RECIPES: Cooking With Marcus Samuelsson

April 11, 2008 — -- Merkato 55, chef Marcus Samuelsson's newest restaurant, features several dishes inspired by his travels throughout Africa. Below, find the recipes for two of his signature meals: shrimp piri piri and doro wett.

Recipe courtesy Marcus Samuelsson

Makes 4 servings as an appetizer

Instructions:

Toss the shrimp with ½ cup of the piri piri in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until opaque throughout. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with the salt. Squeeze the lime quarters over the shrimp.

Spread ½ teaspoon of the remaining piri piri sauce on each lettuce leaf. Place a shrimp on each leaf and fold over bottom and sides to form a wrap. Serve immediately.

PIRI PIRIRecipe courtesy Marcus Samuelsson

Makes 1 cup

Instructions:

Combine the chilies, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and garlic in a blender and puree until smooth. With the blender running add the oil in a slow, steady stream and bland until well combined.

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

CHICKEN STEW (DORO WETT)Recipe courtesy Marcus Samuelsson

Makes 6 Servings

Instructions

Combine the onions, a pinch of salt, and half of the spiced butter in a Dutch oven or other large deep pot over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining butter, the cardamom, black pepper, cloves, garlic, ginger, and berbere and cook until the onions soften and take on the color of the spices, about 10 minutes.

½ medium red onion, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

One 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

8 basil leaves

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. As foam rises to the top, skim and discard it. Continue cooking, without letting butter brown, until no more foam appears. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, cardamom, oregano, turmeric, and basil and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and let stand until the spices settle. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve before using.

Store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe courtesy Marcus Samuelsson

Makes 1 cup

Finely grind the fenugreek seeds with a mortar and pestle or in an electric spice or coffee grinder. Stir together with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.