Harvard Common Press

HCP Dishes!

Recipe of the Day:

Mish Mosh m’Fis’dok (Cold rose water syrup with apricots and pistachios)

Saturday March 22, 2008

This dessert is lovely to look at and a refreshing end to any rich Syrian meal—icy cold apricots and green pistachios floating in a light perfume of rose water. During the summer it is a pleasure not only to serve but to prepare, since you avoid baking altogether. Remember to allow at least eight hours for the apricots to soften and marinate.

Overview

• Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 pound dried whole Turkish apricots

• 5¾ cups cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2½ tablespoons rose water
• ½ cup whole shelled pistachios or 1 cup slivered blanched almonds
• 1 cup water (if using pistachios)

Instructions

1. Wash the apricots and place in a large glass or silver serving bowl. Cover with 5 cups of the cold water.
2. Place the sugar and the remaining ¾ cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Pour the sugar syrup into the bowl with the soaking apricots. Add 2 tablespoons of the rose water and stir gently several times, taking care not to bruise or break the apricots. If you are adding pistachios, go to step 4. If you’re using almonds, skip to step 5.
4. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the pistachios and continue to boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the hot water, run the nuts under cold water, and then place them on paper towels to dry. The thin brown skins should slip off when you pinch them, revealing a fresh green color, which contrasts nicely with the bright orange apricots.
5. Add the slivered almonds or skinned pistachios to the apricots in the bowl and mix gently. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight.
6. Immediately before serving, stir in the remaining ½ tablespoon rose water. Serve very cold in small bowls with spoons.

This recipe may be reprinted when accompanied by this language: “Excerpted from A Fistful of Lentils, by Jennifer Felicia Abadi. © 2002, used by permission from The Harvard Common Press.”