Algerian Cuisine Cuisine Algerienne by Farid ZADI

Making Algerian Merguez at School

I made this batch a few terms back at school for Garde Manger class. Algerian style merguez is used at school for non-Algerian dishes as well. The chef at the school bistro incorporated merguez into a clam dish with a "spicy Portuguese" broth. The school cafe occasionally serves merguez sandwiches.

Translating Algerian Recipes or Ingredients for Restaurants

My student Korn emailed me these photos. He made my layered flat bread and shrimp charmoula (recipes in February, 2008 issue of Gourmet Magazine) and interpreted the plating for restaurants.

My shrimp charmoula recipe in Gourmet is actually a skabetch (Algerian for escabeche) in a charmoula marinade. Scallops, lobster, crayfish, tuna or swordfish can be prepared in a charmoula escabeche.

 Another option for restaurant service is to serve the shrimp with a brick croustillante instead of the flat bread. The brick pastry (warka) can be formed into nests or cups or cut into strips, brushed with olive oil and spices and baked. Basically the same technique used for filo pastry.

I'm sure there's a chef out there who would cut up the seafood into small pieces and place it in a shot glass with a strip of brick tuile layed across the rim or serve the charmoula escabeche in Chinese soup spoons.