I really like to use traditional dishes and customs as a basis, and give them a personal interpretation.
It is important for me to know the dishes well, first hand, otherwise it is difficult to prepare recipes "from grandma's house", since the quantities are always "like this", "a little" and "seasoned by hand".
Since there is covert competition between Moroccan mama and Tunisian mama (especially on couscous), and since I know Moroccan cooking well from home, I decided to learn Tunisian cooking first hand as well.
When I arrived at Louisa Sassi in Moshav Goren near Maalot, I was very excited.
I felt like I was going back to my grandmother's house.
From a seat on the porch at the entrance, Louisa controls with a high hand everything that goes on in the house with the walking stick in her hand, with the help of which she gives orders to her children and grandchildren.
And when it comes to quantities, even when she's making tea, Louisa pours sugar with the "measuring hand" - and it always comes out perfect.
Louisa was born in Tunis, married and immigrated to Israel directly to Moshav Goren, when there was still nothing there.
The new immigrants raised everything themselves, and to this day there are goats, a chicken coop and agricultural crops in the yard.
The bread is also baked outside, in a special round oven made of a concrete pipe cut with stones and a stainless steel sheet built by one of the children.
Once, Louisa says, she would make the bread directly on a campfire outside.
Louisa has ten children, and her eldest gold is the only one born in Tunis.
All the children live nearby, with everything revolving around Louisa.
Each brother has a role: Zehava cooks (with precise instructions from Louisa of course), another brother is responsible for the oven and another does the shopping.
There is no day when there is no hot and fresh food in a pot prepared on the stove, and Louisa is always ready to have family, friends and guests, the main thing being to have what and who to feed.
On Friday, the house feels like a boardwalk or train station.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, the children and grandchildren begin to arrive to eat hot, fresh domes, which she frys in a small pan, a little at a time, so that everyone who arrives will have a fresh dome.
The air train towards the meatballs continues until noon, and in the evening everyone arrives for a festive Friday meal rich in delicacies.
Louisa frys a little at a time, so that everyone who comes will have a fresh dome.
Frying the patties, Photo: Assaf Carla
Mortar bread (without yeast)
Hot from the oven.
Bread of Death, Photo: Assaf Carla
Materials:
√ 1 kg of flour
√ 1 tablespoon salt
√ 2 tablespoons oil
√ About 1/2 liter of lukewarm water
Put all the ingredients until the dough is uniform.
Divide into circles and flatten them on the prana (oven).
Alternatively, you can also bake in the oven, at 220 degrees for 6 minutes.
Upgrade after the fire.
Preparation of bread in the oven, Photo: Assaf Carla
Tunisian couscous
At Friday dinner at Louisa’s, each diner gets a plate of couscous and a plate of couscous soup.
Take a spoonful of each dish, and mix with the spoon itself.
Materials:
√ 1 kg of semolina
√ 2 glasses of water
√ 1 tablespoon salt
√ 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
√ 2 tablespoons oil
Sift the semolina and "mix" (mix) by hand, pouring the water slowly until you get granules of the desired thickness.
Pass the semolina through a sieve with large holes, add a tablespoon of oil and sauté for half an hour in a pot of couscous.
Remove from the heat and re-open the semolina with a little water, slowly, letting the couscous dry.
Add the turmeric and oil, mix and transfer again through a sieve.
Mars again for half an hour and after evaporation open the pot of couscous and let it cool.
Couscous soup
Materials:
√ 1/2 kg of chicken (calves, wings, whatever)
√ 1/4 cup oil
√ 2 cups of induced chickpeas
√ 3 carrots peeled and cut into coarse cubes
√ 2 zucchini cut into coarse cubes
√ 400 grams of pumpkin cut into coarse cubes
√ 1/2 coarsely sliced cabbage
√ 1 peeled turnip and cut into coarse cubes
√ 1 kohlrabi peeled and cut into coarse cubes
√ 1 onion peeled and cut into cubes
√ 2 peeled and diced tomatoes
√ 1 celery cut into coarse cubes
√ 1 bunch of parsley
√ 1 bunch of coriander
√ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
√ 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
√ A pinch of cinnamon
√ 1 tablespoon turmeric
√ Salt
√ Black pepper
Pour a quarter cup of oil into the pot and fry the onions and tomatoes lightly frying.
Add the tomato paste and spices, continue to fry a little and add all the vegetables, except the chickpeas.
Cook for half an hour on low heat, add the chicken and chickpeas, cover with water and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and cook for an hour and a half.
A table laden with every good.
Louisa Sassi's dishes, Photo: Assaf Carla
Dome (meatballs)
Friday
The patties accompany the Tunisian house throughout the day.
In the morning they are fried snacks, and in the evening they star on the table in a sauce that can be wiped with challah.
Materials:
√ 1 kg of chicken breast cut into small cubes
√ Frying oil
√ 1 pack chopped parsley
√ 1 pack chopped coriander
√ 1 pack chopped dill
√ 6 peeled onions, grated
√ 1 peeled potato, grated
√ 4 tablespoons semolina
√ 3 eggs
√ 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
√ 1 pinch of cinnamon
√ Salt
√ Black pepper
Mix all the ingredients together (knead gently!), Form patties and fry.
It is important to remember not to press on the meat.
Louisa, for example, bounces the patty by hand and thus creates the shape.
This movement puts in a lot of air and so the patties come out airy.
Pacquiao (patty sauce)
Materials:
√ 1 kg pieces of muscle meat
√ 2 cups white beans soaked overnight in water
√ 3 packages of clean and cut chard leaves, without the stem
√ 4 tablespoons oil
√ 3 cloves of peeled garlic
√ Salt
√ Black pepper
Fry the garlic and chard leaves until the leaves are crispy, remove from the heat and grind.
Boil water in a pot and add the beans and meat.
Cook a little, add the fried garlic and chard mixture and cook for two hours.
About 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add the fried patties.
Tunisian dish.
Couscous with chicken and vegetables from the couscous soup and domes (patties), Photo: Assaf Carla
Louisa's stuffed intestines
Materials:
√ Clean intestines
√ 1 roast beef heart cut into small cubes
√ 2 slices of roasted liver cut into small cubes
√ 1 boiled lung cut into small cubes
√ 2 pieces of cooked beef cut into cubes
√ 3 tablespoons rice
√ 1 small potato peeled and cut into small cubes
√ 1 large onion peeled and cut into small cubes
√ 1/4 packet of chopped parsley
√ 1/4 packet chopped coriander
√ 1 tablespoon paprika
√ 1 egg yolk
√ A pinch of turmeric
√ Salt
√ Black pepper
√ Frying oil
Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion until translucent.
Add the meats, fry a little and cool.
Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and fill the intestines.
It is important to note that the filling is not too dense and that there is not too much rice in it, because then the intestine can explode.
It is recommended to puncture 3-2 holes in each section of the intestine with a toothpick.
At the end of the filling, you can cook in a bean stew or stew.
Tabih (sauce for mahashi and patties)
Materials:
√ 8 pieces of chicken
√ 4 potatoes peeled and cut into large cubes
√ 2 finely chopped onions
√ 1/2 pack finely chopped parsley
√ 1/2 pack finely chopped coriander
√ 2 chopped zucchini
√ 2 chopped tomatoes
√ 4 tablespoons oil
√ 1 tomato paste
√ 2 cups peas
√ A little paprika
√ Salt
√ Black pepper
Fry the onion in a pot, add the vegetables, spices and tomato paste, and cook over low heat until the vegetables evaporate.
Add the chicken and continue to cook, add the peas and pour hot water until covered.
Cook for 50 minutes on low heat, and before finishing add the palashi and the fried patties.