Okay, this is actually a co-post with my friend Ahu from Ahu Eats, but I didn't want to ruin such exquisite alliteration!
Today, Ahu and I are playing with pistachios, a staple of Persian cooking. Ahu is an American of Persian ancestry, and has posted several wonderful Persian recipes on Ahu Eats - many of which I have made and enjoyed! Her Persian raisin cookies are amazing as are her cardamom cookies, a riff on the former... Today, she is making baklava using pistachios. I can't wait to try her recipe!
When I was the manager of a Persian carpet store many years ago, I became fascinated by Persian culture - the carpets, naturally, first caught my eye, but I soon discovered their beautifully-illuminated manuscripts, finely-woven textiles, poetry and, of course, cuisine.
When I went on buying trips to New York with my boss, a first-generation Persian-American, he would take me to small kabob restaurants for lunch. We would get kabobs with doogh as our beverage. The kabobs were amazing but I have to say that doogh is definitely an acquired taste!
Doogh is a yogurt-based drink with mint and a little salt, thinned with ice and seltzer. I haven't had it for 25 years. Living in the desert as we now do, perhaps it would be as refreshing as it sounds!
Recently, Persian cuisine has been getting some long overdue attention. Situated as it is, at the crossroads of the world, Persia’s foodways include so much more than kabobs and doogh. Saveur Magazine had a nice article with some great recipes. And several newspapers such as the NY Times, LA Times, and the Boston Globe have also given this culinary tradition its due.
I clipped today's recipe for a Persian pistachio soup from a magazine just after moving to Tucson. The article was about the then-new publication From Persia to Napa: Wine at the Persian Table (Mage Publishers, 2006) by Najmieh Batmanglij. This recipe uses an astonishing number of unique flavors to create a soup that is so well balanced that no one flavor is identifiable.
When I had coffee with Ahu in New York back this spring, we discussed this soup, and she was unfamiliar with it. But, of course she knows so many recipes that I don't. That is what gave me the idea for this co-post today - we are sharing with each other (and with you, of course) our favorite Persian pistachio recipes.
When I first made this soup, I tasted it at every step of the way and kept thinking how incredibly deep and rich the flavors would be – almost “dark.” But, at the end, there is a surprise – the addition of the Seville (or sour) orange juice. It changes everything immediately! All the darkness gives way to a tanginess that I never suspected. (I am lucky to have access to many Seville orange trees but, if you don’t, combining orange and lime juices will be a good substitute. See notes below recipe.)
The soup is finished with a topping that gives it a little crunch – a mixture of pistachios, barberries and grape molasses that have been sautéed together briefly, pulling back in some of the darkness and a little bit of sweet.
Thanks, Ahu, for doing this co-post with me. And I hope that you, dear readers, will pop over to see the baklava recipe and peruse Ahu's other recipes at Ahu Eats!
نوش جان (Nooshe jan! - or - Enjoy! in Farsi)
~ David
Persian Pistachio Soup
Adapted from Najmieh Batmanglij's book, From Persia to Napa: Wine at the Persian Table
4 ounces shelled, unsalted pistachios
2 cups homemade chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 medium leek, washed and chopped (see notes)
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons rice flour
1/4 cup dried barberries (zereshk)
1/2 teaspoon grape syrup
1/2 cup Seville (sour) orange juice (see notes)
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cook pistachios in boiling water for one minute, then drain and rub off skins with paper towels.
Add 1/2 cup of the pistachios to a blender, reserving the rest for garnish. Add broth to the blender and purée the nuts and broth until smooth - about one minute.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add the cumin and coriander seeds, and cook 10-30 seconds, until fragrant and a bit darker. Add the leek, onion, ginger and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened - about 5 minutes.
Add pistachio purée, water, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Then whisk in the rice flour and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Reduce heat and cover; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While soup is simmering, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Do not let it smoke. Add the barberries, remaining 1/4 cup pistachios and grape syrup, stirring until combined and heated through - about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.
Purée soup in a blender and return to pot. Stir in the orange juice and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle into soup plates and top with barberry-pistachio mixture.
Serves 6
Notes:
• Leeks should be well washed; only the white and light green parts used
• If you cannot get sour (Seville) oranges, use 6 tablespoons regular orange juice mixed with 2 tablespoons lime juice. Labels: ahu eats, ahu eats blog, barberries, cayenne, coriander, cumin, ginger, grape syrup, leek, persian, pistachio soup, pistachios, seville orange, shallot, sour orange, zereshk
