

30 minFrenchBreads & Parathas
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gardianne de taureauBull beef braised in red wine

Gardianne is named after the gardians, the mounted herdsmen who raise black bulls on the marshes of the Camargue, and it is served at the summer ferias and village fêtes of Arles and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer with nutty Camargue red rice. Taureau (bull meat) is lean and deeply flavoured, braised slowly in red wine with onions, garlic, herbes de Provence and black olives until dark and tender; beef shin or chuck makes a fine substitute. This recipe contains alcohol: for an alcohol-free version, replace the wine with the same amount of beef stock plus 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp grape juice. Chef's tip: marinate the meat overnight in the fridge for the deepest flavour.

235 minFrenchMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

CornuellesAniseed biscuits

On Palm Sunday in Villebois-Lavalette, in Charente, stalls sell cornuelles, hard triangular biscuits with a hole in the middle, threaded onto a stick or a sprig of blessed box. The three points are said to stand for the Trinity, and children carry them home from church. They are crisp and scented with aniseed, glazed with a thin sugar icing. Chef's tip: roll the dough thin and even, about 5 mm, so every biscuit bakes through crisp without burning at the points.

68 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chichi frégiChickpea flour fritters in sugar

On the seafront at L'Estaque, the old fishing quarter of Marseille, and at summer fêtes all along the coast, kiosks fry chichi frégi: long, ridged fritters of wheat and chickpea flour, rolled hot in sugar and eaten in a paper cone. The dough is a yeasted, egg-free batter piped straight into the oil, crisp outside and soft inside, with a faint nutty taste from the chickpea flour and a hint of orange flower. Chef's tip: keep the oil at 175 °C; cooler and the fritters soak up fat, hotter and they burn before the middle cooks.

105 minFrenchSnacks & StartersVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Galette comtoiseChoux king cake

While most of France eats a puff-pastry galette des rois at Epiphany in January, Franche-Comté has its own: a flat golden cake made from a choux-like dough, tender and slightly custardy inside and scented with orange-flower water. As elsewhere, a fève (a little charm or a dried bean) is hidden inside, the youngest child under the table calls out who gets each slice, and whoever finds the fève is crowned king or queen. Chef's tip: let the cooked paste cool for a few minutes before beating in the eggs, or they scramble.

65 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

BrasucadeGrilled mussels with garlic and parsley

At village fêtes around the étang de Thau in Languedoc, and on beaches in summer, people gather round a brasucade: mussels piled into a large pierced pan over a fire of vine prunings until they open, then doused with a garlicky oil of parsley and a little chilli and tossed. It is smoky, juicy and eaten by hand with bread. A barbecue grill works at home. Chef's tip: use a lid or a sheet of foil over the pan; the trapped steam opens the mussels evenly while the fire adds smoke.

25 minFrenchFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

KalanehWild leek stuffed flatbread

In Kurdistan and Kermanshah, Newroz arrives with the first spring greens on the hillsides, and families gather wild leeks to fold into kalaneh, thin griddle breads cooked over a fire or a hot pan and soaked in melted butter. The dough is plain and soft, rolled very thin around a pile of chopped leek or chives with a little salt and pepper, so the greens steam inside as the bread blisters. Eat it hot, torn into strips, with yogurt and tea at a Newroz picnic. The common mistake is wet greens, which turn the dough soggy and make it tear; dry them well after washing. Chef's tip: brush the butter on the moment the bread leaves the pan so it soaks right in.

65 minMiddle EasternBreads & Parathas
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Karp w galarecieCarp in aspic

Carp in aspic is one of the cold dishes of the Polish Wigilia. Carp steaks are poached gently in a stock of root vegetables and the fish's own bones, then laid in a dish with carrot slices, lemon and parsley and covered in the clarified stock, which sets into a clear, shimmering jelly overnight. Serve it chilled with lemon and horseradish. A little powdered gelatine helps the aspic set reliably at home. Chef's tip: simmer the fish bones and vegetables slowly and never boil the stock hard; boiling makes it cloudy.

120 minPolishFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Brioche de Saint-GenixPink praline brioche

In Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers, in Savoie, this round brioche dotted with bright pink sugared almonds is baked for the feast of Saint Agatha on 5 February, and its shape is said to recall the saint's martyrdom. Today it is sold all year in the bakeries of the Savoie and Lyon, rich and buttery, with the pralines melting into sticky pink pockets. The dough rests overnight in the fridge, so start the day before. Chef's tip: crush the pralines roughly and fold them in at the very end, or they dissolve and stain the whole dough pink.

595 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tamal de ollaChicken tamal stew

Tamal de olla is Panama's easy answer to Christmas tamales: instead of wrapping dozens of parcels, the corn masa and a saucy chicken filling with raisins, olives and capers are layered in a pot or baking dish and cooked together, then scooped onto plates for the Christmas Eve dinner. It is moist, savoury and slightly sweet, coloured gold with achiote. Chef's tip: cook the masa with the chicken broth on the hob until it pulls from the pan before baking, so the tamal sets but stays soft.

150 minCentral AmericanChickenGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Macaronade sétoisePasta with beef rolls and sausage

In Sète, on the Languedoc coast, families of Italian origin cook macaronade for Sunday lunch and above all for the Saint-Louis festival in August, when the harbour hosts its famous water-jousting. Thin slices of beef are rolled around garlic and parsley (braciole), browned with Toulouse-style pork sausage and simmered for hours in a tomato sauce, which then dresses thick pasta. Traditionally a splash of white wine goes into the sauce; it is optional here, and stock works just as well. Chef's tip: simmer the sauce very gently, with the lid ajar; the beef rolls need time to turn tender, not fast boiling.

190 minFrenchPasta & Noodles
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sopa de rosquillasBroth with corn and cheese rings

In Honduras, Semana Santa is a time for meatless soups, and sopa de rosquillas is the most loved: a light tomato, onion and sweet pepper broth with milk, in which crisp, crumbly rosquillas (baked rings of cornmeal and hard cheese) are dropped at the last minute so they soften on the outside and stay crunchy within. Many families also add a few eggs. Bought rosquillas work; this recipe makes them. Hard 'queso seco' is usually made with rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese if needed. Chef's tip: add the rosquillas right before serving, as they dissolve if left to soak.

90 minCentral AmericanSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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