Socrates noted with a degree of condemnation that he eats to live, and some people live to eat. Of course, life is so diverse that it cannot be reduced to food. But still, food is a significant part of our life and even culture. Its preparation sometimes turns into a real art. Only the fragility of food and the “down to earth” purpose of its preparation do not allow putting cooking on a par with painting and literature.
Simple and complex
Busy people, in whose life there is no cult of food, strive to maximize its cooking. The pace of modern life is accelerating, and the increasingly widespread opportunities for leisure and education make free time more valuable. Keeping pace with this pace and food. How many semi-finished products on the store counter! Of course, adherents of a healthy diet are against them. But they can find a way out: stewed vegetables or fish are very quick and easy to prepare, the meat can be left in the oven and do other things ...
But there are paradoxical situations when cooking is not only not accelerated, but stretched out for several days! Who and why cooks the most complex dishes, which take a lot of time to prepare ?! There are usually two answers. Firstly, usually no one cooks such dishes for themselves. For centuries, these chefs have created masterpieces for capricious aristocrats, and even then on special holidays. Secondly, it can be a dish of national cuisine, which is prepared by the whole tribe or village and is also eaten together.
Dish for a big company
What is considered the most difficult cooking dish in the world? Stuffed Camel. The description of this dish seems to be an ancient legend. Meanwhile, it still exists. Serve him at Berber weddings among wealthy people. The dish is intended for newlyweds, but its incredible amount suggests that they can feed all the guests. And there are often up to 100 people. And enough for everyone!
Berber wedding
Berbers are a nomadic people of Africa, mainly living in Egypt. Their wedding traditions stretch for a long time. The wedding takes place on a grand scale, fully consistent with the described dish. Even those who own the villa celebrate the holiday in a tent in the desert. It usually lasts about three days, stormy, with songs and dances. It is considered particularly prestigious to invite as many guests as possible. A hearty dish will come in handy! But, of course, not everyone can afford it. Therefore, most often they eat something simpler. For example, Mensaf is lamb stewed in sour cream with rice, which is served with coffee. At less affluent weddings, they often eat bread, lamb and drink all with mint tea. Often, in honor of the wedding, several dozen rams are slaughtered.
On the first day of the wedding, it is customary to dance and draw intricate patterns on the palms of the henna. The second day is dedicated to camel racing, and finally, on the third day, a solemn meal completes everything. Then the most difficult dish in preparation is served!
Why camel
Why is the dish most difficult to prepare made from a desert ship? The most obvious answer is because there are camels where Berbers live. And this is the largest animal, which is worth eating only on special occasions - a camel will bring much more benefit as a transport. But such considerations are not the only reason. Camels are not accidentally cooked for a wedding. It is believed that fat from his humps, meat and even milk from camels increase male power. And upon marriage, this is more than relevant!
How to cook stuffed camel
A stuffed camel resembles a nesting doll. First, fish stuffed with eggs is cooked. Then this fish is placed in chicken and stewed together. After that, several stuffed chickens are inside the ram carcass. The cooking process is repeated. And finally, the ram is placed in the open belly of a camel. How to cook a camel? You can’t find dishes in size, but it’s perfect ... sand. The carcass of an animal is buried in the sand, and a bonfire is built on top.
To prepare the most difficult dish you need as many as 20 chickens! Instead of fish, eggs are sometimes mixed with rice and nuts. This recipe uses pine nuts, almonds, pistachios. Each type - 2 kg. If it seems like a lot, then 12 kg of rice is used. In addition, the dish is flavored with more than 2 kg of black pepper. Arabs love spicy food. This mixture of rice, nuts and eggs becomes a kind of side dish for camel meat. Travelers tell how men with their hands tore the carcass and they ate with appetite pieces of camel with rice.
Big Shuvalovskaya ear
But this truly complex dish has competitors. For example, one of them is from Russia. The name of the most difficult dish in our country is connected with the name of Shuvalov, the favorite of Elizabeth. This is a person who has made a huge contribution to the culture of the country and helped many young talents to be realized. The most difficult dish in cooking in Russia is the big Shuvalov ear. Although etiquette obliged the favorite of the queen to dress in fashion, to go to magnificent social receptions with exotic dishes, he himself loved simple and familiar food. For example, mushrooms and baked potatoes preferred pineapples. Chowder is also a very traditional dish, but by no means simple. Shuvalovskaya’s ear was prepared for 3 whole days! Moreover, all products should have been fresh.
On the first day, the broth of ruffs with white roots was cooked, the second broth was decanted and the medium river fish was put into it. On the third day, the fish was again removed from the broth. And after that noble fish was put into it - sturgeon and sterlet, cut into pieces. In addition, a guy was added to the ear. What it is? It was prepared from crushed caviar mixed with egg whites. All this was slightly diluted with water and a little hot soup. The guy was poured into the ear, stirring with a spatula. This composition folded on the surface of the dish, and the broth became transparent. Then it was filtered and boiled again. A transparent ear was served on the table, a piece of noble fish was placed in each plate. The big Shuvalov ear impressed the empress very much. And to deserve the location of the crowned person, it was worth preparing the most difficult dish in Russia!