44. Burundi

Date and Banana Mix

Country: Burundi 
Course: Dessert 
Makes: 6 to 8 servings 

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/8 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/8 cup flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 bananas, sliced
• 4 1/2 oz dates, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, then the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well.
2. Transfer half the mixture to a baking dish (it will be sticky, so you'll have to mold it into the dish with your fingers). Then put the bananas and dates on top. Cover the mixture with the remaining dough (this will be tricky given the consistency of the dough, but just do your best).
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top turns a golden brown. Meanwhile, mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
4. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Serve warm.

BROCHETTE

Beef / Lamb / Pork (3 pounds of meat, 48 cubes)
12-15 Skewers 
3 green peppers (steam and seeds removed, cut in squares)
3 red bell peppers (steam and seeds removed, cut in squares)
3 yellow bell peppers (steam and seeds removed, cut in squares)
Large  white onions chopped
Seasoning (salt, paprika, cumin)
 The Burundian Traditional way:

1. Soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes
2. Heat the charcoal 
3. Rinse the meat and season the meat with salt and other seasoning of your choice.
4. Place the meat and the peppers on the skewer.
5. Grill on all sides and be careful to not let it get burnt. 

Serve with Fried Plantains 

Boko Boko Harees

Country: Burundi 
Course: Main 
Makes: about 12 servings 

 

Ingredients:

• 3 1/3 cups bulgur wheat
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 sets chicken giblets
• 1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 5 cups water
• 6 tsp ghee, divided

Directions:

1. Soak the bulgur wheat in water for 3 hours. Note: bulgur wheat absorbs a ton of water, so err on the side of too much.
2. Drain the wheat and place in a pot with the chicken breasts and enough water to cover.
3. Add 1 tsp salt, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Let cook for about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cut up the chicken giblets into very small pieces.
5. In a small pot, mix the turmeric powder with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until you get a thick paste. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Transfer the giblets to a small pot and simmer with about a half cup of water and 3 tbsp of the turmeric paste. Add a pinch of salt and the sugar. Simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, or until the giblets are cooked.
7. Fry the onions in the remaining ghee until they are crispy.
8. Take the chicken breasts out of the pot and shred them, then return the to the bulgur wheat. Add 3 tbsp of the ghee and stir until well-incorporated. The wheat should be soft and the dish should be the consistency of a thick dough; if it's not, keep cooking until it reduces down, or add more water if necessary.
9. Serve with the turmeric sauce and fried onions.

Bacon and Lettuce Salad

Ingredients Edit

• crosswise bacon into 2-inch-long pieces
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb Boston lettuce (3 heads), torn into bite-size pieces (16 cups)

Directions Edit

1. Cook Bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, just until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, discarding fat from skillet.
2. Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add lettuce and Bacon and toss well.

Profiteroles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• vanilla ice cream for filling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the water, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Warm until the butter has melted.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the all-purpose flour. Once the flour has been mixed in, move the saucepan back over the heat and reduce the heat to low. Stir the dough until it's smooth, shiny, and doesn't stick to the bottom or sides of the saucepan (about 1-2 minutes). It's very important to make sure the dough is not sticking at all, as this ensures that you've removed much of the moisture in the dough. 
4. Turn off the heat and move the saucepan onto your counter. Add in your eggs, one at a time, mixing them into the dough well before adding the other egg. It may seem a bit difficult to mix the egg into the dough but after several seconds of vigorous beating, they'll get mixed in. Once the eggs are incorporated, you can choose to immediately pipe, or you can let the dough rest in the saucepan to firm up a bit for about 10 minutes if it seems too runny (see note). 
5. Fill a pastry big with a 1 inch opening with the pastry dough. Pipe round 1 1/2" mounds onto the baking sheet, leaving at least an inch of space between each other.
6. Bake the pastry for 10 minutes at 425°F, then WITHOUT opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Continue to bake the pastry for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry puffs are golden.
7. Transfer the pastry puffs to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, take a serrated knife and make horizontal cuts through each puff to split each puff into two halves (top and bottom).
8. Warm the heavy cream in a small bowl in the microwave for approximately 10 to 15 seconds, until steaming. Add in the chocolate and stir until it's melted and smooth.
9. Place a couple of mini scoops of ice cream over each pastry puff's bottom half, then cover with the top half. Pour ganache over profiteroles.

Banana Wine

(Good Eats: Spiced Blueberry Jammin')