Thumiyya

Euriol and I had tied as winners of the Principality of the Mists Fall Investiture Iron Chef Feast, November 2001. Therefore there was a tie-breaker cook-off at the Principality of the Mists Spring Coronet, on 5 April 2002. The theme for the dish at Coronet was A Dish With Garlic.

I found this recipe in the 13th century Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook.

Euriol served an Italian garlic tart - I didn't get to taste it but it looked rather like a quiche, which I generally like.

In the end, I won with the following recipe.

Translation by Charles Perry

[one uqiya is about one modern ounce]

Redaction by Urtatim al-Qurtubiyya bint 'abd al-Karim al-Fasi, 2002

4 lb. chicken breasts and thighs (Note One)
4 ounces of garlic, peeled (Note Two)
3 Tb. olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. lavender flowers (food grade)
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. powdered cloves
hearty pinch saffron, crumbled
1/2 c. ground blanched almonds
3/4 c. peeled whole almonds
1-1/2 Tb. murri naqi (Note Three)

1. Puree peeled garlic.

2. Heat oil in a heavy pot on medium heat, and cook garlic, stirring, until the smell of the garlic comes out. Take care not to let the garlic burn or brown.

3. Put chicken in pot, spoon garlic over it, and add remaining ingredients.

4. Cover the pot well, place it on a medium-low fire, and cook until done, stirring occasionally, and adjusting the heat, as necessary. I added about 1/2 cup of water to keep things from burning on the bottom, because I cooked the dish on top of the stove, not in the oven - i had recently moved and didn't have my baking dishes.

5. When done, pour contents onto serving dish.

6. For Prince Richard and Princess Elisabeth and others at the High Table, I cut the cooked meat into "fajita" sized slices, so it was all well coated with sauce. I put a ceramic plate on a brass charger, mounded the meat in the middle and decorated the edge with yellow and orange nasturtiums, which are edible, alternating with flat leaf parsley.

Note One: The original calls for a whole chicken cut up - use one about 5 lb. with the same quantities of spices as in the recipe above. A whole chicken would come with liver, heart, and giblets. When I tested this recipe, because I live alone, I used 2 chicken breasts with skin and bone. However, for the competition I wanted something easier for the High Table to eat, so I used skinless boneless breasts and thighs. Back

Note Two: Also, following the original recipe, one should puree the liver, heart, and giblets from the chicken with the garlic, then cook as in Step Two. Since I was using parts, I didn't have the organs to include in the dish I cooked for Coronet. Back

Note Three: I was gifted with a jar of murri made by His Grace, Duke Cariadoc of the Bow. However, since it isn't available commercially, you either have to make your own, following the redaction by Cariadoc on the 'net, or leave it out. In one of my test batches, I left out the murri. If you leave out the murri, you may want to add a little bit more salt at the table. Back