Farewell to the A's

Azerbaijan is located in Western Asia on the Caspian Sea. Like it's neighbor Armenia, Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union in the early 1900's.

I learned that the people of Azerbaijan are extremely proud of their cuisine. The most popular dish is rice pilaf that is steamed and then topped with meats, herbs, and dried fruits. I read that pilaf is such an important part of the Azeri culture, that it is present at nearly every special occasion. When a couple is married, the pilaf is paraded into the reception by a dancer and torch-toting followers, and then presented with fanfare to the bride and groom.

The recipe I used required me to par-cook basmati rice and saute a selection of dried fruits, including apricots, dates, and golden raisins. I then layered all of my ingredients in a large saucepan on the stove. First chunks of raw chicken topped with slices of raw onion, then rice, then the fruits, and finally more rice. Part way through cooking, I poured some saffron water over the rice.

The outcome met with mixed reviews in the Keysor house. I was so thrilled and impressed that a pile of raw meat and rice cooked so perfectly when I left it on the stove top untouched for an hour! I thought the flavors of the dried apricots and saffron water were so unique and a wonderful combination with the simply seasoned chicken and sweet basmati rice. Ted had a hard time with the different textures in the dish, and I think overall did not care for the flavors.

I averaged our scores for the meal and the result was 2.5.

Bring on the B's!