Couscous sebha godaar (7 vegetables' couscous)

For ➍

500 g couscous

1 kg lamb (preferably with bones)* 

2 big onions 

1 tomato 

½ ts saffron 

a handful of coriander 

olive oil 

1.5 l vegetable broth 

200 g turnips 

200 g young carrots 

100 g peas 

1 zucchini 

¼ cauliflower 

100 g cooked chickpeas 

a dash of butter 

a few mint leaves

 

Heat the oil and brown the meat. Add the ringed onions. Cover.

Peel the tomato, cut into chunks and, as soon as the onions are glazed, add to the mixture.

Add some of the broth, add the coriander and saffron. Bring to a boil and cook the meat*. (For 500 g, this will take 10-15 m for the meat to heat, and another 10 m to cook).

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables in large chunks and add to the mixture, firm vegetables first.

Steam the couscous on top of the meat and vegetables. When ready, remove the couscous and mix some butter through it.

Serve the couscous on a large plate. Put the meat in the middle, and decorate with some of the vegetables, some sauce and a few leaves of mint of fresh coriander. Serve the vegetables and sauce separately.

*You might prefer to roast the meat separately, with some onions, until done and add it to the vegetables and sauce a few m before serving. While not authentic, it preserves the taste and the structure of the meat very well. Nevertheless, there should be onions to start the vegetables' and sauce preparation.

'Couscous' got its name from the Berber 'k'seksu'. It became the dish we know today in North Africa, with some regional differences in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The latter was adopted by French colonialists and introduced in France as staple food. This recipe can claim to be authentically Moroccan, and refers to the magic power of the number 7. It can be made with 7 other vegetables that taste well together. Couscous can be served with other Moroccan food like Moroccan chicken and Moroccan spiced fish, or even with wokked tilapia. Read more couscous recipes. Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Kinoko takikomi gohan (Japanese mushroom rice)

For ➏
600 g (3 cups) Japanese premium short-grain rice (or substitute with brown rice)
70 cl (3 cups) dashi stock (substitute with 3 cups water mixed with 1 ts dried bonito dashi powder)*
3 tbs soy sauce (shoyu)
2 tbs mirin
1 tbs cooking sake
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
15 cl (1 cup) water (for reconstituting dried shiitake mushrooms; this reserve liquid is to be combined with the dashi stock)
100 g (½ cup) of fresh mixed mushrooms (shimeji mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, and hiratake mushrooms)

Wash and rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain and set aside in rice cooker**.
Rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms in 15 cl water for 30-60 m. Remove shiitake mushrooms and squeeze excess water from them.
Reserve the soaking liquid.
Slice rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and either slice or break apart fresh mushrooms with your hands into large bite-sized pieces.
Add soy sauce, mirin, and sake to the washed rice in the rice cooker**.
Add reserved shiitake liquid to a large measuring cup. Add water to the reserved shiitake liquid until a total of 3 cups is measured. Otherwise, measure a total of 3 cups of liquid, combining the reserved shiitake liquid and water.
Add 1 ts dried bonito dashi powder (or konbu dashi) and dissolve the powder with the water and reserved shiitake liquid mixture to make a dashi stock.
Add this combined dashi stock to the rice cooker to make 3 cups of liquid according to the measuring guide indicated within the inner bowl of your rice cooker**. If more liquid is needed to meet the 3-cup marker indicated on the inner rice cooker bowl, add water.
Add dried shiitake slices and fresh mushroom mixture to the rice. Gently incorporate all of the ingredients. Steam the rice according to the instructions provided with your rice cooker**.
After the rice is steamed, allow it to rest in the rice cooker** for 10 m.
Gently mix the rice and serve.

*Substitute katsuo (bonito fish) dashi with konbu (kelp) dashi for a vegan dish.
**Steam the rice on a stove-top instead. Use same volume of rice and liquid (like 1½ cup for 2-4 persons. 1½ cup uncooked rice will make 4½ cup steamed rice)
[optional]: rinse the rice in 2 or 3 changes of water until it runs clear and not milky. It will make the rice less sticky.
[optional]: soak the rice for at least 30 m to give it a softer texture.
Add the rice to the pan.
Either use your hand or gently shake the pan to make sure the rice level is even.
Start by adding the same volume of water/liquid. Then place your middle finger on top of the rice and continue adding water until it just reaches just to the first knuckle of your middle finger.
Bring the water to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. You want to see bubbles gently forming around the edges of the pot.
Cover, turn the heat down to low, and let the rice simmer for about 20-22 m, until all the water is absorbed and the grains are soft.
Turn the heat off. Leave the pot on the burner and let the rice sit, covered, for another 10 m.
Fluff and serve.

Or combine the rice with Japanese mushroom recipes like salted mushrooms an/or shimeji.

Chawan mushi (Japanese savoury custard)

For ➋
2 fresh eggs
20 cl cooled fish stock (add some sake (or sherry) & a dash of soy sauce)
1 shiitake, torn
6 large prawns, peeled*
2 tbs of parsley

Beat the eggs with a fork.

Add soup stock a little at a time while stirring the eggs.

Place the filling in individual earthenware cups. Pour in the mixture of egg and soup stock.

Cover with parsley.

Boil water in a steamer. Turn the heat down to medium. Place the cups in the steamer. Steam for 12 m.

*Or 200 g fresh white fish. Or a parboiled chicken breast, use with chicken stock.

The custard-like chawan mushi is a classic Japanese dish.
To add taste to the dish, fry or wok the ingredients, except the eggs.
You could pour water in a wok, with a divider for a larger cup. Heat the water with wok lid closed. When hot, put the cup with the ingredients in the wok and steam for about 15 m.
Try the similar Chinese steamed eggs or a modern fusion recipe.

Steamed eggs with prawns, mushrooms & scallops

For ➍
3 eggs
40 cl stock
½ ts salt
1 tbs rice wine
50 g prawns, shelled
10-15 g dried scallops, soaked in warm water until soft, tear into small pieces*
3 shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
5 cm knob of ginger, shredded
spring onion/scallion, shredded

Beat 3 eggs with salt and rice wine, then add in the stock.

Use 1 big or 4 small soup bowls to steam the eggs. Place half of prawns, mushrooms and dried scallops in the bowl(s).

Pour the egg mixture slowly into the bowl(s).**

Heat up a steamer or a wok, half filled with water. Put the bowl(s) into the steamer, lower the heat and let it cook for 10 m. The egg custard should be wobbly.

Carefully place the remaining prawns, mushrooms and dried scallops on the surface of the egg custard. Let it steam for another 3-5 m until the egg custard is cooked.

Serve with shredded spring onions and ginger.

*Use fresh or thawed scallops instead.
**If bubbles appear, straighten with a piece of paper.

Versatile versions of steamed eggs are a common dish in Chinese households. It can include almost anything: minced pork, fish slices or clams, pig's intestines or duck liver.

Try the similar Japanese chawan mushi.

Bacon chawan mushi with avocado & shrimps

For ➍
75 cl chicken stock (or dashi)
8 slices bacon
4 large eggs
1 tbs + 1 ts shoyu (white soya sauce)
2 ts sugar
12 large shrimps, cooked, sliced lengthwise into 0.3 cm pieces (or shaved country ham)
2 avocados, halved, cut crosswise into 0.5 cm pieces
8 scallions, thinly sliced
4 radishes, thinly sliced

In a sauce pan, heat the chicken stock (or dashi). Add the bacon. Simmer for 10 m. Whisk in the shoyu and sugar. Let it cool. Remove the bacon. (Use it for something else, like eggs for breakfast).
Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Whisk in the bacon broth. Pur the mixture through a fine sieve into 4 soup bowls.
Add the avocado slices.
Cover the bowls with plastic wrap. Put them in a steamer over gently boiling water. Steam for 13 m or until the custard is set.
Remove the wrap. Let cool the custard slightly.
Arrange shrimps, scallions and radishes on top and serve.
To serve cold, steam the custard, wrap and refrigerate for 1 day. Add shrimps, radish and scallions just before serving.

This is a modern fusion recipe, inspired on the traditional Japanese chawan mushi.

Ginger steamed cod with chilli soy sauce

For ➍
dipping sauce:
8 cl low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 ts minced red chilli
1 ts minced garlic
1 ts sugar
cod:
1 tbs peanut oil
1 ts sesame oil
300 g baby pak choi, trimmed & halved lengthwise
170 g shiitake or crimini mushrooms, halved
1 piece (7.5 cm) ginger, peeled & julienned
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
4 cod fillets (150-170 g each), fresh, thawed or frozen*

Thoroughly mix dipping sauce ingredients; set aside.
In a deep frying pan, sauté pak choi and mushrooms in peanut and sesame oils over medium-high heat until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.
Wipe pan clean. Bring 2.5 cm of water to boil; turn off heat. Place metal steamer basket in pan and open up sides. Portion ginger and ¾ of green onions in basket. Rinse any ice glaze from frozen cod under cold water; place fillets in steamer. Return water to boil; cover loosely and steam just until fish is opaque throughout, about 5 to 7 m. (Reduce cook time by half for fresh or thawed fillets.)
Serve cod over sautéed vegetables with dipping sauce; garnish with remaining green onion slices.

*Substitute pollock or sole fillets for cod, adjusting cook time for smaller fillets if necessary.

Nga baung doke (Burmese steamed fish)

For ➍
1 kg fillets of sole (or whiting, kingfish)
2 ts salt
1 ts turmeric (or kurkuma)
3 onions
3 cloves garlic
2.5 cm fresh ginger
4 tbs coconut
½ ts chilli powder
1 ts flour
1 tbs water
3 tbs double cream
1 tbs (peanut) oil

Pat the fillets dry. Mix salt and turmeric and rub it in the fish.
Chop the onions, garlic and ginger. Put in a blender. Add coconut, chilli, flour and 1 tbs of water. Blend into a paste. Add the cream.
A large foil of aluminium (30 x 30 cm) will serve as a recipient. Smear it with oil. Form ⅕ of the paste in the shape of a fish fillet in the centre. Put a fish fillet on top, then another layer of paste. End with a layer of paste. (Put 2 piles next to each other to avoid tumbling.) Fold the sides of the foil and close it firmly.*
In a steamer, cook water to the boil. Put the package in the steam basket and steam for 20 m.*
Make another basket of mixed bite-size vegetables. Put in the steamer for the last 5 m. Meanwhile cook some rice to serve with.
You can serve this dish with a classic Burmese pumpkin soup, as a cold soup or as a drink, the Burmese way.

*You can make separate foil boxes for each person. Reduce steaming time to 10 m.

Burma has been turned into the military state of Myanmar. Illustration shows old paper money of 1 kwat with fisherman.
Read more en papillote recipes: chicken or fish en papillote with basil & tomatoes, chicken or fish en papillotte with lime & peppers, Italian fish parcel.

Steamed bass & pak choi

For ➋
small piece of ginger, peeled & sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
3 scallions, finely sliced
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
splash of sherry or sake (optional)
2 x 140 g fillets sea bass
2 heads pak choi, quartered

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except the fish and the pak choi, together to make a soy mix.
Line one tier of a two-tiered bamboo steamer loosely with foil. Lay the fish, skin side up, on the foil and spoon over the soy mix. Place the fish over simmering water and throw the pak choi into the second tier and cover it with a lid. Alternatively, add the pak choi to the fish layer after 2 m of cooking – the closer the tier is to the steam, the hotter it is.
Leave everything to steam for 6-8 m until the pak choi has wilted and the fish is cooked.
Divide the greens between two plates, then carefully lift out the fish. Lift the foil up and drizzle the tasty juices back over the fish.

Haddock with cauliflower & romanesco

For ➋
2 mini romanescos*
2 mini cauliflowers*
400 g haddock fillets
2-3 tbs goat cheese
1 tsp curry
1 tsp turmeric

Wash the vegetables. Cut a cross in the base. Bring water to boil in a steamer. Steam uncut vegetables for 3-4 m.
Meanwhile, steam the fish in microwave (about 1 m per 100 g). When ready, sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Mix 2-3 tbs of cheese with the curry and turmeric. After removing the vegetables rom the steamer, put a suitable cup with the cheese in in the steamer for 1 m.
Serve the fish alongside with the vegetables and the curry mix on 2 plates.

*Use larger cabbages and cut them in florets.

Steamed scallops with ginger, soy, sesame oil & spring onions

For ➍
16 scallops, in the shell
1 ts fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs dark soy sauce
1 tbs coriander, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, thinly sliced

Pour 2.5 cm of water into the base of a wide shallow pan and bring it up to the boil.
Loosen the scallops from their shells but leave them in place. Sprinkle each one with some of the ginger.
Arrange the scallops, in batches if necessary, on a petal steamer. Lower them into the pan, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for about 4 m until just set. Remove and keep warm while you cook the rest. Meanwhile, put the sesame oil and soy sauce into a small pan and warm through.
Lift the scallops onto 4 warmed plates and pour over some of the warm soy sauce and sesame oil. Sprinkle over the coriander and spring onions and serve immediately.

Steamed fish with ginger & scallions

For ➋-➍
600-800 g fish [porgy, black sea bass, Boston mackerel, or trout], scaled & gutted*
5-6 scallions, divided
4 cm knob ginger**
[optional alternatives: coriander or chilli]**
salt & pepper, for seasoning
1 ts Shaoxing wine or sherry
1 lime, juice & zest, divided
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fine mild red wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame seeds
4 tbs sesame oil
[optional green: sautéed pak choi]
[optional aromatics for steaming water:
star anise
knob of ginger, roughly sliced
Szechuan peppercorn
scallions or green garlic]

Rinse the fish with cold water inside and out and pat dry. Score a couple of gashes in the flesh on either side of the fish.
Slice 4 of the scallions and the knob ginger into a fine julienne and set aside. Save the scraps for stuffing the fish belly. Season the fish belly with salt and pepper and the ts of wine or sherry.
Stuff the fish with the scallion and ginger scraps and the lime zest.
Take a large stock pot and put about 8 cm of water in it and bring to a boil.
Inside the pot, place an inverted cake pan or some other such thing so that you can rest a large plate with the fish on it inside the pot and out of direct contact with the water. (The fish will be on a plate that is resting on another object that is in direct contact with the bottom of the pot.)
Chop the final scallion into 3 pieces and rest it on the plate. Season the fish with salt and pepper on the outside with and place the fish on the plate.
Place the plate on the object in the pot, cover the pot, and steam over high heat for 10 to 12 m (more for a larger fish), until done.
While the fish is steaming, mix the soy sauce with the vinegar and lime juice.
Remove the fish carefully and place on a serving plate. Place the julienned ginger and scallions across the top of the fish and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Heat the sesame oil in a small pan until just before smoking, then pour over the fish.
Finally, pour the soy sauce mixture onto the plate and serve. This fish is also quite tasty still served at room temperature.
Serve with rice or some sautéed greens like pak choi.

*This can be made with fish filets, but fish in the bone comes out much more moist and flavorful, as well as being a beautiful presentation.
**Add coriander or chilli to the ginger, or make a mix.

Cod with soy balsamic glaze

For ➋
400 g white meat fish (cod, halibut, striped bass)
2 ts vegetable oil
2 ts sesame oil
17 grams ginger (1.25 cm piece)
8 g garlic (1 large clove)
45 g scallion white part only (3 scallions)
1 tbs Shaoxing wine (or any dry rice wine)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs balsamico
coriander (for garnish)

Lightly salt and pepper the fish.
Heat 2 ts of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the fish, flipping halfway through.*
When the fish is cooked through, plate it and then wipe out the pan.
Turn the heat up to high and add the sesame oil to the pan along with the ginger, garlic and scallions. Saute until very fragrant and the aromatics start to brown.
Add the Shaoxing, soy sauce and balsamico and boil until the sauce starts to thicken.
Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with cilantro.

*Alternatively, steam the fish.

Tori momoniku to shiitake no cushion (steamed chicken with shiitake)

For ➋
250 g chicken thigh meat (without bone)
4 shiitake
½ leek
½ tbs grated ginger juice
1 tbs soy-sauce
1 tbs sake (or very dry sherry)
½ tbs sesame oil
1 tbs starch
salt & pepper

Trim fat and skin from chicken, and chop into small pieces.

Slice the shiitake.

Mix all ingredients and seasonings. Add the ginger juice. Add sesame oil, sake and soy-sauce. Add just a bit of salt and pepper. Mix well. Add starch and mix.

Put on a plate to steam. Heat a steamer. Steam for 30 m. Stir once after 15 m.

Read the chicken cooking tip.

Sea bass with porcini & cauliflower

For ➍
4 sea bass fillets with skin, each 200 g (or redfish or cod)
125 g dried porcini mushrooms
1 small cauliflower (or broccoli)
butter
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 slice smoked ham
1 chopped shallot
1 finely crushed clove of garlic
½ glass of dry white wine
2.5 dl fish stock
1.25 dl cream
thyme, bay

Soak the porcini mushrooms in water and let it drain thoroughly. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the chopped shallot , garlic and chopped ham.
Deglaze with the white wine. Add the fish stock , thyme , bay leaves and cream. Reduce to half . Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Grind the cooked sauce in a blender. Press them through a fine sieve.*
Divide the cauliflower into florets. Boil briefly in water and cook them further in some butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Steam (or poach ) the sea bass fillets with the skin side down. Count about 10 m.**
Divide the porcini on 4 warm plates. Place the fish on top. Arrange the cauliflower florets around and spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley, some dried rose berries and a cooked crayfish.

*Or serve the mushrooms without grinding.
**Or cook in the microwave: 1 m/100 g.

Steamed fish with chickpeas & currants

For ➍
4+1 tbs tablespoon olive oil
1 ts ground cumin
½ ts ground cinnamon
⅛ ts ground sumac
4 white-flesh fish fillets (e.g. Pacific halibut, grouper, cod, or haddock)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
1 small fennel bulb, outside layer discarded, cored, cut into small dice
1 dl dry white wine
2 tbs currants
1 can (425 g) chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 dl bottled clam juice (or fish stock)
4 tbs coarsely chopped pitted green olives
3 tbs finely chopped fresh coriander
2 tbs finely chopped preserved lemon
12 very thin slices preserved lemon

Place a large straight-sided pan with a tightfitting lid over medium-high heat until hot. Add 4 tbs of the oil, the cumin, cinnamon, and sumac and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 30 to 60 s. Remove the pan from heat and immediately transfer half of the oil mixture to a large, shallow dish. Let cool slightly.
Season the fish fillets all over with salt and pepper, transfer them to the shallow dish, and turn them to coat all over with the spiced oil. Cover and refrigerate for 30 m.
Return the pan with the remaining spiced oil to medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often and lowering the heat if needed, until the onion is translucent, about 5 m. Add the wine and currants and simmer over medium heat until the wine is nearly evaporated, about 3 to 4 m. Stir in the chickpeas, clam juice, olives, 2 tbs of the coriander, and the chopped preserved lemon and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by ⅔ and the chickpeas are tender, about 6 m. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat and set aside until the fish has finished marinating.
Place the remaining 1 tbs olive oil in a small skillet and set over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the preserved lemon slices and sear until caramelized, about 3 m per side. Set aside.
Return the pan with the chickpeas to medium heat. Tuck the fish into the chickpea mixture and place 3 slices of preserved lemon over each fillet. Cover and cook at a lively simmer until the fish flakes when cut into, about 10 m for a 1.5 cm thick fillet or 12 m for a 2-3 cm thick fillet. Sprinkle the remaining tbs cilantro over the fish.
Serve each fillet in a shallow bowl, followed by a large spoonful of chickpeas.

Sicilian broccoli

For ➋
500 g broccoli, sliced in long portions from stem to floret
3 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ ts hot red pepper
¼ ts salt
5 tbs olive oil or enough to coat

Steam broccoli in a steamer until bright green. Or cook for 10 m in microwave oven.
Remove from heat.
Transfer to shallow dish. Cover with olive oil. Add garlic, pepper and salt to taste.
Marinate in refrigerator overnight.
Serve as a cold side-dish or at room temperature with cold chicken or cold white fish.*

*Marinate chicken pieces in mix of lemon juice and single-flower honey. Bake in oven or in microwave. Eat cool or lukewarm.

A battlefield for centuries, between Greeks and Romans, between Christendom and Islam, between Christian emperors from Normans to Bourbons, Sicily stayed the poor island it always was, with peasants and fishermen turning to the local Mafia for dearly paid help to keep some of their produce as own food. The invaders brought vegetables and fruit, never before grown in Europe, and influenced the simple cooking. Broccoli seemed to have arrived on Sicily with the Romans.
Read more Sicilian recipes: an almost Sicilian salad, tartar of shrimps & artichokes, Sicilian swordfish, Sicilian olive sauce, spaghetti with tomatoes, capers & mint.

Easy steamed fish

For ➊
1 small cut of fish (for ➊, about a 150 g piece)
1 thick stalk spring onions, cut to 5 cm lengths
5 slices ginger, cut to strips
1 chilli padi, cut (adjust or omit to your liking)
¼ tomato, cut to small wedges
2 shiitake mushrooms, cut to stripes
1 sour plum
½ tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs water

Place fish (skin side down) on a shallow dish. Drizzle 1 tbs light soy sauce and 1 tbs of water over the fish. Keep in fridge (covered) for at least 30 m if you can.
Scatter the rest of the ingredients evenly over the fish.
Steam on high heat for 10-15 m.
Serve immediately.

Spicy mussels with fennel & tomatoes

For ➋-➍*
1 small fennel bulb
1 small yellow onion
1 carrot
3 cloves garlic
2 small tomatoes
12 large fresh basil leaves
1 ts black peppercorns**
½ ts fennel seeds**
½ ts sea salt**
⅛ ts red pepper flakes**
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
20 cl dry white wine***
1 kg mussels, cleaned

Trim the stalks from the fennel. Core and cut the fennel into 0.5 cm slices. Put the fennel into a large bowl. Cut the onion into 0.5 cm semicircles and add to the bowl. Peel the carrot and cut into 0.5 cm dice and add to the bowl. Peel and mince the garlic and add to the bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half. Squeeze out the seeds. Cut them into 0.5 cm dice and put in a separate bowl. Cut the basil into chiffonade and reserve for the garnish.
Lightly crush the peppercorns and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle. Add the salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, carrot, and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 m. Stir in the spice mixture. Add the wine and the tomatoes along with any juices in the bowl. Bring to a boil.
Add the mussels to the pot, cover, and steam until the mussels open, about 5 m.
Scoop the mussels into individual shallow bowls, discarding any that remain closed. Spoon some vegetables and stock over them, even making it liquid as a soup. Sprinkle each bowl with basil and serve immediately with bread (or pasta).

*For ➋ as main course, for ➍ as starter or soup***.
**Or just use salt & pepper.
***Use less wine when serving as a starter or main course: the fennel and tomatoes will give liquid as well.

Read the related Provençal mussels with pastis, fennel and tomatoes recipe.

Poulet en papillotte (chicken with lime & peppers)

For ➊
1 boneless chicken breast*
salt & pepper, to taste
½ ts chili powder
¼ ts paprika
¼ ts cayenne pepper
2 tbs olive oil
½ untreated lime
½ medium sized or 3 tbs onion, chopped
3 tbs celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ carrot, cut into large chunks
2 tbs white wine
some basil chiffonade***

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Cut a few thin slices of lime, and place on sheet of parchment paper**.

Sprinkle salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika and cayenne pepper over chicken breast*.

Place chicken* over lime slices and squeeze juice from the rest of the lime over chicken. Drizzle with olive oil.

Throw in onion, celery, garlic, carrots, and white wine. Tightly twist parchment paper** into a package and tie with kitchen twine. Place on cookie sheet or in a tin and place in oven for 35 to 40 m. Unwrap package and serve hot.

Pour a glass of mild white wine like Muscadet.

*Use firm white fish instead. Check after 20 m to see if it's done.
**Use large aluminum foil instead. Close tightly.
***Optional.

Cooking 'en papillote' puts some, not too large ingredients in a parcel, most of the time for individual users. In a conventional oven, several parcels can be cooked at the same time. To make the parcel, parchment is used or metal foil, or, in Oriental cuisines, (banana) leaves. The parcel forces the food to steam in its own juices, producing a healthy, easy and attractive dish. It can also be done in a microwave with parchment. Adjust timing, depending on the weight (go for 70% strength).
Read more en papillote recipes: chicken en papillote with basil & tomatoes, Burmese steamed fish, Pesce in cartoccio (Italian fish parcel).

Couscous tfaia (chicken couscous with red onion marmalade)

For ➍
tfaia
500 g couscous
1 complete chicken, cut in pieces
1 large tomato
½ ts white pepper
½ ts ginger
¼ ts cinnamon powder
1 small bush coriander
olive oil
pepper & salt
1 l chicken broth

Braise the chicken in olive oil. Add pepper, ginger and cinnamon. Add pepper & salt, the bush of coriander and the chopped tomato.

Add chicken broth, cover and simmer until chicken is done.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous.

Serve the chicken, in a large scale, on top of the couscous and cover the chicken entirely with tfaia.