This is a dish inspired by the flavors of Morocco. The nice thing about it is that most of the components are things that last a long time, and you might have them in the back of the refrigerator or the pantry. If you have fresh tomatoes use them, but there is no shame in using good quality canned for this. Using fresh tomatoes will make the dish brighter tasting, and they might take longer to cook down to a sauce consistency.
INGREDIENTS:
1½ pounds summer squash, cut into ¾-inch chunks 1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced across into ¼ inch “quarter moons” -Optional*-1-2 green bell peppers, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ salt-preserved lemon (see recipe), pulp removed and discarded, peel rinsed and sliced into 1/8th inch slivers ½ to ¾ cup brined green olives 1 28-ounce can tomatoes, tomatoes broken up by hand, juice reserved-OR- 4-5 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces, juices reserved ½ tablespoon each cumin and coriander seed, ground ½ tablespoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon caraway seed 1 pinch cayenne or Aleppo pepper powder ½ cup cilantro Olive oil as needed Salt and pepper to tasteMETHOD:
Toss the squash chunks in a bowl with just enough oil to lightly coat them evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a 3 or 4 quart chef’s pan or straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Liberally film the pan with oil and sauté the peppers to color and blister them if using. Remove the peppers to a bowl.
Heat the pan, film with oil, and when almost smoking, add the squash and cook until golden and blistering in places. Don’t crowd the pan or the squash will just steam and get mushy. Cook just enough squash to cover the pan bottom, cooking the squash in shifts if need be. When colored, transfer to the bowl with the peppers.
Add the onions to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until softening, then add the garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add the turmeric powder and caraway seed, and half the cumin and coriander, and stir into the oil. When fragrant, add the lemon peel and the olives, stir once or twice, then add the tomatoes and the liquid.
Bring to a vigorous simmer and cook 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium. Add the rest of the spices and half the cilantro. Simmer gently to thicken the sauce a little, about 10 minutes.
Once the sauce is flavorful and the elements have combined, add the vegetables in and stir gently to mix in.
Simmer gently to heat through and cook just until the squash is tender. Once the squash is tender, scatter the rest of the cilantro over the top of the dish and serve hot.
Chef’s Tips:
*Although the flavor of the bell pepper is welcome in this dish, it would be fine without it. This dish is cooked so the squash still has some tooth to it, but you could slow cook it to a melting texture if you wish. You could use this same recipe with chunks from an eggplant, or you could combine eggplant with the summer squash. Just cut eggplant to a similar size, toss with just enough oil to coat the eggplant and sauté in a lightly filmed pan over high heat to color and blister the cut surfaces of the eggplant. Then proceed with the recipe. You can cook the eggplant to a jam-like texture as well. If you wish, you can add more chili pepper to heat the dish up, you could switch olive types up, or you could top the dish with almonds. You could substitute basil or mint for the cilantro as well.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
