Norouz is the Persian New Year that Celebrates Spring!

Last night my husband Sadegh and I celebrated Norouz with a great symbolic meal and appreciation for all the good things we have in life. Norouz starts on the first day of Spring and lasts 13 days. A table (the Haftseen) is set with seven symbolic items, all starting with the letter S: Seeb (apple), Sabze (green grass), Serke (vinegar), Samanoo (a meal made out of wheat), Senjed (a special kind of berry), Sekke (coin), and Seer (garlic). Some Haftseen tables also include a book of poetry (Rumi is a favorite of friends),  a mirror and candles (reflecting into the future), a goldfish swimming in a bowl (representing life), painted eggs (fertility) and sweets and fruits. Each item is a symbol of Spring and renewal.

Norouz has been celebrated in Iran for over 3,000 years and is rooted in the traditions and rituals of the Zoroastrian (religion of ancient Persia before the arrival of Islam). It is the biggest holiday of the year in Iran.



An example of a "Haft Seen" courtesy of iranchamber.com

I surprised Sadegh when he came home with a busy kitchen and a happy cook -- me!  For this special post, I went to the market and bought most of the ingredients I needed for the meal. I would normally serve this dish with traditional rice with tahdig (golden-crust) but this time made a sabzi polo (herbed rice) to honor Norouz and served it with the fish which is a traditional combination on this day.  I decided to be brave and post the photo of the finished meal even though the rice looks way too dark. This is because of the vast amount of fresh herbs incorporated into the rice. Usually, the rice on top is golden brown. I used yogurt in the rice with this recipe which I normally don't do because the top usually isn't crispy enough for me when I cook it with yogurt. Maybe I need to experiment more. The rice is from the same NY Times recipe adapted by Samin Rosnat.  In a later post, I'll show how to cook Persian rice both ways, and you can decide for yourself which way you prefer.

There's lots of work involved with the chopping of fresh, beautiful herbs, shallots and garlic, the grinding of walnuts and the citrus juicing, and although it takes a while to make, the longest part is waiting for the rice to finish. It's all worth it though. Delicious!  Here's the recipe for the fish, courtesy of Samin Rosnat and the NY Times:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:

:

Trout, 2 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 2 scallions, 1 small
bunch chives, 1 cup fresh parsley, 1 cup cilantro,
2 sprigs tarragon, 1 cup dill, 3 clementines, a lime,
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts, 2 T. pomegranate syrup,
4 T. olive oil

STEP ONE:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.






Finely chop all the fresh herbs, shallots, scallions
and garlic and set aside.  Finely process walnuts
(I love my NutriBullet!) and set aside.

STEP TWO:



Place 2 T. olive oil into a
skillet and fry 2 finely chopped shallots until golden.
Add 2 T. olive oil to pan and add the herbs and walnuts, stir
and saute for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

STEP THREE:



Juice the 3 clementines and zest one to collect 1/2
tsp. Juice the lime and add all three to a small bowl.
Add 6 T. of juice to the herb mixture and let it cook
for about 4 minutes until the liquid is almost gone.
Add 2 T. pomegranate molasses and stir.  Cook for
another couple of minutes and then take off the heat
to cool. I found pomegranate molasses at my local
grocery store in the international section.

STEP FOUR:


Sprinkle sea salt inside and outside the fish. Open the
fish further with a sharp knife to butterfly and drizzle
each with a T. of the remaining juice mixture. Place
about a quarter cup of herb/shallot/garlic mixture
inside each fish.  Close the fish with kitchen twine in
three places and place on a baking sheet that has been lightly
coated with olive oil.  Place in the hot oven for about
20 minutes. Fish should be very golden brown and may
look a little charred on the tail.



Serve with rice and salad.  Persian rice with tahdig
(that golden crust) is the best way to serve this along
with a Persian salad. Traditional ones are cucumber,
radish, tomato, feta cheese and an olive oil and lemon
juice dressing.  As I stated above, these will be the subject of
another blog post!

And a parting gift:

An excerpt from Rumi's poem "Moving Water"

How could we know what an open field of sunlight is?
Don't insist on going where you think you want to go.
Ask the way to the spring. Your living pieces will
form a harmony.

There is a moving palace that floats in the air with balconies
and clear water flowing through, infinity everywhere, yet
contained under a single tent.


ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE AND HAPPY SPRING!

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