Algerian treats in Paris

[Al-khiyal]

A tower of dziriate, Algerian pastries filled with almond paste, at Bague de Kenza in Paris

OVER lunch with my Parisian friend Florent in a frayed cafe off the trendy Rue Oberkampf several months ago, the conversation bounced, as it often does in France, between gastronomy and politics. Florent spoke with equal passion about where to buy the most exquisite bonbons and how various French politicians had dealt with the racial tensions that led to recent riots.

Then, in a characteristically French moment, politics and cuisine converged.

Florent leaned in over his glass of red wine. "You know what is getting to be fashionable right now in Paris," he said with a smile, "Maghreb pastry. If you want to try something really special, let's go around the corner to B. K."

Pronounced BAY-ka, B. K. is the affectionate nickname for Bague de Kenza, an Algerian pastry shop that has begun attracting a following of Parisians of non-North African descent.....

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Malika Bennour pours mint tea, the perfect accompaniment for her desserts at Pâtisserie Malika, Boulevard de Ménilmontant in the 20th Arrondissement

Recipe: Dziriate

Adapted from Bague de Kenza, Paris
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

FOR THE PASTRY:
Butter for greasing baking sheets
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting
Pinch salt
¼ cup clarified butter, melted
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons rosewater
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE SYRUP:
¾ cup honey
¼ cup rosewater

FOR THE FILLING:
3 cups (12 ounces) slivered almonds
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk<
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets.

2. To make the pastry: Place flour and salt in electric mixer. Then, with mixer running, pour in melted butter, egg yolk, rosewater and vanilla extract. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons cold water, as needed, until dough just comes together. Continue to mix dough until it is smooth, about 1 minute. Cover bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap until needed.

3. For the syrup: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring honey and rosewater to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. For the filling: In a food processor, pulse together almonds and confectioners' sugar until powdery. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry dough as thin as possible ( between 1/16 and 1/8 inch). Use a 2½-inch round cookie cutter to cut dough into circles. Mound 1 generous tablespoon filling into center of each circle. With a pastry brush, dab edges of the dough with water. Using your fingers, mold dough around stuffing, pinching dough into folds to form a cup for filling. Press folds together to seal.

6. Transfer pastries to baking sheets. Bake until filling is golden brown and pastry crust is pale golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pastries from oven and immediately drizzle 1 teaspoon syrup over filling and shell of each pastry. Let pastries cool on baking sheet set on a wire rack before serving.

Yield: About 3 dozen pastries.

Recipe: Cornes de Gazelles

Adapted from Pâtisserie Malika, Paris
Time: 1½ hours plus 1 hour for chilling

FOR THE FILLING:
2½ cups (10 ounces) blanched, slivered almonds
¾ cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange blossom water
2 tablespoons clarified butter, melted
1 egg white
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

FOR THE PASTRY:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons clarified butter, melted
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons orange blossom water

FOR THE COATING:
Butter for greasing baking sheets
¼ cup orange blossom water
1½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, more for dusting.

1. For the filling: In a food processor, pulse together almonds and confectioners' sugar until powdery. Add remaining filling ingredients and continue to pulse until mixture forms a stiff paste. Mold paste into a ball, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to two days).

2. For the pastry: Using an electric mixer, mix flour, 2 tablespoons melted butter, egg yolk, orange blossom water and 2 tablespoons cold water until combined. With mixer running, add 2 to 4 tablespoons more water, as needed, until dough just comes together. Continue to beat until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets. Place orange blossom water in a small, shallow bowl. Place confectioners' sugar in another shallow bowl.

4. Divide dough in half and cover one half with damp cloth. Transfer other half to a lightly floured surface and roll it to 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough into 3-inch rounds with a cookie cutter.

5. Using your hands, roll two teaspoons of filling into a ball and place in center of round. Repeat, filling all dough circles. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush border of each with water. Fold bottom of dough over filling, forming a half-circle, and press edges to seal. With tip of a sharp knife, make three small diagonal slits on top of each pastry. Bend pastries into a crescent shape and transfer them to baking sheets, about 1½ inches apart. Roll out remaining dough, and repeat. Transfer pastries to oven and bake until pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.

6. Working quickly, dip each hot pastry one at a time first in orange blossom water, then in confectioners' sugar, completely covering pastry with sugar. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust pastries with additional confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Yield: About 3 dozen pastries.


A plate of sugar-dusted cornes de gazelles, baklava and dziriate at Le Miyanis, an Algerian shop in Paris

Recipe: Hazelnut Baklava

Adapted from Pâtisserie Malika, Paris
Time: 2½ hours, plus 6 hours' cooling

FOR THE NUT FILLING:
2 cups (8 ounces) skinned hazelnuts
1 cup (4 ounces) slivered almonds
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt

FOR THE PASTRY:
1½ cups warm clarified butter
1 one pound package frozen phyllo dough, defrosted

FOR THE HONEY SYRUP:
1¼ cups sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 strips lemon zest, each ½-inch wide by 2 inches long
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon rosewater
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
1 whole cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt.

1. In a food processor, pulse together skinned hazelnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt until finely ground.

2. On a large surface, unfold phyllo dough, removing plastic wrapping. With a sharp knife, slice dough in half crosswise, forming two 9-by-12-inch rectangles. Cover entirely with one or two damp dishcloths.

3. With a pastry brush, generously brush bottom of a 9-by-12-inch baking pan with clarified butter. Carefully place one phyllo sheet in pan (it should just fit) and brush with butter. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter. Keep unused phyllo covered as you work. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the nut and sugar mixture evenly over top layer. Repeat layering process with phyllo, continuing to brush each sheet with butter, until you have stacked on 6 more sheets. Sprinkle another 1/3 of nut and sugar mixture evenly over top layer. Repeat layering process with phyllo and melted butter, using another 8 phyllo sheets. Sprinkle final 1/3 of nut and sugar mixture over phyllo. Cover with two more sheets of phyllo, leaving top layer unbuttered.

4. Placing your palms in center of the top layer, gently move your hands in an outward, sweeping motion, flattening and smoothing top of pastry. Brush an additional ¼ cup melted butter evenly over top layer.

5. Using a sharp pointed knife, carefully slice baklava into 2-inch-thick diagonal strips. Repeat in opposite direction, forming a diamond pattern. Transfer baklava to oven and bake until golden and flaky, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating pan as necessary to ensure even baking.

6. Meanwhile, in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine honey syrup ingredients with ¾ cup water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and cook until sugar has completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Transfer syrup to a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cool. Once cooled, strain mixture into a liquid measuring cup with a spout.

7. While baklava is still very hot, pour cooled syrup into cracks between diamond-shaped pieces, reserving about 3 tablespoons syrup. Drizzle reserved syrup evenly over top of baklava. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours, then cover with foil and let sit at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Yield: About 30 pieces.



Les douceurs de Kenza

[Al-khiyal]

French abandon traditional cuisine in favour of couscous

[FaridZ]

You forgot the most important part of the article

"Nearly ready to abandon dziriate in favor of a bourbon and four aspirin, I did an online search that led me to a blog about Algerian cuisine by Farid Zadi (chefzadi.com), a chef who teaches at the California School of Culinary Arts. With his guidance, I was able to reconstruct Bague de Kenza's recipe."

[Al-khiyal]

Do try and pay more attention - that blog has already been posted here

[Sweeter_Pea]

Farid, I read your website regularly and I really like it. YOu make the recipes easy to follow. Just wanted to tell you that

[Cheba_Mami]

that is soooo delicious, i never said those halwas were healthy but they are incredible delicious. thus eat & dream away, but not too much.

one good algerian thing to have in Paris! C'est vraiment tres bon!

[nesreen]

Couscous Parties are becoming very Popular in France , even among pure French ( you know what i mean by that )

i went to paris and i did order a couscous and enjoyed it very much at an Algerian restaurant .