Orange Blossom–Scented Spring Berries

I had bought bottles of Persian orange blossom water and rose water during my stay in Dubai in January. They are perfect alternates for alcoholic liqueurs when macerating berries, and their floral scent adds a heady complexity to the end of a meal.

Ingredients 

1 lb [500 gms] Strawberries, trimmed and cut into quarters
6 oz [170 gm] Raspberries
2 tbsp Orange Blossom water
1/8 tsp Rose water
1 tbsp Sugar, or honey
1 cup Crème Fraiche, or Sour Cream
¼ cup whole Mint leaves, for garnish

1. Combine strawberries, raspberries, orange blossom water, rose water and sugar in a bowl, and mix gently, making sure not to bruise the berries. Store in a fridge for 30 mins to allow the flavours to steep.
2. Remove from fridge and spoon berries into individual cups. Top with a dollop of crème fraiche and garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Cucumber Radish Salad with Ginger and Green Chillis

This is a wonderfully fresh and colourful salad that complements a lot of roasted and grilled meats and kebabs. I dished out my mandoline and sliced the cucumber and radish super-thin with the skin on. The resulting translucent discs ringed with jewel-toned red and green, showcased the bright note of the ginger and heat of the green chilli beautifully. The recipe works equally well as a crunchy relish if you finely dice the cucumber and radish instead of slicing it. I add the salt just before serving to prevent the water in the vegetables from being leached.

Ingredients 

1 large Cucumber
8–10 small Radishes
1-inch piece Ginger, peeled and grated
4–6 Green Chillis, finely chopped
1/8 cup Parsley, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
1/8 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Salt (to taste)

1. Slice the cucumbers and radishes as thin as possible with the skin on, preferably with a mandoline. Alternately, you can finely dice the vegetables.
2. In a large bowl, mix cucumber and radishes with the rest of the ingredients, except salt, and toss well. Store in a fridge for 30 mins to chill. 
3. Remove from fridge, add salt, toss well and serve immediately.

Memorial Day meal

Dear Readers,
Due to an overwhelming response to the recipes for Spice-Roasted Whole Cauliflower and Coriander-Tomato-Crusted Lamb Chops, I'm going to post suggested accompaniments to complete a perfect Memorial Day celebratory meal.

So keep a look out for:

Cucumber Radish Salad with Ginger and Green Chillis

Orange Blossom-Scented Spring Berries

Hello summer. . . !

Coriander-Tomato-Crusted Lamb Chops

Just in time for Memorial Day and the official start of summer grilling season, here is one of my signature lamb chop recipes, which can be cooked either in the oven or on an outdoor grill. Like my spare ribs recipe, you can marinate the meat well in advance, and easily size-up the quantities for large gatherings.

Ingredients 

5 lbs racks of Lamb rib chops (trimmed of excess fat and frenched)

Marinade: 

1 small Onion, peeled and quartered
8–10 cloves of Garlic, peeled
2-inch piece of Ginger, peeled
1 small Tomato, quartered
1 cup Coriander leaves (Cilantro); plus an additional ¼ cup, finely chopped, for a garnish
4 tbsp ground Coriander
1½ tbsp ground Cumin
1 tsp ground Fennel
1 tsp ground Fenugreek
1/8 tsp ground Cardamom
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Chilli powder
Salt (to taste)

1. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and coriander leaves in a food processor and grind to a smooth paste. Pour into a bowl, add remaining marinade ingredients, and mix well. 
2. Wash and pat dry racks of lamb. Thoroughly slather lamb on all sides with the marinade, lay flat and stack them in a large airtight container, pouring any leftover marinade over the meat. Cover the container will plastic wrap and seal tightly. Let meat marinate in the fridge for at least 1 day, and up to 7 days if needed. 
3. Remove lamb from fridge and bring down to room temperature. Place lamb onto a large roasting pan with the fat side up and cook in a 425ºF (220ºC) pre-heated oven for 20 mins. Then lower temperature to 400ºF (205ºC) and cook for 35–40 mins, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 140ºF (60ºC), i.e.—medium-rare. For well done meat, cook an extra 15 mins until the meat registers 175ºF (80ºC). 
4. Remove lamb from pan and rest on a cutting board, covered in foil, for 15–20 mins. Cut lamb in between each rib bone, garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately. 

[If you’re using a grill, then roast the ribs in the oven for 20 mins only, then cook the remaining time over indirect heat on a charcoal or gas grill.]

Spice-Roasted Whole Cauliflower

This recipe is a “looker”—definitely one to easily wow a crowd. But it’s also easy enough to make for a weeknight supper, and endlessly versatile if you change around the spices to suit your mood.

Tonight, I used a fragrant combination of sweet garam masala spiked with musky ground coriander, smoky cumin and finally a piquant note of asafoetida; all kicked up a notch with chilli powder and black pepper.

Ingredients 

½ tsp ground Garam Masala
½ tsp ground Coriander
¼ tsp ground Cumin
¼ tsp Asafoetida
½ tsp Chilli powder
¼ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
1 whole head Cauliflower (about 1½ lbs [750 gms] after the stalks and leaves are trimmed)
3 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt (to taste)
6–8 cloves Garlic

1. Pre-heat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). 
2. Combine all the spices together in a small bowl and set aside. 
3. Wash and thoroughly dry cauliflower. Trim stalk and leaves, and set on a shallow baking dish.
4. Drizzle cauliflower with 2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle spice mixture and salt over cauliflower and rub the spices in, making sure the whole cauliflower is well coated. Using a knife, cut slits into the cauliflower and tuck in the garlic cloves.
5. Set cauliflower in the middle rack of the oven and roast for 1 hour. About 30 mins into roasting, drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the cauliflower and baste it with any escaping juices. If the top starts to brown too much, cover lightly with tin foil. You know the cauliflower is ready when a knife inserts easily into the centre and the top is evenly caramelised. 
6. Remove from oven and cut cauliflower into smaller pieces. Serve warm.
   [For extra effect, you can present the cauliflower whole and make a grand gesture cutting it at the table!]