Have you ever tasted Persian food? I haven't. Or at least I don't think I have, I'm sure I would have remembered. No matter. Today I was invited to a Persian banquet at an acquaintence's house for lunch (incidentally, I'm using the word Persian because it sounds more romantic than Iranian, which sounds more like a metallic property. But I digress).
The food was set out on a buffet table which, after the last dish was lovingly set down, practically buckled under the weight of so much ceramic. Everybody grabbed a plate and we all shuffled clockwise round the table (it's always clockwise isn't it?). Oh my goodness. Where to start? The oval tureens of baked spinach and cubed lamb that looked a lot like an Indian palak paneer but wasn't? The whole roasted saffron tandoori chicken that had been macheted into four enormous portions? Persian baklava? (Hey, I can eat baklava anytime chum). In the end I chose luscious spoonfuls of the egg, potato, gherkin and home-made mayonnaise concoction that had a smattering of peas atop. There was so much creamy mayo, filled right up to the lip of the bowl, that at first I thought it was yoghurt. I couldn't even see the other ingredients until I dipped in. And the taste - Oh. My God. So divine. So naughty. So divine.
Thanks to the lovely Sholeh and her Mum for inviting us. Next time I'll have the gumption to bring my SLR and take pics. There will be a next time, won't there?
The food was set out on a buffet table which, after the last dish was lovingly set down, practically buckled under the weight of so much ceramic. Everybody grabbed a plate and we all shuffled clockwise round the table (it's always clockwise isn't it?). Oh my goodness. Where to start? The oval tureens of baked spinach and cubed lamb that looked a lot like an Indian palak paneer but wasn't? The whole roasted saffron tandoori chicken that had been macheted into four enormous portions? Persian baklava? (Hey, I can eat baklava anytime chum). In the end I chose luscious spoonfuls of the egg, potato, gherkin and home-made mayonnaise concoction that had a smattering of peas atop. There was so much creamy mayo, filled right up to the lip of the bowl, that at first I thought it was yoghurt. I couldn't even see the other ingredients until I dipped in. And the taste - Oh. My God. So divine. So naughty. So divine.
Thanks to the lovely Sholeh and her Mum for inviting us. Next time I'll have the gumption to bring my SLR and take pics. There will be a next time, won't there?
2 comments:
One Christmas I stuffed a shoulder of lamb in the way one is meant to prepare a whole baby lamb for a festive Iranian dish. The list of ingredients was so long I needed glasses by the end of it, but ohhhhh the result! Pistachios, saffron, rose petals, more more more.
Mmmm mmm mmm, I'm hearing ya! The rose petals ingredient is intriguing. Half a kilo? From the Botanic Gardens? Heh!
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