COMMON THREADS from p. 131142 DECEMBER 2018
2 tsp. garam masala
41 /^2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
8 (4-oz.) semi-boneless quail
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 Tbsp. finely chopped scallion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
11 / 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
3 /^4 tsp. black pepper
4 blood oranges
1 / 4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 / 2 tsp. chaat or garam masala- Combine bunch of cilantro, bunch of mint,
buttermilk, garlic, chiles, ginger, cumin, cori-
ander, garam masala, and 2 teaspoons salt
in a blender. Process until smooth, about 40
seconds. Transfer marinade to a large zip-
lock plastic bag, and add quail. Seal bag,
pressing out air, and turn until quail are well
coated. Place in a dish (to protect against
leaks), and chill 8 to 24 hours. - Stir together yogurt, scallion, chopped
cilantro, chopped mint, lime juice, black pep-
per, and 1^1 / 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl
until combined. Cover raita, and chill until
ready to serve. - Using a small sharp knife, cut off tops and
bottoms of oranges, exposing the red flesh
and making the fruit sit flat on the cutting
surface. Arc the knife along the natural con-
tours of the fruit to remove peel, including
the bitter white pith. Once the peel is
removed, hold the orange over a strainer set
over a large bowl, and carefully cut on either
side of each section to free it from the mem-
brane. Drop the segments (supremes) into
the strainer as you work. Remove or cut
around any seeds you encounter. Once all
supremes are cut away, squeeze mem-
branes to capture all the juice. Cover and
chill supremes until ready to serve. Reserve
juice for another use. - Remove quail from marinade, scraping off
excess. Discard marinade. Pat quail dry with
paper towels, and sprinkle with remaining 1
teaspoon salt. - Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 6
inches from heat. Brush quail with melted
butter, and arrange, breast sides down, on a
wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
Broil in preheated oven until lightly browned
and crispy, about 2 minutes. Flip quail, and
broil until lightly browned and crispy but still
rosy and juicy inside, 4 to 5 minutes. - If desired, cut each quail into halves or
quarters. Divide quail among 8 appetizer or 4
dinner plates. Sprinkle with chaat masala,
and serve with blood orange supremes and
herbed raita for dipping.
WINE Substantial California rosé: 2017 Heitz
Cellar Grignolino
Cauliflower Salad with Yogurt
Sauce and Pomegranate
PHOTO P. 126
ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 35 MIN; SERVES 8Inspired by her mother’s (much richer)
fried eggplant salad, Reem Kassis tops
fried cauliflower with toasted nuts, pome-
granate arils, and yogurt laced with lemon
and garlic.Canola oil, for frying
2 medium heads cauliflower (about
11 / 2 lb. each), cored and cut into 1^1 / 2 -
inch florets (about 16 cups)
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
11 / 2 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 / 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 cup mixed fresh herbs and greens
(such as arugula, dill, and chives)
3 /^4 cup lightly toasted mixed nuts
(such as almonds, pistachios, and
hazelnuts)
1 /^4 cup pomegranate arils- Pour canola oil to a depth of 1 inch into a
large skillet. Heat over medium-high until
a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F.
Working in batches, fry cauliflower until
just golden and tender, about 3 minutes
per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer
cauliflower to paper towels to drain; sea-
son with 1^1 / 2 teaspoons salt. - While cauliflower drains, whisk
together yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic in
a medium bowl. Season yogurt mixture
with remaining^1 / 2 teaspoon salt. Chill at
least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour; remove
and discard crushed garlic before using. - To serve, arrange cauliflower on a plat-
ter; spoon yogurt mixture over top. Gar-
nish with herbs and greens, mixed nuts,
and pomegranate arils.
Knafeh (Shredded Phyllo-and-
Cheese Pie)
PHOTO P. 129
ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 30 MIN; SERVES 8The sweet, cheese-filled dessert known
as knafeh is encased in shredded phyllo
pastry (kataifi) and soaked in a fragrant
syrup laced with rose and orange
blossom.2 cups superfine sugar
11 / 2 cups water
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 /^2 tsp. orange blossom water
1 / 2 tsp. rose blossom water
3 / 4 cup ghee or unsalted butter,
melted, plus more for greasing
16 oz. low-moisture part-skim
mozzarella cheese, shredded
(about 4 cups)
9 oz. ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
1 lb. frozen kataifi (shredded phyllo
pastry), broken into^3 /^4 -inch pieces
and thawed
1 / 4 cup finely chopped salted roasted
pistachios- Bring sugar, 1^1 / 2 cups water, and lemon
juice to a boil in a small saucepan over
medium-high. Reduce heat to medium,
and simmer, stirring occasionally, until
sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Let syrup cool completely, about 30
minutes; stir in orange blossom water
and rose blossom water. - Preheat oven to 400°F with oven rack
in bottom third of oven. Generously
grease a 13- x 9-inch pan with ghee or
butter. Stir together mozzarella and
ricotta in a medium bowl until combined;
cover and refrigerate until ready to use. - Using your hands, mix together
kataifi and melted ghee in a large bowl
until combined. Scatter half of the
kataifi mixture into prepared pan,
pressing firmly with your hands to
evenly cover bottom. Dollop spoonfuls
of cheese mixture evenly over top, and,
using damp hands or an offset spatula,
spread in an even layer. Scatter remain-
ing kataifi mixture evenly over filling,
and press firmly. - Bake in preheated oven on lower
rack until cheese has melted and crust
is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Let
cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes.
Invert pie onto a serving platter.
Immediately drizzle with enough of the
cooled syrup to soak the cake (about
11 / 2 cups). Sprinkle with pistachios, and
serve with remaining syrup.