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| Kookoo-ye Sabzi (Omelet With Saffron And Greens) December, 2002  Serves 8 / No-Rooz, the ancient Persian festival honoring spring and the Iranian new year, is celebrated with an open-air picnic and the eating of a thick round egg-cake the color and shape of the sun. The correct accompaniments are a bowl of thick, creamy sheep's-milk yogurt from the flock's first milkings and a buttery, saffron-tinted pilaf lavishly flavored with herbs.1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) 1 cup chopped scallions, including green parts 1 tablespoon shelled walnuts, roughly chopped 1 cup shredded spinach leaves 1 tablespoon dried cranberries 1 tablespoon self-rising flour 10 eggs 1/2-1 teaspoon powdered saffron Salt and freshly ground pepper 3-4 tablespoons oil 1. In a large bowl, toss chopped herbs (they must be really dry), scallions, nuts, spinach, berries, and flour. In another bowl, whisk eggs with saffron and season with salt and pepper. 2. Heat oil in a large, nonstick frying pan. When oil is hot, slowly pour in egg mixture, stirring in herb mixture as you pour, so base is golden but interior is green. Shake to loosen base, reduce heat to low, cover loosely, and leave to cook very gently for 20-25 minutes. (If heat is too high, eggs may become leathery.) As omelet cooks, shake to loosen base, and neaten sides with a spatula to build up a deep, straight edge. 3. When the top looks set, invert a large plate over the pan and flip the whole thing over so the omelet ends up on the plate, cooked side up. (Be brave—it's no harder than flipping a pancake.) Slip omelet back in pan for another 5-10 minutes to brown other side (you may need a little more oil). When it feels firm, slide it out onto its plate; it will set a little more as it cools. Pat off excess oil with a paper towel. Serve at the temperature of a spring evening in the desert. Reprinted with permission from Sacred Food: Cooking for Spiritual Nourishment by Elisabeth Luard (Chicago Review Press, 2001). Calories 160,Fat 12,Perfat 68,Cholesterol 266,Carbo 4,Protein 9 |