A very important aspect of travelling to any country, at least in my opinion, is trying the typical local food. It can tell you as much about the personality of the people and places, as any other guide book. While in Tunisia, we ate mostly the international cuisine at the hotel restaurant, however, during our two-day Saharan trip, we did have the chance to try some typical specialties. Food in the desert is scarce but rich in calories, and its pillars are simple bread, Arabian couscous, and many condiments.
Here is a very simple and easy-to-make recipe for Arabian scones with minced meat, which I cooked at home, just a week after we got back from Tunisia, full of nostalgia for its colorful beauty.
What you need:
For the scones
dry yeast, 1 package (7 mg)
a bit of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
4,5 teacups of white flour
1 table spoon of olive oil
1 teacup of warm water
For the filling
1 big onion
500 gr. of minced meat (not pork, if you want it to be Arabian-like)
50 gr of raisins
a lot of condiments (mayorana, savory, red pepper, black pepper, coriander)
cheese
How to prepare the bread?
Mix the yeast, sugar and water together with about 3 spoons of flour, and stir well. Leave the mixture, until the yeast ferments well.
Pour the whole mixture into a large bowl, and add 2 cups of four, the salt and the olive oil. Stir well. Gradually, add the rest of the flour. Hand knead the dought for at least 10-15 minutes. Leave it in bowl, covered with a clean dry towel in a warm room, until the dough doubles its size. Knead once more, and again leave until it doubles.
Place a pot (preferably one with a thick bottom) on the hot-plate and wait until it gets really hot. Then you need to divide the dough into 10 pieces. Take each of the pieces, and flatten it well with a round bottle. Each piece should turn into a circle about 5 mm thick, and 10-15 cm wide. Bake it on the pot. You should not bake any of the scones for more than 3 minutes, or else they will become too dry. You can pour some butter on each scone, and some savory, if you want to further improve their taste).
How to prepare the filling?
Place a large pot on the plate, and heat about 3 ml. of cooking oil in it. Pour the onion, cut into delicate small pieces. Now comes the hardest part, as it is a real art to cook the onion so that it does not turn brown, but instead become soft, tastly, melting on the palate, after extracting all its hidden tasty juices. The secret lies in... patience. So, the first 1-2 minutes you stir just the onion and the oil and wait until the onion turns slightly yellowish. Then you pour in some warn water, just enough to cover the onion. Place the lid on the pot, and wait some minutes until all the water evaporates. Then pour some more warm water, again just enough to cover the onion. Repeat that again, and again, and again, for about 40 minutes. I know it sounds crazy, but this will be the most deliciously cooked onion you have ever tried in your life.
After that you just add the minced meat, and the raisins (you can soak them in some hot water to make them softer). Stir well, until it acquires a delicious goden shade. Then add all the condiments you love. Serve hot on a sidedish to the cones. You can also sprinkle some cheese on top of the meat, but it will become more oily, so this is totally optional.
How to serve?
Both cones and filling should be hot, hot, hot. Place the cone in the plate, add 2-3 spoons of the filling, fold it or roll it, and simply enjoy it :) A very simple, but very nice combination of flavours will make you feel full and happy. And don't forget, together with the scones, to drink the wine that moves you as a camel moves when it's been untied, and is just ambling about.
