Madame Silva’s Bouef avec Groseilles
Posted on | December 16, 2008 | No Comments
Mrs. Silva's claim to fame
Roughly translated, “Mrs. Silva’s Beef with Currents,” but as my family calls it “Mrs. Silva’s Meat Dish.”
I first had this dish when I was nine, just like my father, who first experienced the wonders of this simple dish in 1956. Mrs. Silva – no one seems to remember her first name – was a friend of the family in Turkey. And, as all good friends do – she left behind a lasting legacy.
This simple dish provides a warm winter meal with minimal requirements. Furthermore, in the great tradition or recipe play, beyond the basics it is a welcome palette for experimentation.
The basics:
- One pound ground beef
- One whole onion, diced
- Curry (to taste)
- Currants
- Cinnamon
- Salt and Pepper
- White Rice
Recipe Play
- Garlic
- Cayenne
- Parsley
Of all this, you might question whether currants are something that anyone just has lying around. Currants are basically small raisins so any raisins you have around the house will most certainly do. If you don’t have them, they are, thankfully, not too expensive.
Saute onions until just translucent. Don’t allow to burn. Remove. Add beef and brown all over, adding the onions when the meet is no longer pink. Add curry, salt and pepper, garlic, cayenne and cinnamon, mix to taste. It should be spicy, but not hot.
Cook rice. Roughly chop parsley.
When rice is done, mix in half the parsley. I removed one cup of rice and used a ramekin to pack the rice into a form. Top the rice with the mixture and spoon over some of the liquid sauce. Top with chopped parsley and sea salt. Serve with rye bread.
More later
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