Overnight Saffron Chebab with Whipped Cheese and Date Syrup
Freshly ground cardamom and fennel in a saffron batter fermented overnight for depth, finished with saffron ghee, whipped cream cheese and date syrup.
Method
Split the cardamom pods and collect the seeds. Toast the cardamom and fennel seeds in a dry pan on medium-low heat for , shaking, until fragrant, then tip them out straight away and grind finely in a mortar or spice grinder.
Add in this stepFennel seeds ¼ tspGreen cardamom pods 5
medium-low heatWarm the milk until it feels warm to your finger (about 40 °C), crumble in most of the saffron and steep for 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and ground spices, then add the egg, saffron milk and water and whisk for 2 minutes until smooth.
Add in this stepSaffron threads ¾ pinchWhole milk 110 mlPlain flour 120 gSugar 20 gInstant dried yeast ¼ tspSalt 1 pinchEgg (from 2 servings) 1Lukewarm water 75 ml
Cover and refrigerate for . The slow fermentation deepens the sweetness and toasty flavour. Take it out before cooking so the bubbles wake up again at room temperature.
Whip the cream cheese and cream with a whisk or hand mixer for until light and soft. Keep in the fridge.
Add in this stepCream cheese 80 gDouble (heavy) cream 30 ml
Melt most of the ghee with the remaining saffron in a small pan on low heat for to make saffron ghee. Don't let it boil; take it off as soon as the ghee turns golden.
Add in this stepGhee 18 gSaffron threads ¼ pinch
low heatHeat a 20 cm non-stick pan on medium-low heat and wipe it thinly with the rest of the ghee. Without stirring the batter much, ladle in about 60 ml at a time, spread to 13 cm and cook for , until the surface is full of holes and dry. Flip, cook 30 seconds more, and make about 5 pancakes.
Add in this stepGhee 7.5 g
medium-low heatBrush each chebab with saffron ghee and stack them. Add a spoonful of whipped cheese, drizzle with date syrup and scatter over the sesame seeds.
Add in this stepDate syrup 2 tbspToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp
Cook's tip
The fermented batter keeps up to 24 hours in the fridge and becomes slightly tangier the longer it sits. Grinding whole cardamom gives a far brighter aroma than ready-ground. Leftover saffron ghee is lovely over rice or eggs.
Cooking it at camp
Make the batter the night before and carry it in the cooler; it keeps fermenting on the way. Prepare the whipped cheese and saffron ghee at home too, so at camp you only need to cook on a cast-iron griddle over a low flame.