Recipe: Tabbouli #07
Categories: Salad
Yield: 8 Servings
1 c (scant) cracked bulgur wheat
2 Bunches parsley (at least)
4 -- (up to)
5 Green onions
1 Tomato
1 Green pepper
2 Lemons
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt; pepper, and love
- Rinse the bulgur wheat in cold water a couple times, until the water
stays fairly clear. Put it to soak in cold water for about 20 minutes or
until it is tender but firm to the tooth.
- While the wheat is soaking, rinse the parsley thoroughly and pick
through it, discarding any yellow or wilted pieces. Gather a bunch of
parsley by the stems and lay it on a large cutting surface. Chop off and
discard the stems and then mince the parsley leaves. Transfer to a large
mixing bowl. Repeat with the rest of the parsley.
- Slice the green onions into very fine rings (about 1/16 inch). Dice
the tomato into 1/4 inch dice. Core and de-vein the pepper and dice it
into 1/4 inch dice also. Transfer both the tomato and the pepper to the
bowl with the parsley.
- Squeeze the lemons for their juice and reserve it in a small bowl or
cup.
- When the wheat is tender, drain it well and add it to the bowl with
the parsley and vegetables. Add the half the lemon juice and mix well.
Taste to see if the salad needs more lemon; it should have a distinct
acid bite without be harsh or unpleasant. Drizzle with olive oil to
taste. (You want enough to moisten and enrich the salad but not enough
to make it greasy or heavy. Start with about 1/4 cup and add more as
needed.) Add the salt and pepper to taste and allow to sit and develop
for at least an hour. The salad will keep in the fridge for several days
and just get better and more mellow as it ages.
Notes on ingredients:
- Bulgur - Get the plain bulgur wheat in the produce section of most
supermarkets. Avoid the kind that already has dried herbs added to the
mix as they will be old and musty and won't add anything to the salad.
In France, taboule is often made with couscous. Treat it in the same way
as the bulgur, but expect that the soaking time will be reduced.
- Parsley - Always use fresh parsley for the salad. Curly leaf parsley
works well, but flat-leaf Genovese parsley is much better and more
authentic. In some parts of the Mediteranean, cooks add fresh mint as
well as parsley. I've never done this but you might try it for an
experiment.
- Vegetables - The green onions should be fresh and perky, not old and
limp. You can also use about 1/4 of a medium yellow onion, finely
minced. The tomatoes are more for color than anything else and can be
omitted. The pepper could be replaced with a red or yellow pepper, but
should not be omitted. Many people like cucumbers in their taboule.
While this is not traditional, it could be a tasty variation,
particularly with the mint.
- Oil - Always use the best-quality olive oil that your budget will
allow. It should always be extra-virgin and should have a powerful
bouquet and supple flavor.
- Lemons - Don't be tempted to substitute Realemon for the lemon juice.
If you don't want to squeeze the lemons fresh, you can use a mixture of
red and white wine vinegars instead of the lemon juice. I often use a
homemade fruit vinegar (Raspberry or Four Fruits, for example) and apple
cider vinegar. If you were making the salad with mint, you might try a
tarragon vinegar or lime juice.
If, after all this, you go ahead and decide to make the salad, have fun
with it. Bon apetit!
HKA55365@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU
(KENNETH ALLEN HYDE)
REC.FOOD.RECIPES
From rec.food.cooking archives. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe
Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.
Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- God's way leads to an endless hope.
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