Bulgur is really wheat, but cooked in a special way. In order to get what everyone calls bulgur, wheat grains are steamed, dried in the sun, peeled and crushed. It is the second manipulation ("frying" in the sun) that gives the bulgur grains a unique aroma that is revealed during cooking.
Bulgur is very useful as it is rich in vitamins and trace elements (E, K and, which is especially important for the nervous system, group B, calcium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium). Groats are saturated with fiber, which is responsible for the "general cleansing" of the intestines, and it also has a low conversion rate into glucose (which translated from the language of nutritionists means long-term satiety and normal performance in the breakdown of fats and lowering blood sugar).
Bulgur is very popular in the Middle East and the Balkans, and is also loved in the Mediterranean countries. Porridge, an independent side dish, pilaf base, an ingredient in salad, soup or meatballs - you can use bulgur in different ways. In general, this cereal has a long history: according to various sources, it has been cooked for about four thousand years. We offer original recipes shared with Marie Claire by the chefs of the capital's restaurants. They are designed for different levels of culinary excellence - choose yours and try.
Bulgur and seafood sauté
Ingredients
- 150 ml fish broth
- 150 g mussels
- 50 g squid
- 50 g shrimp
- 70 g bulgur
- 1 tomato
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp. l. white wine
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Basil leaves
- 20 g butter
- ½ tsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Chilli
Preparation
Steam bulgur in fish broth (10 minutes), salt and pepper. Peel the mussels, leaving a couple in the shells, peel the shrimp and cut it in half lengthwise, chop the peeled squid into rings. Fry seafood with finely chopped garlic, onion and chili in olive oil, add white wine and simmer for a few minutes. Add bulgur and butter. Heat everything well and salt if necessary. Garnish with a sauté with finely chopped basil leaves and a medium diced tomato before serving.
Sterlet with Borodino porridge
Ingredients
"Earth" from Borodino bread (dried and ground Borodino bread):
- Slice of Borodino bread
- Several olives and champignons
- Salt
- Caviar sauce for porridge
- 1 tsp white wine
- Slice of butter
- Salt
- White pepper
- Thyme
- Onion
- ½ tsp cream (33% fat)
- Vegetable broth
- Pike caviar
Sterlet:
- 1 kg sterlet
- 200 g bulgur
- 50 g frozen butter
- 0.5 l vegetable broth
- Tuna shavings
- Coriander
- Salt
Preparation
1. "Earth" from Borodino bread. Dry bread, olives and champignons in the oven at 120 C (1-1.5 hours), cool, punch in a blender and salt to taste.
2. Caviar sauce. Fry thyme, white pepper and large diced onion in butter until golden brown. Add wine and evaporate ¾ volume. Pour in the cream and vegetable stock and continue simmering for a couple more minutes. Strain. Add some caviar to the resulting sauce and punch in a blender.
3. Bulgur and herring. Fry the bulgur in a saucepan with the addition of butter, tuna flakes and coriander for 2-3 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add half of frozen butter and "Borodino earth" to the finished bulgur, beat with a wooden spatula until the butter is completely dissolved. Peel the sterlet of entrails, head and tail, remove the skin and cut into steaks. Melt the other half of the butter, add the rest of the tuna flakes and beat in a blender. Salt the sterlet steaks, coat with the resulting "tuna" oil and place in the oven preheated to 180 C for 12-15 minutes.
4. Serving. Pour the sauce onto a plate, add the bulgur (you can shape it) and the sterlet steaks. Sprinkle the remaining Borodino earth on top and serve.
Cabbage rolls with boiled bulgur, zucchini, eggplant and bell pepper
Ingredients
- 1 fork of white cabbage
- 1 zucchini
- 1 eggplant
- 1 bell pepper
- 200 g tomatoes in their own juice
- 100 g bulugur
- Onion head
- Olive oil
- Soy sour cream
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation
Boil cabbage in salted water, carefully disassemble into leaves. Prepare the filling: cut all the vegetables into small cubes and fry in oil, add the tomatoes and simmer for another five minutes. Add boiled bulgur, mix well, season with salt and pepper to taste. Prepare cabbage rolls wrapped in a cabbage leaf and serve with soy sour cream.
Photo: Getty Images, press archives
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