Goutte d?or

A few weeks ago I posted a dinky little entry on the ethnic markets of the 18th arrondissement. I bought some trout and scampered home like a little girl–hardly an enlightening gustatory experience.

I’m not yet up to buying that lamb’s head in the butcher’s shop, but I am trying to take greater advantage of the culinary communities that surround me. Strange that I should find that inspiration buried in an Alice Waters cookbook (or rather indicative of my oh such white bread, bobo doofyness)–a recipe for Carrot Salad with Ginger. With Ms. Waters, a store-bought, preground spice will not  suffice, and with so many wonderful markets around me, it seemed a shame to walk into Franprix and buy some dried mint and cumin. And so I went exploring…

La Goutte d’Or–the drop of gold, in translation–seems a fitting place to buy rich, burnished cumin. Cute nomenclature aside, the Goutte d’Or holds one of Paris’s largest Moroccan communities (as well as a sub-Saharan African community, and a shameful little bobo enclave, which explains my presence in the quartier).  Located at the foot of Disneyland Montmartre, the Goutte d”Or seems far away indeed from the herds of American tourists, vendors with red windmills and cheesy accordion music. Et tant mieux, because the panoply of ethnicities gives a far more accurate and fascinating account of France’s (violent, complicated, racist) history than anything a romanticized trip to the Moulin Rouge might offer. Say goodbye to the can can girls.

But let’s skip the history lesson (but not before pointing out, for the literary nerds like me, that Zola’s L’Assommoir takes place in the neighborhood) and focus on the food. I had never toasted my own spices before but–after borrowing a spice grinder from a friend–I was excited for a culinary experience for which my woefully underequipped kitchen was up to task.

It’s quite fun, if not exactly easy, to toast seeds–even if you, like me, are equipped with a hot plate and not much else.  Start with a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, and a small quantity of seeds (1 tablespoon for a six inch pan–you don’t want more than one layer).

You’ll want to start on a low temperature: the  seeds won’t begin to brown until they reach 350 degrees and slowly work your way up, until you see them darkening. Don’t go too high–if the seeds start to pop, turn the temperature back down. Keep stirring, especially towards the end, until the seeds resemble medium-roast coffee beans. Remove from heat, and grind them (either with mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder) within two hours.

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Ginger, adapted from Alice Waters “The Art of Simple Food”

1)Peel 4 large carrots into small battons and cook in salted boiling water until very tender, drain and season with salt. Use a wooden spoon to mash carrots together (it’’s okay to large pieces in).

2)In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon of cumin (freshly toasted! freshly ground! your heart swells with pride) and 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped mint, and 1 teaspoon of grated ginger. Pour over warm carrots and toss gently. Allow to marinate for a few hours in the fridge.

3) Before serving pour two tablespoons of olive oil over the carrots, taste for seasoning and add salt as needed.