This week, I bring you recipes from Tripolitan cuisine. The first recipe is mafrum, which are stuffed potatoes filled with a meat mixture.
By PASCALE PEREZ-RUBINUpdated: JUNE 17, 2021 12:46Stuffed peppers.(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
I believe that stuffed vegetables tell a story of where you come from, what kind of traditions you grew up with and what your family was like.When I was a young girl, every Friday morning I used to watch my mother prepare stuffed vegetables. There would be a huge pile of fresh herbs on the kitchen table, which she would pick through to discard any rejects. Next, she would also sort through all the vegetables, deciding which would be used for preparing cooked vegetable spreads, which for fresh salads and, of course, which were nice enough for using in her famous stuffed vegetable dish.Learn more about Pascale's Kitchen here>>In one hand, she would hold a vegetable, while with the other she would begin peeling and cutting them accordingly. My mother would lop off the tops of the bell peppers, saving them so she could replace them on top of the peppers after they were cleaned inside, filled with all sorts of goodness and ready to be slowly cooked in a tasty tomato sauce.She would cut the potatoes in big, thick layers so they could be used to make sandwiches. Zucchini, eggplant and pumpkins were also sliced to form sandwiches, and all the insides of the vegetables that were scooped out would be added to the delicious stuffing. The pile of sliced vegetables on the table, just waiting to be stuffed, would grow taller and taller.Next, my mother would whisk out her huge bowl, to which she would add the ground beef, the bread that had been soaked, squeezed out, and torn into little pieces, and lots of spices, including cumin, coriander, salt, turmeric, black pepper, paprika and, of course, a heaping spoonful of harissa.I remember seeing this beautiful rainbow of colors on top of the meat before she would start mixing them all together. Next, she would add the onions and fresh herbs, which had been soaking in water. She would reach into the bowl, grab a bunch of herbs, squeeze out all the water and then add it to the meat.She would then knead the meat mixture with both hands and put all the force of her body into the mixing. When it was ready, she would take a small amount of meat and begin pressing it into all the vegetables, then arranging all the vegetables squished together in a pan.The next stage was dipping them in flour and then beaten egg, and lightly frying them for 2-3 minutes.Afterward, my mother would begin preparing the sauce for the stuffed vegetables. She’d take a huge pot and begin frying onions. Then, she’d add crushed tomatoes and a variety of vegetables.Finally, it was time to add the stuffed vegetables to the sauce. She would add them so that they were all squished in together with no extra room at all. Then she would take hold of both handles, lift the pot up a little, and lightly shake it back and forth so that the sauce would rise up and cover the stuffed vegetables.Then, she would cover the pot and let the vegetables cook slowly over a low flame. The sauce would thicken and the outsides of the vegetables would begin to brown.It’s hard to even describe the incredible aroma that would waft from this pot. I am always trying to reconstruct that same fragrance from my childhood. Sometimes I get very, very close, and when I succeed, I am the happiest person in the world.This week, I bring you recipes from Tripolitan cuisine. The first recipe is mafrum, which are stuffed potatoes filled with a meat mixture. Next, they are dipped in flour, then in egg mixed with tomato sauce, fried, then added to a big pot to cook slowly with sauce.Mafrum is traditionally served with couscous.The second recipe is for stuffed vegetables – any vegetables can be used – that are filled with a meat and rice mixture, and then cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.The for dessert: an apricot cream cheese tart.STUFFED VEGETABLESMakes 8-10 servings. Vegetables:2 medium turnips, peeled and rinsed8 beet leaves or Swiss chard2 large light green zucchini3 colorful peppersStuffing:15 stalks of parsley, rinsed and chopped finely2 medium onions, peeled, rinsed and chopped finely300 gr. ground beef (medium fat)6 cloves of garlic, peeled, rinsed and crushed¾ cup rice¾ tsp. black pepper1 tsp. salt1 tsp. cinnamon2 eggsSauce:3 Tbsp. oil1 large onion, peeled, rinsed and chopped2 cloves of garlic, peeled, rinsed and crushed (optional)3 tomatoes, rinsed, cut into small pieces3 Tbsp. tomato paste1 tsp. salt¼ tsp. black pepper½ tsp. spicy paprika1 tsp. pilpelchuma or harissa (optional)2-3 cups waterRinse the turnips and cut them in half. Use a melon scooper to scoop out the inner part of the turnips so they form a pocket. Rinse the beet leaves. Rinse the zucchini and scoop out the insides, but make sure to leave a thick layer intact. Clean the peppers and cut off the top (but reserve it for later). Remove all the pith and seeds. Rinse well.Add all of the stuffing ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.Take 1-2 spoonfuls of the stuffing and add to the turnips. Press the mixture down into the pocket.Spread the beet leaves on your work surface and place a spoonful of stuffing in the middle. Fold both sides of the leaf to wrap up the stuffing, then roll the leaf so the stuffing is tucked well inside. Do the same with all of the leaves.To prepare the zucchini, add 1-2 spoonfuls of stuffing in the empty space and press down.To prepare the peppers, fill them with the stuffing, then cover with the top of the peppers.To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and sauté until golden brown. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and spices.Mix while adding the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Arrange the stuffed vegetables inside the sauce so that they are touching each other, with the water reaching 1cm. above the vegetables.Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and cook for 40-50 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Serve hot.Level of difficulty: Medium.Time: 1.5 hours.Status: Meat. Mafrum. (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)MAFRUM (STUFFED POTATOES)Makes 30 patties.6 medium potatoes, peeled and rinsed15-20 stalks of parsley, rinsed and chopped finely4 medium onions, peeled, rinsed and chopped finely500 gr. ground beef (medium fat)16 cloves of garlic, peeled, rinsed and crushed2 slices of bread, soaked in water¾ tsp. black pepper1 tsp. salt¼ tsp. turmeric1 level tsp. cinnamon3 eggsCoating:1 cup flour, sifted1-2 eggs, beaten1 Tbsp. tomato paste4 Tbsp. waterOil for fryingSauce:3 Tbsp. oil1 large onion, peeled, rinsed and chopped2 garlic cloves, peeled, rinsed and crushed (optional)3 tomatoes, rinsed and cut into small pieces3 Tbsp. tomato paste1 tsp. salt¼ tsp. black pepper½ tsp. spicy paprika¼ tsp. ground caraway seed1 tsp. pilpelchuma2-3 cups waterTake leftover pieces of potatoes, kohlrabi or turnips. Peel and cut them into ½-cm. pieces.Slice the potatoes into ½-cm. pieces (or cut them into pairs that are connected). Soak them in a bowl of salted water. Soak the parsley and chopped onions in a bowl of water for 10 minutes.Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the garlic. Drain all the water from the parsley, onion and bread, and then add them to the bowl. Mix and add the black pepper, salt, turmeric, cinnamon and eggs. Mix well. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.Take the potato slices out of the water and use paper towels to completely dry them. Take 1-2 spoonfuls of the meat mixture and form a ball. Press the ball in between two slices of potato or any other vegetable. Prepare the rest of the slices in the same fashion and place them on a tray.Add the flour to a bowl and in a second bowl, beat the eggs with the tomato paste and the water. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Roll the potato patties in the flour and then in the egg mixture. Fry in the oil on both sides until they turn golden brown.To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and sauté until it turns golden brown. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Add the water while stirring. Cover and bring to a boil.Place the vegetable patties in the bottom of the pot and bring back to a boil. Arrange the patties so that they’re all touching each other and covered with 1 cm. of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and cook for 90 minutes until the sauce has thickened.Level of difficulty: Difficult.Time: 2.5 hours.Status: Meat. Apricot cream cheese tart. (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN) APRICOT CREAM CHEESE TARTUse a 24-cm. diameter and 3-cm.-high pan.Crust:125 gr. softened butter1 Tbsp. honey or silan50 gr. powdered sugar40 gr. ground almonds½ tsp. salt1 large egg225 gr. flourApricot cream:200 gr. apricot puree (or any other fruit)3 egg yolks1 extra-large egg60 gr. sugar2 gr. gelatin, dissolved in 2 tsp. water75 gr. butter1 tsp. vanillaCream cheese filling:300 gr. cream cheese200 gr. sour cream (without liquid)2 large eggs1 egg yolk70 gr. sugarVanilla, to tasteToppings:Apricot halvesTo prepare the crust, use a food processor to combine all the ingredients, by using one pulse at a time until crumbly. Wrap the dough and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes. Then, roll out the dough to a thickness of 3.5 cm. and place it in a pie dish.Place a sheet of baking paper on top of the dough and then place baking weights on top and blind-bake it. Or, if you don’t have weights, you can use dried beans. When the crust is done, remove from oven.To prepare the apricot cream, add the apricot puree, eggs and sugar to a glass or metal bowl and mix with a whisk.Heat a pot with water and then place the bowl with the apricot mixture on top of it. Keep stirring until mixed well, then remove from the flame.Add the gelatin that was dissolved in the water and the vanilla to the apricot mixture. Strain the mixture.When the mixture has cooled a little, add the butter while mixing with an immersion blender. Mix until smooth.Let it cool down. Pour the apricot cream on the crust.To prepare the cream cheese filling, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the cream cheese filling over the apricot layer.Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 160° for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 140° and bake for another 10 or 20 minutes, until the filling is firm.Remove from oven and let cool completely.Level of difficulty: Difficult.Time: 1 hour.Status: Dairy.Translated by Hannah Hochner.
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