It’s World Food Day on 16th October and if that isn’t a reason to rustle up something delicious then we don’t know what is. So, we’ve scoured the globe (sort of) to find 10 must-try national dishes. There are two things you need to know: First, these dishes have to be tasted to be believed. And second, they are all an absolute doddle to make & cook in your FlavorStone pan. So set the table and get set to tuck in.
1. Classic Spanish Paella
Paella is said to originate from Valencia, but to be honest most places in Spain have their own take on it. This one uses a delicious combo of fragrant chorizo, chicken and prawns, as well as peas, tomatoes and peppers. The traditional way of cooking this is on a huge flat pan over an open fire. So, the 25% of extra cooking space you get with a FlavorStone pan comes in really handy. As soon as you’ve added the stock, you can just leave it to simmer, while it fills your kitchen with its delicious aroma.
2. Hungarian Goulash
If there’s one dish that’s perfect for this time of year, it’s Hungarian Goulash. With its hearty blend of chunky beef, root vegetables and warming paprika, it’s proper comfort food. You can cook it on the hob as in this recipe, but for our money it’s even better cooked in the oven on a low heat for one and a half hours. Of course, with your FlavorStone pan you can try it both ways. The pan is completely ovenproof and easy to remove from the heat with its cool-touch handle.
3. Pad Thai
If there’s a more delicious noodle dish, we’ve yet to find it. The beauty of Pad Thai is that it’s loved by kids and grown-up alike, probably because it’s got such a satisfying sweetness. The secret to any kind of stir-frying is two-fold: First, make sure you prep all your ingredients beforehand and have everything lined up because you have to cook FAST. The second thing to remember is that your pan needs to be super-hot, almost to the point that it’s smoking. Of course, not every pan can withstand such intense heat. But you’ve no such worries with your FlavorStone pan. With its diamond-tough coating, it not only conducts the heat better, it doesn’t warp either.
4. Polish Bigos Stew
This tasty stew can be made with different types of meat, from pork to venison. But what really makes it sing is the inclusion of smoky Polish sausages called kabanas and the tangy sauerkraut, which is a type of pickled cabbage. You can cook this entire dish from start to finish in your FlavorStone pan, saving on the washing up. And like any stew, it’s best left to cook on a low heat for as long as possible… adding a splash of water if you think it’s getting too dry.
5. Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
Talk about a one-pot wonder! This recipe uses lots of humble vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic, so it’s pretty cheap to make. The magic lies in the dried apricots and a spice trio of coriander, cinnamon and turmeric. You start by gently sweating everything off until you get a bit of colour, then add the liquid, pop your FlavorStone lid on top and simmer gently until the veg is tender. Gorgeous!
6. Lebanese Kibbeh
A kibbeh is a bit like a cross between falafel and shish kebab, which let’s be honest are two dishes everyone loves. The trick is to make sure your kibbehs are crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. With that in mind it’s good to do a 50:50 blend of minced beef and minced lamb. There are two stages to the cooking. First you fry up your meat, spices and onions in your FlavorStone pan. Then, you add cooked bulgar wheat. Once the mix is cool enough to handle, you shape into balls and deep fry until golden. Best of all, you don’t need to switch pans. You can just wipe out your FlavorStone pan after stage 1, then fill with enough oil for deep frying – the pan’s deep walls make this super easy.
7. Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Everyone loves chicken curry, right? This one takes a familiar favourite in an interesting direction by adding two spoons of white wine vinegar and one of tamarind juice (you could use apple juice as an alternative). The result is a deliciously creamy, coconut-y curry with a satisfying fruity tang. Again, it’s a one pot dish so you don’t have to worry about too much washing up. Cook it all in your FlavorStone pan, then use the cool-touch handle to bring the pan to the table so everyone can tuck in.
8. Mexican Street Tacos
This is great ‘help yourself’ dish to serve your hungry family. The base of the dish is flash fried onions, green peppers and steak, which have been marinated in earthy spices, rich soy sauce and spiked with lime juice. Ideally get everything marinating the night before. Then, when it’s time to cook, get your FlavorStone pan nice and hot, fry everything until the marinade has reduced. Then, using the cool-touch handle, take your FlavorStone pan to the table and invite everyone to dig in!
9. Saudi Arabian Al-Kadsa
Saudi Arabia may not be famous for its cuisine but that could all change if this recipe catches on. It’s a delicious dish of delicately spiced chicken, cooked with grated carrots and tinned tomatoes. If you have the time, we heartily recommend you try the spicy Shattah sauce that’s served with it. You need a pretty big pot to cook this recipe in – a standard size pan probably wouldn’t cut it. But the extra 25% cooking area, coupled with the deep walls of your FlavorStone pan should be just right.
10. Dutch Stamppot
Ok, so this is more of a side dish than a main dish – but it’s really tasty! Essentially, it’s a twist on mashed potatoes. You simmer chopped spuds in stock with onions and greens vegetables until everything is tender. Once drained, you mash everything up with grated cheese and butter, then serve it with grilled sausages. Nom, nom, nom! If you wanted to get a deeper flavour, you could fry off the onions and potatoes in your FlavorStone pan first before adding boiling water and the greens to start simmering.
Best of all, you can create each tasty dish in the FlavorStone Diamond, or as we call it, the ‘Pan That Can’. Its square shape gives you 25% more space than ordinary circular pans, so you can cook all your ingredients with ease. This pan also has a non-stick wipe clean coating and its diamond infused surface means it’s 3X tougher than most pans.
