There are many things which you should know about Quinoa, but unquestionably the most important thing which you must know is how to pronounce that name.
You don't pronounce it like the Irish name which it sort of looks like - Niall Quinn-oh-ah, for example. No, instead this wonder grain of the Andes must be pronounced as if you are an Inca. What you say is "Keen-wha".
If you have a deep voice, it sounds even better - "Keen-wha" - and now that we have mastered the linguistic niceties of Quinoa, we can concentrate on the grain itself.
The Incas called it the "mother grain", and the little seeds are actually related to the spinach family. Quinoa has been described as a "nutritional powerhouse", and is packed with iron and protein. Its amino-acid profile closely parallels the ideal protein standard of the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organisation, which is why it has attracted attention, especially from vegetarians.
The seeds range in colour from "buff to russet to black", writes the chef Kevin Graham, who notes that when cooked "the seed's external germ forms a tiny `tail' at one end and its texture becomes light, springy and crunchy. The flavour of quinoa is mildly sweet and earthy".
Mildly sweet and earthy, and as such a versatile bed-fellow for passenger flavours. In the recipes we have selected - all of them from American books, where the rediscovery of quinoa is well underway - the seeds are paired with chicken, with lamb and, quite deliciously, with Indian spices.
Do note that quinoa has a soapy natural coating called saponin, which is usually washed off before the quinoa reaches the shelves. However, some recipes call for a further rinsing - and to do this simply place the quinoa in a conical sieve under running water for five minutes. Quinoa is available throughout the country: you'll find it in wholefood shops.
Quinoa Pilaf with Mustard Seeds
`The soft but crunchy texture of the cooked product is unique, comparable only to the finest-textured caviar", writes David Rosengarten in The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook. while this is a grand statement to make about a simple thing, Rosengarten also asserts that it is: "The trendiest of the trendy whole grains", and I would suggest that this terrific pilaff is the trendiest way to eat it.
This goes well with grilled fish and roasted vegetables, but will also partner meat dishes.
225 g (8 oz) quinoa
30 ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
5 g (1 teaspoon) black mustard seeds
75 g (2 3/4 oz) chopped onion
75 g (2 3/4 oz) chopped carrot
5 g (1 teaspoon) chopped green chilli
2.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cumin
30g (2 tablespoons) chopped coriander stems
450 ml (16 fl oz) chicken stock coriander leaves for garnish
Serves four
Toast the quinoa by warming it in a dry pan over moderate heat for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan to ensure that all the grains make contact with the bottom. (The quinoa should turn just a shade darker.) Remove the quinoa from the pan and set it aside.
Warm the vegetable oil over moderately high heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the mustard seeds. (As they get hot, they will begin to splutter.) Reduce the heat to moderate and add the onion and carrot.
Cook until the onion turns golden. Add the green chilli, cumin and coriander stems and cook for another two minutes. Add the toasted quinoa and stir well to make sure each grain glistens with a trace of oil.
Add the chicken stock. (It will sizzle for a second or two.) Increase the heat to high. When the mixture begins to boil around the edge, stir it well, cover the pan, reduce the heat as low as possible and cook the quinoa for 17 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Garnish with the coriander leaves.
Quinoa and Vegetable Stew
WE have adapted this dish substantially from the form in which it appears in Raymond Sokolov's book With the Grain. It is originally a Bolivian stew, from the high Andes, and whilst Sokolov is content to present the dish for its flavour, "more than a strict set of directions for reproducing the dish at home", we have worked on the idea to make it feasible to cook. Even with the potato, the quinoa works wonderfully here to create a stew which is satisfying, yet very light.
300 g stewing lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
600 ml meat stock
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
100 g quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup broad beans (frozen, at this time of year)
1/2 cup peas (frozen, at this time of year)
1 potato, diced
salt
fresh parsley
Serves two, generously
Saute the lamb in some olive oil until it browns. Remove the lamb and saute the onion in the same pot, adding a little more oil if necessary, and, as it softens, add the spices. When the onions are soft, replace the lamb in the pot and add all the stock. Simmer for 30 minutes until the meat is just tender.
It's best to cook this part of the dish well in advance of serving, to let the spices come into their own.
About 40 minutes before you are ready to serve the dish, bring the meat mixture back to a simmering level and add the quinoa. Cook until it swells and softens in the covered pot (about 12 minutes).
While this is cooking prepare your beans - pop out the pods from their outer skin. Finally add the potatoes and cook for a further 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are soft. Add the peas and beans a few minutes before serving, just to warm them through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Quinoa with Grilled Chicken and Sauteed Fennel
Kevin Graham is an Englishman who cooks in the US, and this comes from his book, Grains, Rice and Beans. This is good supper food. The chicken:
4 large chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken, split down the back and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of salt
pinch of dried thyme
pinch of dried rosemary
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
Serves four
Place the chicken in a large bowl or baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients with the white wine in a saucepan and heat quickly to just below a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least two hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight.
Heat a grill until the coals turn white. Place the chicken on the grill and cook, basting occasionally with the marinade, until the chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes per side.
Sauteed Fennel:
4 small bulbs fennel
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wash the fennel well and remove any discoloured outer leaves. With a sharp knife, split each bulb into four pieces lengthwise. Remove as much of the tough roots as possible without losing any leaves. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the fennel, flat side down, in the oil and saute for about two minutes. Add the stock, thyme, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. The fennel should remain firm. Remove the pan from the heat, season the fennel with pepper, and serve with its cooking liquid.
The Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium bay leaf
4 white peppercorns
2 star anise pods
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Place the quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water runs clear. (The longer you rinse the grain, the milder in flavour it will become.) Drain.
Place the stock, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, star anise, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa looks glassy and translucent (indicating it is cooked through), about 15 minutes, then stir in the oil and mint with a fork, fluffing up the grains as you toss lightly.
To serve, place the chicken on top of the warm quinoa and serve with the sauteed fennel on the side.