Chef Oli P Newsletter #1 Post-Table: Ethiopian Comfort Food

It has been a busy time for me during this post-Table period. I have moved house, leaving Benque behind and taking up residence a little further away from Aurignac in Mondavezan. In addition, my wife, Mariko has had to undergo minor surgery so I have happily been looking after her during her convalescence.

I've missed the hustle and bustle of Table, the weekly drive to create fresh and interesting menus in time for Thursday service and the community atmosphere everyone brought to the restaurant. I am still immensely grateful for all the support we had during our residency at the Cafe de la Poste. 

While Mariko has been recovering, I have fallen back on some of our favourite recipes to provide some comfort to her, the warm and familiar dishes that have been some of our home staples for the past few years. While we were living in London, we had a mission to find the best Ethiopian restaurant in town, over the years we lived there we tried many and found our favourite in a North London restaurant called Wolkite. We loved it so much we would try and eat there once a week despite living nearly an hour's tube ride away. We would always eat the same dishes: Injera*, Gomen Bisega (spiced lamb and spring greens), Shiro Wat (Berber spiced chickpea sauce), Timatim (Ethiopian Tomato Salad) and Fassolia (Stir-fried green beans and carrot). So I have been making some of these delicious dishes to remind us of the our favourite comfort foods in London recreated in rural France.

*Injera is the ubiquitous fermented pancake, essential in Ethiopian food, it is almost eaten at every meal. Originally made from a type of flour called Teff flour (but nowadays often substituted for wheat flour) it is fermented over a couple of days before frying like a thick crepe. It has a sour fermented flavour and lots of little holes like a crumpet to soak up sauce. Traditionally the other dishes are plated on top of the Injera and more injera in used to pick up the food with your fingers. So it acts as plate, eating utensils and food. 

Berber Spice in the making

Berber Spice

Don't be daunted by the quantity of spice in the Berber Spice, the quantity of chilli can be amended to suit your palate and the mix can be made and saved for future dishes. I find it's a nice versatile spice mix to add to brunch dishes. 

Dried Birds Eye Chillies 2 tbsp
Black Peppercorns 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds 2 tsp
Cardamom Pods 1 tsp
Cloves 1/2 tsp
Sea Salt 1 tsp
Fenugreek Powder 2 tsp
Smoked Paprika 2 tsp
Sweet Paprika 2 tsp
Ground Ginger 1 tsp
Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp
Ground Nutmeg 1 tsp

Dry fry the whole spices and sea salt in a frying pan on a low to medium heat until fragrant. Leave to cool before blitzing to a fine powder. A pestle and mortar can also be used but may end up with a coarser result. Mix in the remaining powdered spices and put into a sealable jar until ready to use

Injera

This is a simplified version that uses yeast instead of wild fermentation so is not quite as sour as the original version. Also, this version is ready in an hour instead of several days.

Plain Flour 150g
Rice Flour 150g
Dried Yeast 6g
Salt 4g
Warm Water 550ml
Boiling Water 80ml

Combine the flours, yeast, salt and warm water. Whisk together until fully mixed. Cover and leave somewhere warm for at least 40 minutes until very active and frothy. Add the boiling water and mix well, leave covered for another 20 minutes.
To fry: Put a non-stick frying pan on a high heat, there is no need to add any oil or butter to the pan. Use a ladle to add the mixture to the pan spiralling from the centre to the edge of the pan. If necessary, move the pan around to fully cover the base. It should be roughly 2-3 times the thickness of a crepe. Cover with a lid and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 4-6 minutes. The Injera will part-fry, and part-steam creating the bubbles on the surface. The injera is ready to remove when the edges have come away from the pan. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Shiro Wat

Chickpea Flour 90g
Berber Spice (above) 1 tbsp
Ground Cardamom 1 tsp
Cumin Powder 1 tsp
Garlic Powder 1 tsp
Fine Salt 1 tsp
Onion, diced x1
Olive Oil 170ml
Garlic, minced 1 tsp
Tomato Paste 1 tbsp
Water 700ml

Combine the flour, spices, garlic powder and salt. In a frying pan, fry the flour spice mix on a low to medium heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the pan. 
In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the diced onion.  Fry on a medium heat until softened. Then add the garlic and tomato paste and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the chickpea flour mix and mix thoroughly with the contents of the pan. Add the water and whisk until fully incorporated. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 20 minutes until the oil has risen to the top of the sauce. Mix it often as it can stick to the pan. It should be the texture of thick cream so if it starts to look like it is setting, add water.

If you are interested in private dining, or cooking classes or have an event you would like catered you can contact me on:
Email: oliver@oliverpagani.com

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