Caspian Trout and Pickled Garlic

Wondering what to do with all that leftover mirza ghasemi you made after the last blog? Well, fret no more! For I have found the answer.  Fish!

Ghezel ala or Caspian Trout

Last weekend we drove north towards the Caspian Sea to the old port town of Babolsar. The balmy sea breeze enveloping us with the sea haar made us rather ravenous. I did ask someone about good restaurants in Babolsar and was informed that the best Italian restaurant in Iran was to be found there. I do love Italian food, but I suggested to my informant that I could hardly go all the way up north to the Caspian and blog about Spaghetti Bolognese.

But help was soon to hand.  Our evening meal was ghezel ala, or Caspian Trout. Our ghezel ala had a smoky taste to it and was grilled with no sauces or marinades at all.  But, it was served with lemon quarters, pickled cabbage, salad and a large helping of warm mirza ghasemi.

It was, interestingly enough for Iran, served without any rice. Not even a grain! Some members of our little troupe were vocally disappointed about the absence of any rice, but nevertheless did manage to tuck into at least three basketfuls of machine made lavash bread.

More interestingly, however, was the plate of olives (zeytun) and pickled garlic (seer-y-torsh), which accompanied our trout. It is not the first time I have tried the north Iranian pickled garlic, and I certainly enjoyed it this trip. It was the perfect accompaniment for the fish and each clove I popped into my mouth was soft, juicy and just perfectly pickled.

I can visualize many a raised eyebrow at the concept of pickled garlic, but let me assure you it is fabulous.  And, despite what one might think about garlic breath, this is not the case. You can eat as much as you like and still sit next to your friends. In fact, one reliable source whispered into my ear that by the Caspian Sea you could eat as much pickled garlic as you like and no one will be the wiser. However, start heading over the mountains back to Tehran, and it is advisable to exercise caution with the amount of pickled garlic you consume.  It appears that the Caspian Sea air helps minimize malodorous garlicky fragrances.

Babolsar shopkeeper with pickled garlic

On our return to Tehran, we stopped at one of the many roadside shops and I stocked up on a substantial tub of local seer-y-torsh. The shopkeeper was most obliging with information and gave me a quick lesson on how to pickle garlic with malt vinegar and salt.

Standing behind four large vats of the stuff, she pointed out each variety. The first vat, brimming with fragrant seer-y-torsh, was from the ancient city of Hamadan (called Ecbatana on ancient maps). However, the vat behind that one had the shop owner’s particular brand, which, I was told, had been soaking for seven years and was far superior to anything else in the shop. Obviously, I obtained the very best that money could buy.

While ladling out my garlic, the shopkeeper leaned over her vats, and beckoned me with a conspiratorial wink. “It’s like everything else that has matured for while,” she said with a cheeky smile. “The older they are, the sweeter they become!”

Seer-y-torsh (Pickled Garlic)

Ingredients:

10 bulbs of garlic (do not peel them)

4 to 5 cups of malt vinegar

5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons of salt

What to do:

Wash the garlic but leave skins on. Leave it to dry for a couple of hours.

Pour 4 cups of malt vinegar into a pot. Put in the garlic and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let it cook for about half an hour.

Turn off the heat, add the sugar and leave the garlic to cool in the vinegar mix.

Place the garlic in sterilized glass jars. Cover with the vinegar from the pot. Add the balsamic vinegar and salt. If the garlic is not covered in vinegar, top up with malt vinegar.

Seal the jars firmly.  Store in a cool, dark place for at least two months before using. The longer you keep them in the jar, the tastier they will be.

Fun With Bademjan!

I can now sleep tonight! The previous blog had no recipe – because I couldn’t find one. But my dear big sister, Alison, and friend, Millie quickly queried the lack of such vital information.

So, as a special request for starters from my big sis and Millie, I give you one of my favourites, mirza ghasemi - a tasty eggplant dip.

Mirza Ghasemi or eggplant dip

I am quite fond of eggplant myself, but rarely cook it. Our three daughters are pretty much omnivores and Gary will usually eat whatever is put in front of him. But if I serve him a dish containing eggplant, there is usually a good deal of moaning and groaning. And I am then admonished for “forgetting” they he doesn’t like it!

So when Millie asked for an eggplant starter, I was only too happy to oblige.

I first tasted mirza ghasemi at a dinner party at the home of Kavous and Maryam, our first landlords in Tehran and now our good friends. Maryam is an amazing cook, and her mirza ghasemi is unsurpassable. I can make it and it tastes fine, but nothing to compare with Maryam’s. In fact, I once ate so much of her eggplant dip served with Iranian crisp bread, that I hardly had any room left for her delicious dinner.

Mirza ghasemi is not difficult to make. It is normally served with local bread, such as barbari or lavash, but if you can’t get these, pita bread, crackers or even crisps are fine. However, do be careful with the garlic. The first recipe I had for mirza ghasemi said to add six large cloves of garlic. Which I did! And you could tell for the next few days whenever I was near.

So, if you are having a problem or two with your neighbourhood vampires, then six garlic cloves is not such a bad idea. But if you wish to still be friends with people around you, I would suggest you be more judicious with the amount of garlic you add. Mr. Rashidi, always a willing food tester who can be guaranteed to give honest feedback, politely declined my first attempt.  After one sniff, he delicately mentioned that it would not be professional to turn up at the office wafting around eau de garlic!

So, cook and enjoy!

Mirza Ghasemi

Ingredients:

4 medium sized eggplant (aubergine)

90 grams of butter or about 6 to 7 tablespoons of olive oil

About 5 gloves of garlic (to taste), crushed

½ teaspoon of turmeric

230 grams (or about 3 large) tomatoes

4 eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

About 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

What to do:

Wash the eggplant and cut of the green bit at the top. Cut in half lengthways and score the outside of the skin with a fork.

Grill the eggplant until the insides are soft. Alternatively, heat the oven to 180° Celsius, put the eggplant face down on an oiled tray and let them bake for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool, then scoop out the flesh from the eggplant, discard the purple skins.  Mash or chop finely the eggplant.

Cut a cross in the bottom of each tomato.  Put a pan of water on to boil. When it reaches boiling point pop the tomatoes in and boil for 1 minute. Immediately, scoop the tomatoes out of the hot water and plunge them in a bowl of iced water. Remove the skins and chop the tomatoes really small.

Pour half of the oil into a pan and cook the eggplant for a few minutes.  Remove eggplant from the pan and put in a separate bowl. Add the remaining oil and fry the garlic and turmeric for a minute or two.

Add the tomatoes and fry gently for a few minutes, and then put back in the eggplant.  Cook carefully for about 10 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t burn or stick to the pan.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl.  Scoop out a few spoonful’s of the vegetable mix and stir it thoroughly with the whisked eggs.  Pour this back in the pan, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked.

Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve hot or at room temperature.