Recipes from the 1973 Abqaiq Cookbook

By Aramco ExPats / / 14 August 2024

It was common practice to share tried and true recipes among friends within camp, especially in the early days when limited food choices required innovative meal planning. It's no surprise then that many camp cookbooks were published over the years. We thought you'd enjoy seeing some recipes that made the cut and were included in the 1973 Abqaiq Cookbook.

Pickled Shrimp: The Abqaiq Cookbook - 1973

The Invaluable Recipe Contributions Made by The Abqaiq Cookbook - 1973

In the hot olive oil in large pot, sauté garlic cloves and onions for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp and saute for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cool 15 minutes.

In a heavy saucepan melt butter. Drain and dry the shrimp, using paper towels. Add the shrimp to the butter and sauté until firm and color is pink. Add paprika, celery salt, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Mix dry ingredients, add shortening and mix thoroughly. To Store: Keep in cans or jars with tight-fitting lids. Keeps on cupboard shelf 6-8 weeks. For Biscuits: Combine mix and enough water for soft dough. Roll and cut out biscuits.

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup of warm water and let set for five minutes. Mix the salt and flour; add the dissolved yeast. Gradually add the 2 cups water while kneading. Grease the dough with olive oil. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll out, using rolling pin.

Soften wheat by soaking in water 1 hour. Drain well and press out all water. Mix onions, wheat, salt and pepper together well, crushing onion juice into wheat with fingers. Add other ingredients, mixing well. Adjust lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve on crisp lettuce leaves.

Combine cream of celery soup with beaten eggs; add corn. Add fresh or dried parsley and green onions to taste. Add sugar. Pour into casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If desired, sprinkle dried bread crumbs over top before baking.

"Wash okra well, cut off stem end. Leave whole if small or split lengthwise if large. Cook in 1/4 cup of water until barely tender; drain. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Remove from fat and drain on paper towels. Chop onion and green pepper; sauté in bacon drippings until golden brown. Cut tomatoes into small pieces and add to onion, green pepper mixture. Simmer slowly until tomatoes are cooked. Add seasonings to taste. Add to cooked okra. Heat 5 - 10 minutes and serve."

Simmer chicken in salted water or pressure cooker until tender. Remove meat from bones in good size pieces. Melt fat in skillet and blend in flour, salt and white pepper. Cook on low heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in liquids, boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Bake potatoes at 325 degrees until you can pierce with a fork. Cut the baked potatoes lengthwise, scoop out potato and whip with butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, onion and cheese. With a fork, mix in crab meat and refill the potato shells. Sprinkle with paprika and reheat in a very hot oven about 15 minutes.

Heat the mustard, sugar, butter and salt slowly, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice and vinegar. Pour over beans and heat thoroughly.

Wash mushrooms and simmer in water, 1 teaspoon salt and pickling spice for 15 minutes. Drain; reserve liquid. Mix vinegar, remaining salt, white pepper, catsup, sugar, cornstarch and 1 cup mushroom liquid until well dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add mushrooms, simmer 8 minutes. Cool, store in refrigerator overnight.

Combine all ingredients in blender jar and blend until frothy. Serve at once. (I use this for an instant breakfast.)

If you find the beef rather strong tasting, this treatment will make it mild and much more tender.

While standards for imported beef are well above average in Saudi Arabia, there was a time when many Aramcons resorted to draining beef cuts and washing hamburger prior to cooking to make beef palatable.

Mix together all the ingredients and use as a marinade for beef or chicken.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 14 inch circle; place in a 12 inch pizza pan. Flute edges, prick crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cook broccoli in salted water as directed on package until tender. Drain. Place broccoli in shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and pepper; cover with soup. Sprinkle cheese on top and place under broiler for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Mix flour, salt and alum in a bowl. Slowly mix in water. When the dough is thick and soft like modeling clay, it is ready to use. Either put food coloring or Tempera paint in while clay is wet or model as is and paint when dry. Dries in 24 hours.

Put all ingredients into pint jar. Shake well. Serve as dressing for lettuce salad or as sauce for seafood.

Melt butter over low heat. Add almonds and brown lightly. Remove from heat; add salt and lemon juice. Serve over hot vegetables; also delicious on fish and steak.

Cook onion and garlic in oil until wilted. Add flour, cook 1 minute. Add other ingredients and simmer 10 minutes. This recipe came originally from one of the daughters of the Gebhardt Chili family.

Combine the above. Prepare several hours before using to blend flavors. Keeps in refrigerator for at least a week.

Mix together the first four ingredients. Stir and let stand 15 minutes. Mix together remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over cabbage mixture and let stand four hours. Will stay crisp if refrigerated in a covered container. Better made day before and will keep for at least a week.

Marinate chicken in soy sauce, sugar garlic, ginger and brandy for 2 to 3 hours. Remove from marinade. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Add green pepper, onion and pineapple and bake another 45 minutes.

Finely chop vegetables, or shred in a salad maker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables. Let stand at least 6 hours before serving. This is best when it stands overnight or longer. DO use the olive oil; it is 100% better than salad oil.

Peel shrimp and devein. Make roux (dark) of flour and 2 tablespoons oil. Add shrimp to this, cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside. Smother okra and onions in remaining oil. Add tomatoes when okra is nearly cooked. Then add water, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper. Add shrimp and roux to this. Cover and cook slowly for 30 minutes. If okra is not used, add gumbo filé after turning off heat. Serve with rice.

Sauté onions in butter. Blend in flour and seasonings. Add bouillon cubes and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Stir in cheese, reserving 4 tablespoons. Arrange broccoli in shallow baking dish. Pour sauce over all and sprinkle remaining cheese and paprika on top. Broil until delicately browned, takes only a few minutes to brown.

Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Dust chicken in flour. Brown in oil till golden on both sides, approximately 30 minutes. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole. Place chicken in casserole. Pour wine over. Add rest of ingredients, ending with soup. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken twice during baking. It is nice if it is deboned before serving, but not necessary. Serve with rice and green beans with almonds.

Quarter onion and pepper, then blender-chop them in the vinegar and water. Pour mixture through strainer, saving the liquid. Blenderchop the cabbage in the liquid. Pour all ingredients in a saucepan. Mix well. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Then relish will keep for many weeks in the refrigerator. To store indefinitely, pour mixture into sterilized jars and seal with melted wax.

Mix the marmalade and honey and spread over scored ham the last 40 minutes of baking.

Sear pork chops on each side. Place in casserole. Salt and pepper to taste. Brown pineapple slices lightly and put on chops. Add pineapple juice. Cover and bake at 350 degrees until done, about 35 minutes. Baste often. Thicken juice with flour or cornstarch solution.

Combine ingredients and marinate meat in sauce overnight. This sauce is best used on spareribs or pork roasts. Use to glaze meat the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time.

Place layer of chicken parts in bottom of 2 quart casserole. (May place all pieces in shallow baking pan). Slice garden onions and sprinkle part of them over the chicken. Sprinkle a little rosemary, according to taste, and salt and pepper. Arrange layers of chicken, onions, and rosemary until all the chicken is used.

Beat egg with a fork. Mix ½ cup milk with egg. Batter bread on both sides and fry as for French Toast. Set aside. Wipe pan clean. Melt butter; add flour and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Add 2 cups milk slowly, stirring constantly, to prepare a smooth sauce. Slowly add ½ cup of the cheese. Stir until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. (This is a Mornay Suace.)

Cut pork into 1 ½ inch cubes and mix well with wine, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Fry pork in deep oil until crisp and golden brown. Turn out on plate.

Combine ingredients and heat to boiling. Pour over meat and bake. Treats 4-6 pounds of meat.

Blend all ingredients except the oil together in a bowl. Beat in the olive oil by droplets to make mayonnaise-like cream. Pain the lamb with the mixture and set it on the rack of the roasting pan. The meat will pick up more flavor if it is coated several hours before roasting.

Put chicken in pot; add soup, wine or water, and parsley. Boil for 1 hour, covered, occasionally turning chicken. Remove chicken after cooking and reserve broth. Bone chicken and discard skin and bones. Put chicken in baking dish. In skillet, heat margarine; add flour, cook, stirring till golden.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add green peppers and celery. Add all remaining ingredients except shrimp, cheese and rice. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add shrimp and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until shrimp are done. Add grated cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

This is a recipe related by a fisherman. No proportions were given; however, if you allow one cup of rice to a pound and a half or two pounds of shrimp, you can serve six to eight people.

Cut spareribs into serving size pieces. In shallow open roasting pan mix well brown sugar, soy sauce, catsup, salt, pepper, ginger and green onions; add ribs and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 50 minutes, occasionally brushing with sauce. Cover pan with foil during last 30 minutes of cooking time, if ribs turn too dark.

Put batter in regular cake pan; do not grease pan as you want cake to stick firmly. Study your oven to find out if it bakes well on the bottom. If cake does not crust on the bottom, it will fall out when inverted and shrink in the fall. Put cake in moderately hot oven and here you must use judgment – not hot enough for biscuits but too hot for butter cake – experience only can teach you this point.

Cook chicken livers in butter until no longer pink; cool. Put chicken livers through sieve or blend with liquid in blender until smooth. Add lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion, mustard, ginger and garlic salt, blending until smooth. Stir in water chestnuts and bacon. Chill. Garnish with additional chopped green onions and serve with crackers.

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