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Moroccan shrimp and vegetable triangles (briouates)

March 27, 2015, 5:06 am
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These light briouats are just good for a quick savoury bite, as a starter to a lunch or dinner, as an afternoon snack. They're also perfect for buffets and gathering.

Like I explained in my previous post about Moroccan rolls with pickles, there are some Chinese ingredients which have found their way to the Moroccan pantry for years now. I'm thinking rice vermicelli, fish sauce and soy sauce. So do not be surprised if you find these in some Moroccan recipes.


As for briouats which means (small letters/envelops), they're triangular bites looking like samosas. We usually use Moroccan warqa/ouarka (thin sheets which you can replace with brik or phyllo) to wrap a filling. They were/are usually fried but, having had a father who always suffered from staggering levels of cholesterol, we've been baking anything briouats or sbiaats (rolls) since I can ever remember.

Baking briouats and sbiaats preserve the flavours and is better for your health, which makes these little bites very healthy.

Now you may have seen these pictures posted more than 2 years in the blog's facebook page. I just get to post the recipe which is more of a guideline.

Ingredients
Serves 8 as a starter
Prep: 20 min- baking: 13-15 min

Filling
  • 300 g of uncooked shrimp/prawn, shelled and finely chopped or ground (replace with chicken breast if you don't like shrimps)
  • 200 g of white filet of fish (cod, whiting..)
  • 1/2 cup of green peppers, chopped
  • 1/4 cup of onions or shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 cup of zucchini/courgette, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup of button mushroom or anything available, chopped
  • 1 cup of carrots, grated
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbps of coriander, chopped 
  • 1 tsp of chives, chopped 
  • 1/4 cup of grated cheese (Edam, cheddar..)
  • 1/2 tsp of ground ginger or 1 tsp freshly grated
  • 3 leaves of lettuce
  • 2 tbps of soy sauce
  • 1 hot chili, finely chopped (optional)
  • 3 tbps of olive oil
  • Black and white pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
For wrapping
  • A few ouarka/phyllo/brik sheets at room temperature
  • 70 g of clarified butter, melted

Serve with this mix
  • 3 tbsp of soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice
  • Harissa to taste




Preparation

In a fairly hot pan, add the oil followed by vegetables and garlic. Stir.

Add the spices, the shrimps and the fish filet into big pieces. Stir. Cook for a few minutes. Keep the vegetables al-dente and reduced from any excess liquid. Set aside to cool, preferably in a strainer



Squeeze the mix before using, mix the cheese, the soy sauce, the herbs and shredded or chopped lettuce in. Stir.

Take strips of warka/ouarka or phyllo, Brush with butter from one side. Form briouates (triangles) or sbiaates (rolls) or even mini-pies (bastilla) and seal.

The same recipe shaped as mini-bastillas (Moroccan pies)

You could use egg yolk for that if you really have to but I just place the end at the bottom so it seals itself while baking.



Preheat the oven at 180-190 degrees C. Cover a baking tray with parchment or just oil it.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Flip them to make sure they're nicely golden from both sides.

Serve warm or at room temperature (maximum a couple of hours after baking them).


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Moroccan seafood bastilla/Pastilla: A posh Moroccan starter

March 30, 2015, 3:48 pm
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Bastilla/Bestilla or Pastilla is as signature of Moroccan cooking. The most traditional remains the pigeons or chicken bestilla which comes mostly in a version from Fez and another one from Tetouan. The other old recipe of Bestilla is made of almonds all the way through and it is from Rabat.

In the last 40 years or so, other Bestillas made it to our culinary repertoire only to enrich it and to confirm that Moroccan cooking has always been on constant evolution while keeping the recipes of the past still alive.


As much as the previously mentioned bestillas have defined recipes one has to stick to, the seafood or fish bestilla is exactly the opposite. It's done in different ways from a household to another and people really use what they can get from the fishmonger.

As an example, some like to poach the fish, some like to fry it, some bake it and some pan-fry it. Some like it loaded with seafood when others can't afford it and rather fill it with rice vermicelli.

Some basics are still to be observed and I'll explain them in the recipe I'm about to post today, but when it comes to the choice of fish, one can be free..

However, whichever choice you are making, a seafood bastilla is a balance between these flavours and textures:
  • Soft from the inside and crispy for the outside,
  • It should have the taste of the sea with a punch: slightly hot, acidic and zingy,
  • Never soggy,
  • Filling without being heavy, it's served as a starter so people shouldn't feel full at the beginning of the meal.

If you think that making a big pie-style is not your thing, shape it into mini-bestillas, into rolls (sbiaates) or triangles (briouates). You can serve it rectangular as well.



In our family, our bestilla never take many sheets of ouarka/warqa (use a very good phyllo as a substitute). We like to keep a delicate balance of textures and we use just about enough to wrap this must-try Moroccan pie.

The time of cooking depend on the thickness of the bestilla as well as the size, so mine will be as an indication only.

The seafood and fish quantities are also a matter of choice. Well loaded bestillas are usually served in important family events as they tend to come out quite expensive due to the price of the seafood used. So there too is a matter of possibilities and availability.

In Morocco, when the seafood is cheaper in some seasons, we buy a few kilos, peel and clean what needs to be cleaned and we freeze them uncooked. It can be handy for such recipes.



You can make a seafood bestilla ahead of time and freeze it, which makes it a perfect dish for your important events when you want to enjoy your time with your guests.

Ingredients
Serve 10
Prep: 1 h - Baking: 35 - 40 min 

For the filling

  • 700 g of white fish (cod, whiting..), whole or into chunky bits
  • 700 g shrimp or prawns, raw and peeled
  • 500 g squid or calamari, cut into small cubes
  • 1 1/2 cup of fresh coriander and parsley, finely chopped
  • 350 g of white mushrooms, sliced (you could use other mushrooms)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely grated 
  • 250 g of fine rice vermicelli noodles
  • 1 tsp of cumin
  • 1 tbsp of paprika
  • 5 tbsps of soy sauce 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp of harissa or chili paste (to taste)
  • 3 tbsps of olive oil
  • 1 preserved lemon, chopped into small bits, discard seeds
  • 1/2 cup of green olives, pitted and chopped 
  • Carrots and cornichon pickles/gherkins, chopped (optional)
  • 4 tbsps of butter
  • 4 tbsps of lemon juice
  • 200 g of grated cheese (such as Edam)

For wrapping and finishing

  • 100 g of butter, melted
  • About 7-8 large sheets of warka/ouarka sheets (use phyllo or equivalent)
  • 2 egg yolks ( 1 for egg wash and one for gluing the end of the sheets)

Preparation

Prepare the filling in steps

Chermoula: mix herbs, spices, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsps of olive oil and 2 tbsps of lemon juice. Use a pestle and mortar or a blender to get a paste.

Vermicelli: Drop the vermicelli in boiling water and keep it for 4 min. Drain and set aside to cool. Use a knife of scissors to cut it into no more than 5 cm long bits. Mix with a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce. Ideally, when you peel your own shrimps, you could use their shell and boil it in water. The same water will be used to cook the vermicelli, which adds more seafood depth to them.

White fish: Smear the fish with chermoula, make incisions and fill them with the paste. Place some inside the fish as well. You could also use chunky bits of white fish or thick filets. Just marinate them and pan-fry them. Set aside to cool. If you are using a fish with skin on, discard it and make sure no bone is left inside.

Calamari and mushroom: sauté these two in olive oil. Add a grated clove of garlic, a tablespoon of chermoula. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shrimp/Prawn: sauté in butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you are using big prawns, make sure you chop them or cut them into small pieces.

Mix all ingredients (see ingredients list as well) with your hands except the cheese and the white fish. Use a colander to make sure there is no excess liquid in the mix.

Set aside for a couple of hours so the flavours "talk to each others".

Line up all the mixes and front of you and get ready to shape the bastilla.


How to shape bastilla/Pastilla

It's always a good idea to use a round baking tray with high edges to help shaping the bastilla properly. Even if you decide to shape it square or rectangle, the same logic applies.

Grease the baking tray, overlap a few ouarka/warka sheets and drizzle them with melted clarified butter. These leaves must have half to third outside the tray, for now.

Place another ouarka sheet in the centre.

Spread the vermicelli mix, followed by the seafood mix, the flaked fish mix and finally the grated cheese. Drizzle some clarified butter all around.

Bring the edges of ouarka left outside the baking tray in the very beginning and cover the filling in a circular way.

Cover the pie with a large sheet of ouarka and try to tuck it in around the edges. Drizzle or brush with clarified butter

Flip the bastilla in a similar baking tray or just a round tray for now. Cover the bottom which as become a top with another large sheet of ouarka. Smear the edges from inside with egg yolk and tuck them around the edges. Flip the bastilla back to the baking tray. Brush with clarified butter.

If you choose to freeze it at this stage, you don't need to egg wash it. If you choose to bake it the same day, then you will need to do so.


Layering and wrapping a traditional Moroccan bastilla/pastilla

In small mini-bastillas, it's always helpful to use a recipient or a kitchen ring to help shaping it right.

Mini-bestillas in the making. They will be frozen after this (unbaked)

Bake and serve

Preheat the oven 180 degrees. Bake until golden from the top but also the bottom of the bestilla (VERY IMPORTANT). The time varies based on the thickness, the size of the bestilla and the size of the oven. However, a large one with 4 cm thickness can take approx 35 min in a large oven.



Decorate with unshelled prawns, pan-fried or poached, or with grated cheese, chopped herbs or lemon slices..

A smart way to cut bestilla is to separate the centre from the rest then cut it
 pieces all around first and serve as you go

Serve hot to your guests but you can still eat it at room temperature (never serve it to guests like that though).



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Homemade Moroccan ouarka (or warka) sheets

March 30, 2015, 4:49 pm
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Ouarka/warka sheets are to Moroccan cuisine what filo/phyllo is to the Balkan/Levant Cuisine. It's so important to have it around or at least to know where to buy it when needed.


Yes you could get hold of Brik sheets from supermarkets (a Tunisian sister of ouarka) but just like filo, a properly made sheet can't be compared with a shop-bought version which has been made industrially.

In Morocco, we are lucky to pop out to the market and buy freshly made ouarka by weight. The connoisseurs buy the one made on steam instead of the one directly cooked over heat. The first one last longer and happens to be more freezer-friendly while the second one is not always up to the mark.


Since I left Morocco years ago, I had to find a way to wrap my briouates (triangle/samosas), sbiaates (rolls) and bastillas (sort of Moroccan pies). Yes I used rice wrappers, filo and brik sheets. But there is something about ouarka I couldn't find in any of them, especially when the wrapped food goes cold and you want to heat it again..

Sellers in Moroccan Markets making ouarka the traditional way

Then, like most of us, I browsed the internet to find an answer. Turned out that someone has discovered the brushing method which anyone can do as opposed to the highly skilled old method which hardly any of us can follow. That was about 8 years ago! But I also downloaded a file with a set of Moroccan recipes, about 10 years ago and where the same method was described. Obviously the YouTube video encouraged me rather than a word file.

Now this method is no secret, bloggers, youtubers, cookbook writers copied it and made it their own.

So it's time I post it here, for those who still don't know about it/scared to tackle it.

My auntie told me to use fine semolina flour in my batter while the famous cookbook writer Paula Wolfert advised me to keep it for a few hours to rest before using the batter. She also suggested we add vinegar and a tiny bit of oil.

So I go by the improved recipe of Paula Wolfert which she has developped with the famous Moroccan Chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza.

So here is Paula's recipe which I have adapted. The lazy and efficient method to make ouarka should encourage you to make it without even giving it a second thought. You won't believe how easy this is.


And to the woman who started this method in the first place which no one remembers: We love you!



Ingredients
Makes about 18 round ouarkas of 24 cm 
Prep: 7 min - Resting time: at least 4 hours- Cooking: 18 min

  • 200 g of strong white flour
  • 60 g  of fine semolina flour
  • 1 3/4 of water
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 tsp of vinegar
  • 1 tsp of oil
In addition
  • 3 tbsps of vegetable oil to brush the pan and the cooked ouarkas.





Preparation



Prepare the batter:

In a liquidizer or food processor, add 1 cup of water followed by the flours and salt. 

Process the dough for 30 seconds. With the machine still running, slowly pour in the remaining water, vinegar and oil and process another 30 to 45 seconds, or until you have a smooth liquid batter. 

Sift the mix. Pour batter into a 1 quart container, cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).

Make the Warka

Set a deep pot of water on the stove and bring to a fast boil. Choose a non-stick skillet that sits snugly over the pot and secure with string. Before making the first pastry leaf, dip a piece of kitchen roll in oil and wipe the skillet/pan. Use another piece to get rid of any oily drop. For best results, trap the steam by using some batter all around the edges in contact with the skillet/pan. You could also wrap a kitchen towel all around and make a knot to keep it fixed.

Stir up the batter before making each sheet.

Lift up the brush thick with batter and quickly brush the batter evenly over the skillet. Use a circular motion to create a thin film-like layer.
If necessary, repeat stirring and applying a thinner second layer across the circle in order to coat any empty spaces.  I personally found out that starting with the inner centre to the edges helps cooking the sheets evenly, the reason is by the time the centre cooks, the edges don't dry.


Cook the leaf for about 1 minute, or until it turns completely white, the edges begin to come off. 

We cook the ouarka sheets from one side so do not ever flip it to cook it from the other side

Use your fingertips to lift the pastry off the skillet from one of the sides, transfer to a paper towel, shiny and cooked side up, barely brush all over the shiny side with oil, cover with another paper towel and gently press to remove excess oil. Leave the paper on the pastry. Too much oil is not good as it will damage the sheets. Carry on until there is no batter left.



When all the batter is used, slide the stack (paper and leaves) into a plastic bag to keep them from drying out. The package can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days, or you can double wrap and freeze.


Note

If you are planning to make rolls, you don't need to make big sheets of ouarka, you can just brush rectangular strips which are just about enough for the job needed. Usually these strips are also sold in Moroccan markets and they're about 15 cm large and 30 cm tall.


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Quick, easy and hassle-free rough puff pastry

March 31, 2015, 3:07 pm
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Puff pastry is truly a worldwide recipe. Many countries have an array of pastries based on it. Many countries have a form or another of laminated dough (our Msemmens or old-style laminated sweet bread?).


The Arabs and Andalusians have been laminating doughs with oil or any fat as far as the 10th century and even before..So that's not totally a new thing.

I love pastries made with puff pastry but I really can't buy any which is not made of butter. I'd rather skip it.

This puff pastry recipe is really for those who dread the idea of making one at home, but even for those who are in a hurry and don't want to start the long process of laminating, cooling, starting over..

Actually, this easy puff pastry will take you less time to make it than to go and buy it! Its texture is about 70% of the classic version in term of puffing but the taste is all the same..Again, this is due to the use of butter which should be no less than 82 % fat (basic butters in UK and Germany have that ratio).

Yes you can buy puff pastry from a shop, but it happens that most of them are using anything except butter or a tiny bit of it, unless you really buy a 100% all butter puff pastry (in this case, you are lucky).


The taste of an all butter puff pastry is far superior than any other non-butter version. It's so good beyond description. Of course, it's to do with butter.



All what I'm asking you to do here is to put all the ingredients in the fridge then put them in a food processor with a blade. Give a few pulses then laminate 4 times without transiting by the fridge (hence the quick description) and you're done!!!

For a full classic puff pastry, see my post here (in French, with pictures).

I suggest you read the notes before using the dough.




Ingredients
For approx 700g of puff pastry
Prep:10 min - Store unbaked


  • 250 g of all purpose flour, chilled
  • 270 g butter at least 82% fat, cut into small cubes and chilled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 120 g of water, very cold
For puff pastry with savoury notes
  • 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp of crushed black pepper



Preparation


In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, put flour followed by salt and butter. Give it a few pulses until you see some uneven crumbs forming. You will still see bits of butter in the mix. That's fine. You could use a bowl and a fork to do the same.

Next, pour ice-cold water to bring the mix to a dough texture. Again, give just a few pulses. Do not overwork the dough.

Form a rough ball and then flatten it.

Flour a clean work top and roll the dough to a rectangle. Sprinkle flour when needed to prevent it from sticking. I prefer to roll the dough between 2 cuts of baking paper so I don't have to add a lot of flour to the dough.

Remove excess flour with a pastry brush. Fold the dough into 3.

Next, give a quarter turn to the dough in front of you and roll it again to a rectangle. Again, brush any excess of flour and fold into 3.

Repeat this a couple of time. You would have basically laminated the dough 4 times in about less than 5 min. Try to pat and push edges and corners towards the inside of the dough just to make sure the whole slab looks like a proper and neat rectangle.


Cover the dough with a cling film and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before using it. The same way we do with any buttery puff pastry. To shortcut that, I place it for 20 min in the freezer. It does the job.


Notes

  • Always use the puff pastry cold but still possible to roll so it does not break.
  • Always fill it with cold filling, never warm or hot.
  • Always use a sharp knife to cut and shape your pastry for optimum puffing effect.
  • Never let the egg wash flow on the edges where you have cut the dough, it also prevents good puffing.
The egg wash over the edge has prevented this pastry from puffing properly
  • Once your pastry is shaped, again, place it for 10 min in the freezer or 30 - 60 min in the fridge before baking for better results.
  • Browse the blog using the key words "puff pastry" and enjoy the many nibbles and starters made of puff.


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Moroccan Chermoula recipe: an incredibly versatile marinade

April 1, 2015, 11:55 am
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Chermoula is the emblematic rub/marinade of Moroccan Cuisine. Chermel is the verb referring to rubbing/marinating something with a mix because in common Moroccan, that verb means marinate or/and rub.

In Arabic, chermoula is شرمولة





We have 3 sorts of chermoulas depending on the recipe it is intended for but also depending on families:

  • Green chermoula (without paprika and red elements), 
  • Chermoula with a red tone due to the use of a good amount of sweet paprika powder/paste and harissa (for a hot version),
  • Chermoula with a yellow tone due to turmeric or a sort of food colouring powder used in Morocco, or a mix of both.

I once offered a Moroccan cooking class around chermoula. I remember the group members were spooning a bit of the mix every time they could and I had to stop them, there would have been nothing left for the recipes lined up for the class..That's to say that they loved it so much as it was. 

The other fact we discussed was that even with the same mix of herbs and spices, all the 7 salads we made tasted so different. Chermoula brought so much to each of them without making them anywhere close to each others as far as the taste goes. You would say the vegetables taste different anyway, but the remark was still valid in the case of two salads made with the same vegetables but in different textures and with different time as to when chermoula was introduced and which was was used.

So yes, you can serve it as is next to grilled vegetables or fish or meat, a bit like a chimichurri mix or a sauce vierge.



Basic chermoula includes some specific fresh herbs combined with a few spices and mixed with an acidic ingredient. In its extensive version, it includes preserved lemons as well. The herbs commonly used are fresh coriander (major herb) and parsley, the spices used are paprika (sweet, hot), cumin (major spice), garlic (generous amount), turmeric can also be added. Lemon juice and olive oil are the main liquids in this blend. 

Moroccan vegetable-stuffed chicken, chermoula-marinated then
steamed and semi-roasted

Best chermoula is the one made using a pestle and mortar after chopping all ingredients to release the oils of all these elements. However, for a large batch or if you don't have the magic mortar, a blender will do. You might just need to add some olive oil or tiny bit of water so it does blend.

Cooked potato salad with chermoula

The only mean of measurement to use in a chermoula recipe will be your tongue. Indeed, some like it lemony, some like it hot. However, we tend to like a lemony chermoula if it will be paired with fish, chicken or a specific set of vegetable salads.

Fresh tomatoes with chermoula.

Knowing your chermoula will open the door to a massive list of Moroccan recipes which only rely on this incredibly fresh marinade to impress you and your guests. 

Browse the word "chermoula" in the search box of this blog and see how many recipes you could enjoy making. 

There are so many recipes which call for chermoula without mentioning it, but if you put the ingredients together, it's pretty much what you get.




Ingredients
Makes approx 1 cup of chermoula paste (approx)
Prep: 5 min

  • 3 cups of fresh coriander, chopped 
  • 1 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of coarse salt or to taste
  • 1 tbsp of sweet paprika powder or paste
  • 1/2 tsp of chilli powder 
  • 1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3 tbsps of olive oil
  • 3 tbsps of white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 3 tbsps of water

Optional ingredients (depending on recipes)
  • 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp of ground ginger
  • For a lemonly chermoula, add 1/2 preserved lemon, seeds off
  • For a yellow chermoula, add 1 tsp of turmeric
  • For a red chermoula, add 2 tablespoons of sweet paprika powder/paste and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • For a hot chermoula, add more cayenne (soudaniya) and harissa (or a chili paste) to taste

A traditional Moroccan tray of fish and vegetables ready to go to the oven

Preparation

Blend all ingredients and give a few pulses to turn these ingredients into a thick mix.

Use immediately or store in a jam jar or similar. You could top with olive oil. Keep in the fridge for up to a week..

Moroccan lamb brain cooked in red chermoula
 Here is an example of a yellow toned chermoula.

Moroccan fish tagine with a yellow chermoula
Most of the dishes using a chermoula in their making taste even better with extra lemon juice or preserved lemon added on top or on the side of the dish before serving.

As for the cold dishes such as salads, wait until they cool off (for cooked salads) to add more lemon juice or vinegar and a bit of extra virgin olive oil (I always mention in it my recipes). This little touch brings them to a whole new level.



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Fish and seafood in Morocco

April 3, 2015, 8:39 am
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Having lived in different countries, I always found it difficult to find some types of fish I grew up eating. Fishing industry is one of the main sources of money for the country.

For any Moroccan, fresh fish is the deal. We don't buy frozen, we like to see the head of most of the fish we buy to define its freshness and we usually discard anything not caught the same day. 

We have plenty of calamari, whiting, sardines, sea bass, eel, sole, skate while tuna gets snatched by the Japanese in high sea. 


Fishmonger in a local market

This webpage offers an idea of the commonly caught fish in Morocco. This is an example of the common fish in Morocco (from the Southern region only).

We have multiple ways of cooking fish: frying, grilling, stewing or baking.

Fresh oyster with lemon juice (freshly opened for me as we tend to snack on it on the go)

While the small fried or grilled fish is usually served as starter, a cooked tagine and baked tray of fish can have whole big fish with the head, filleted fish or fish balls. 

During family gatherings, we like to buy a big fish, stuff it and bake it or we cut it into big pieces and make tagine. 

Fresh shrimp, small sardines, soles, squids, whiting...etc, commonly found in Moroccan markets

Most of the fish tagines or baked tray have one of the chermoulas as main seasoning, but in some areas, a sweet element is introduced while chermoula is not used. Safi is a city which is famous with it's fish stuffed with interesting praline paste while Rabat and Fes use a specific type of fish which they cook with sultanas. Now some sultanas are acidic and others are sweet. So you want to find the right one for the job.

Basic fish recipes especially for grilling or cooking in "papillote" might just need cumin or salt and that's about it. The fish is so fresh that you just want to keep the taste of the sea intact.

Many small ports in Morocco have small joints who are only there to serve you a tomato and onion salad and offer to grill the fish you would have bought from the fishermen who just got out of the sea with loads of freshly caught fish. That's how fresh it can get!

Some of the upcoming posts will be all about fish. So locate a place where you can get fresh fish and let's get cooking.

But for now, I leave you with a list of some previously posted recipes of fish and seafood with different cooking options:














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Moroccan salad of cauliflower "Mderbel" or zaalook

April 4, 2015, 8:23 am
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I've been giving this recipe to many people around me and I always referred them to a similar recipe of cabbage zaalook, posted a while ago. I decided to post it separately so it gets the attention it deserves.




Cauliflower zaalook or "caviar" of cauliflower can also be served as a dip if you mash it further. We also call it "Mderbel" because of the method used in the second part of the cooking which consist on stiring, folding and turning around the mix to infuse with chermoula mix.

Make this salad ahead and allow it to cool before adding lemon and extra olive oil.

Serve it cold or at room temperature.


Ingredients
Serves 6 persons
Prep: 10 min - cooking: 20-25 min
  • A large cabbage, cut into big floret
  • 1/2 cup of spicy red chermoula paste
  • 2 tbps of olive oil + 2 tbps to drizzle at the end
  • 3 tbsps of fresh lemon juice
  • Harissa to taste (unless you have used a hot chermoula)
For chermoula (use a blender or pestle and mortar)
  • 1 1/4 cup of coriander, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
  • 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 tbsp of ground sweet paprika
  • 1/4 tsp of chili powder 
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp of harissa (Optional)
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 2 to 3 tbsps of water
For garnishing
  • Black olives  (optional)
  • Preserved lemon



Preparation


Wash the cauliflower and cut into florets.

Boil in slightly salted water or steam until about tender. Set aside to drain (if you boiled it)

Heat the oil in a pan and add about 1/2 cup of chermoula, cook for about  minute. Fold in the cauliflower. Break it into smaller pieces with a spatula and then into small bits. You could use a hand potato masher for that as well. Keep stiring, folding and returning the mix. until chermoula is fully combined and all the liquid has evaporated. It usually takes about 5 minutes.

Off the heat, drizzle with olive oil. Add the lemon juice once cooled and check the seasoning. Some like to mix in more harissa or have it seriously lemony. It's up to you.

You could serve the cauliflower zaalook or Mderbel as a mash


This salads keep will in the fridge for up to a week. It's ideally served at room temperature but can also be served even colder
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Moroccan grape juice

April 4, 2015, 9:20 am
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Grape juice or 'Assir al 'inab is family favourite especially during summer when grapes are quite abundant that they're hanging in many "'Arssas" and "Jnanates" (sort of orchards) and they're easy to grab.


I do remember my summer holidays in Fez where many families had them growing in their gardens. We actually used to sit under a "ceiling of grapes" as it protects us from the heat.

Most of the grapes in Morocco are sweet with seeds but we had one version called "Muscats" which was tiny small, sweet and seedless. That was my dad's favourite.

In the hot summer days, whether in Fez with the rest of the family or in our house in Casablanca, you would always find bottles of grape juice in the fridge, especially during mid-days. The juice differs in colour depending on the grapes used or the mix used for that matter.

Loads of tasty grapes, hanging at my aunty's house,
sold in the markets or just in my plate

The other widely available fruits during summer season would be the ultra sweet red watermelons but other sorts of melon. Since these fruits were in their right season, their smell and there sweetness was out of this world. They're also ridiculously cheap.

The traditional massive sweet red watermelon, have you tried it as a juice?

Of course I wouldn't forget the prickly pears which are also left in the fridge (peeled) to be enjoyed after lunch..

Sweet Moroccan Prickly pears
Some go for the fragrant and juicy peaches and nectarines which comes in different sizes and varieties. I personally love the ones from Meknes or Imouzer/Ifrane area. You could make a Moroccan favourite juice with these two just by adding lemon juice, bananas (optional) and dates.


Oh! I was going to forget the utterly sweet fresh figs, purple or green, with a honey-like inside and a soft outside..These were also available in many gardens but for those who don't have the trees, the market is there to but them by the bucket for next to nothing.


Of course there is plums, mzah or nefle (Medlars), pears and apples from Imouzer. On a sad note though, the previously abundant apricots are less and less available and with such a poor quality that they don't come close to the ones we grew up eating and turning to jams..

Well, wonderful memories I just got coming back while writing this long introduction, which reminds me that I have to go back to my quick recipe of grape juice..



Ingredients
Serves 2
Prep: 3 min 

  • 500g of fresh sweet organic grapes (any colour, you could also mix)
  • Enough cold water to cover the grapes in the blender
  • Sugar to taste (for sweet grapes, you hardly need a tablespoon)

Optional

  • 1 tsp of orange blossom water
  • Ice cubes for seving



Preparation

Leave the grapes in water for about 20 minutes. Wash thoroughly and pick the grapes one by one. Set aside.

Transfer the grapes to a blender/liquidizer. Top up with water just to cover the fruit. Add sugar and orange blossom water (optional). Blend for 30 seconds.



Place a sieve over a large bowl and strain. With the back of your hand or a ladle, squeeze the bits to the last drop. Discard the bits



Transfer the juice into a jug or a bottle and place into the fridge.

Serve cold within the first 24 hours.


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Light Moroccan fishballs tagine with vegetables

April 6, 2015, 12:44 pm
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For any Moroccan, fresh fish is the deal. We don't buy frozen, we like to see the head of most of the fish we buy to define its freshness and we usually discard anything not caught the same day. 




We're blessed with a Mediterranean coast and a long Atlantic coast, which obviously give us multiple options of fish species. Not everyone is into fish (of course), but those who are into it will eat it even for breakfast or late dinner as they head directly to the ports and get served grilled or fried fish very early in the morning (3 to 4 am). I have to say that some of these folks are also people who didn't get to sleep yet (party goers, late workers..)




To know more about the common fish to be found in Moroccan markets, please read this post. 

For today, I would like to introduce a light fish dish which you could either cook in a tagine, in a pan or bake.


Ingredients
Serves 4
Prep: 15 min - Cooking: 35 min

For the fishballs

  • 800 g of filleted fish, skin off (more or less, see note for fish mix options)
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 shallot (optional)
  • Less than a tsp of turmeric
  • 1 tbsp of paprika 
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin
  • 1/2 tsp of chilli powder
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup of coriander and parsley, chopped (You could use chives or basil or tarragon as alternatives)
  • 1 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper

For the tagine

  • 1 medium-size potato, peeled
  • 1 medium-size carrot, peeled and core discarded in case it's green or yellow-ish 
  • 2 medium-size tomatoes, grated, collect the pulp (replace with chopped tomatoes or passata)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 bay leaves, broken into 2 each
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • A few sprigs of coriander and parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
  • 1 tsp of tomato paste or paprika
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin
  • A few green olives
  • 1 chilli (optional)
For finishing and garnishing
  • 2 tbsps of olive oil
  • Extra leaves of parsley or coriander
  • Fresh lemon wedges



Preparation

Peel the carrot and slice it or cut it in length fairly thin to cook fast (2 to 3 mm thickness will do). Wash and set aside. You could parboil it for 5 min.

Slice or cut the red/green/yellow pepper in length. Set aside.

Cut the potato into cubes or small wedges.

Cut long bits of celery in length and if they're thick, cut through.


Place the white fillets of fish into a mixer with a sharp blade. Add the spices, the herbs and the garlic. Blend to a smooth paste.

Place a bowl of water next to you and dip in your hands. Shape fishballs as big 3 to 4 cm big. Set aside.

Heat the tagine (over a tagine diffuser or a brasero/bbq), add the oil.

Place the celery sticks and bay leaves, followed by the carrots and chopped garlic.


Place the fishballs all around. Sprinkle spices and chopped herbs.

Place the potatoes and slices of pepper. Add the tomato sauce/grated tomatoes and some tomato slices. Sprinkle with the rest of the spices and herbs.



Scatter some green olives and place a chilli on top (unless you want it sliced in the sauce). You could also place some bits of preserved lemon on top before covering the tagine.



If the tomato sauce is very dry, add about 1/8 cup of warm water (depending on the types of tagine used).

Cover the tagine and cook for 35 min or until the potatoes are cooked.


Before serving, drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil and serve hot.




Notes


  • This tagine is versatile. You could use different herbs such as basil (including in the fishballs mix). Add green peas, green beans, spinach..
  • You could make it more or less hot (chilli, harissa).
  • Make fishballs with sardines and white fish (cod, whiting or similar), salmon and white fish, use smoked fish for an extra edge.
  • Serve it with more or less sauce. I like to mash my potato slices in the sauce and scoop it with a spoon instead of eating this tagine with bread.
  • 5 to 10 minutes before the end of cooking, you could scatter peeled uncooked shrimps or prawns and let them steam along inside the tagine.




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Moroccan baked stuffed fish with vegetables

April 9, 2015, 2:22 pm
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Moroccan baked fish with vegetables or its tagine version is one of the lightest and easiest Moroccan family dishes you could pull together and serve with confidence. The fresher the better, that's the rule of this dish.  

A tray of stuffed fish and vegetables almost ready for the oven
In Morocco, a big fish can be cut into larges steaks to fit in a tagine. We also keep the fish in one piece especially for important family events. The later version usually calls for stuffing and the filling depends on the importance of the attendees or what one fancies.

My serving

The cook can get creative with the stuffing but the usual would be:
  • Shrimp and mushroom. Rice vermicelli or rice is usually added to the mix.
  • A simple thick chermoula paste to rub the cavity and then leave a good handful of it inside for more goodness,
  • Vermicelli and grated vegetables,
  • A nice praline paste with almonds and walnuts is very typical of Safi (a coastal city big on fish dishes).
Stuffed fish with grated vegetables and shrimp

In our family, we start layering the tray or the tagine with celery stalks (use sticks) or fennel stalks and fronds (In Morocco, we throw nothing from a fennel), the hard to cook vegetables such as carrots and fresh green peas come first, followed by potatoes, sliced peppers, sliced tomatoes, chilli and fennel bulbs (when in season).

Stuffed fish with rice, shrimp and a few other seafood ingredients

Some vegetables are optional such as fennel, courgette, green peas while you will find carrots, potatoes and green peppers in most of the fish tagines or baked trays.

As for herbs used, besides coriander and parsley, bay leaves are a must in our family recipes while thyme comes as natural addition for others.

Baked fish in "papillote" make an amazing meal which can also be served cold in a buffet

Most of the fish tagines use chermoula in a way or another but there are saffron-flavoured fish tagines including the versions with sultanas. Modern Moroccan cuisine of the last 30 years also uses crème fraîche for a white sauce and even less seasoning.


Moroccan baked fish tray, ready for serving
In today's recipes, you could have a yellow sauce or a red sauce, it all depends on how tomato paste/paprika/harissa you want to go for. I can't digest too much tomatoes so I prefer a yellow version using turmeric rather than paprika in the sauce.


Ingredients
Serves 6-8
Prep: 20 min - Cooking time: 15 min   - Baking time: Min 35 min (depending on the thickness of the fish and its stuffing)

Fish and its filling
  • 1 big fish or 3 medium-size such as shad, catfish, sea bream (total 2 1/2 kgs)
  • 1/2 cup of chermoula with preserved lemons (see recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup of long rice, washed 
For spicy chermoula with preserved lemon
  • 2 cups of fresh coriander, chopped 
  • 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp of coarse salt
  • 1 tbsp of sweet paprika powder or paste
  • 1/2 tsp of chilli powder or 1 tsp of harissa
  • 1 tsp of ground cumin
  • 1/2 preserved lemon, discard seeds
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tbsps of olive oil
  • 2 tbsps of white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 3 tbsps of water
For the tagine 
  • 600g of potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (use starchy potatoes)
  • 1 bellpepper or long peppers cut into slices or long strips (any colour)
  • 4 cloves or garlic left with skin on
  • 4 bay leaves, cut into two each
  • 2 fennels with stalks and fronds
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 2 medium-size tomatoes, cut into slices
  • 2 medium-size tomatoes, seeded and grated, substitute with passata or 2 tbps of tomato paste liquified in 1 cup of water (optional)
  • 2 to 3 chillis (optional) 
  • A few sprigs of flat parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp of turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin
  • 4 tbsps of olive oil
  • 10 green olives 
  • 1lemon cutinto thin slices or wedges

Another portion for my sister


Preparation

Prepare chermoula paste by blending all ingredients or by using a pestle and mortar. You could make it 2 to 3 days ahead.

Cook the long rice in a 1 1/2 cup of water to an al-dente texture (it should still have a bite and not be cooked through). Set aside to cool and drain.

Descale the fish and clean the cavities. Discard the spine/bones. Should you wish to keep the heads, it's perfectly fine and even better.

Peel the vegetables and slice them or cut them as per the pictures below.

Stuffing the fish

Mix 2/3 of chermoula with the rice. Stuff the fish to the 2/3 keeping in mind the rice will puff more and the fish will loose water and shrink a bit. If you want to tight the fish with a loosen cooking thread go ahead with that.



Slightly oil a good baking tray where the fish can fit. Start by layering the stalks of celery and fennel, followed by carrots. Tuck in some bay leaves and whole garlic cloves (optional)

Add the rest of the vegetables and half of the sliced tomatoes.


Place the stuffed fish with a bit of space between each one.



Place more sliced tomatoes on top of the fish. Place some chillis. Scatter green or purple olives.

Finish off by pooring liquified tomato paste or a passata or grated tomatoes mixed with the rest of chermoula. Sprinkle salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and chopped herbs.


Add the water from the edges and never on top of the fish in order not to wash the spices off. Drizzle olive oil and off to the oven.

You could add preserved lemons or fresh lemons before covering with the foil. I prefer to serve the dish with fresh lemon wedges once the fish is baked.

The thinner you would have cut the vegetables the better it is for baking. I suggest you cover the tray with foil and remove it after the vegetables have cooked through. You give the fish the time to get a nice crustly top.

The time needed for the fish to bake depend on how big/thick it is. A preheated oven at 180 degrees C is good for this. A seabass usually does not take long (30-45 min) while a big fish takes up to 1 hour.




Notes

  • You could discard the spine/bones of the fishbefore stuffing it or keep the spine but remove as many loose bones as you can. I prefer to discard both so I get to put more stuffing. It also help cutting it and serving parts to the people around the table.
  • Check this post to have a idea of the common fish we use in Morocco.
  • For more ideas about stuffing a fish Moroccan style, please check this previous post. 
  • Placing garlic, fish and onions next to each others make the onion slices turn a bit grey-blue. If you want to use onions, keep these 3 away from each others. 




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Easy Moroccan fried soles

April 9, 2015, 5:42 pm
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Fried fish is a favourite street food in Morocco, especially in coastal cities. It's so common to find a dish of fried fish along with a fresh tomato and onion salad in many traditional restaurants.

Fried soles usually are served with fried whiting and calamari rings, lemon wedges and a hot fried chilli for garnish, next to a fresh salad and a cold drink. Who wouldn't want that.

Homemade fried soles
The common soles in Morocco are medium-size to small. When fried, you get a crispy outside especially around the edges and a soft inside. Quite a nice contrast of textures.

Local soles next to whiting (above shrimps)
Sometimes, these fried fish dishes are served as a starter or along vegetarian starters with pulses (white bean in red sauce, lentils or black-eyed peas). This combo used to be a cheap meal for anyone but packed with a lot of nutrients. That was before the fish has become a bit pricey.
 


Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
Prep: 15 min - Frying: about 4 min/batch
  •  1 1/2 kg of soles
  • Salt and pepper for the fish and for the flour coating
  • 3 cups of flour
  • 1 cup of fine semolina flour (optional, for more crispiness)
  • Vegetable oil for frying



Preparation

Wash the soles, discard the heard. Set aside to drain and pat dry.

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add some salt and pepper to the flour mix as well and coat each sole with it a couple of times from all sides. Pat it between your hands to get rid of excess flour.

Over medium heat the frying oil in a deep frying pan. Shallow-fry the soles, leaving space between each fish to flip it around.

It should take about 4 minutes for each bach to be cooked through. Place each fried fish in a strainer for a couple of minutes then place it on a piece of kitchen roll.

Serve warm with lemon wedges or slices, a Moroccan tomato and onion salad and a spicy tomato and harissa sauce (check link for the recipe).




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Moroccan sweet Mderbel of pumpkin or butternut

April 12, 2015, 11:55 am
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I have to admit that I'm not a pumpkin or butternut lover. However, it's the only recipe that gets me to eat these two.

Mderbel (*) of pumpkin is a traditional cooked salad in Fez. It also gets served on the top of a nice Mqualli of chicken or meat especially during the remembrance of the Prophet Mohammed's (SAAS) birth.

It can be served cold as a salad or warm when it's served as accompaniement to the meat.

The traditional recipe is generous on oil and sugar, but it's so tasty. You could be tempted to adjust the sugar and oil for dietary purposes which is fine, but I suggest you try the combination I'm giving here before changing it.


Ingredient
Serves 8
Prep: 10 min- Cooking: 30 - 40 min
  • About 800 g of pumpkin or butternut flesh cut into chuncks, discard seeds (**)
  • 6 tbsp of vegetable or olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp of salt 
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of ground cinnamon 
  • 5-6 tbsps of honey or sugar (original recipes may call for more which gives a better caramelization)
  • A pinch of mastic gum, crushed to powder with 1/2 tsp of caster sugar
To decorate(can be made ahead and frozen)
  • 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

A typical traditional version of Mderbel could render some frying oil and will look darker.


Preparation

Steam the chuncks (you could leave the skin on for now).

When they're tender, transfer them to a warm frying/sauce pan with maximum flat surface. Add the oil, salt, cinnamon, sugar and start mashing as you toss and stir.

The first step of cooking is to steam the pumkin/butternut

Keep doing this over medium heat for about 15 mins. Taste to see if it's relatively sweet (it should not be so sweet like a jam).

To fry/caramelize the paste, you will need to dedicate a good 20 minutes to this task without leaving the pan unattended. Past the 15 min, add mastic gum and keep tossing and stirring.


The second step of cooking is about mashing, tossing and stirring the mash

The pumpkin/butternut mash so dry from water and become thick. Once you are satisfied with the colour and texture, knock off the heat and set aside to cool.

Serve cold as a salad.



A Mderbel of butternut looks lighter than pumpkin due to their difference in colour


Note: 


(*) Mderbel refers to a ingredient or a mix which has been mashed, tossed and stirred all in one cooking process. We have Mderbel of aubergine, Mderbel of pumpkin and Mderbel of cauliflower

(**) You could mash the steamed pumpkin and freeze it. You will only have to deal with the second stage of cooking when you need to make this recipe.


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Moroccan apricot and orange juice

April 12, 2015, 12:58 pm
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Moroccans have used dried fruits in their juices for centuries. The usual suspects are sultanas, dates, almonds.

Using apricots to make a juice might also remind you of a Ramadan special drink in the Levant called Qamaruddine/Kamaruddin, a sort of sundried apricot mixed with sugar and then dried. The result of this process is leathery paste which is then mixed with water and juiced.

Well, we're not far from it except that the recipe I'm about to post is rather a Moroccan juice made the Moroccan way. We're a country of citrus so the liquid used is orange. Flavouring can be cinnamon powder and orange blossom water altough they're totally optional.

If you have fresh apricots, you could use them instead. But remember that dried apricots are highly concentrated in flavour and sweetness, so each of the version will taste slightly different from the other.



Ingredients
Serves 2
Prep: 2 min

  • 2/3 cup of sweet dried apricots (not the dark Turkish ones)
  • 2 cups of fresh orange juice (add 1 cup for a liquid juice)
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • A dash of cinnamon (optional)
  • A few drops of orange blossom water (optional)
 

Preparation

Soak the dried apricots in boiling water for a couple of minutes to wash them then transfer them to a bowl of water at room temperature. Set aside for a few hours until they plump up. Discard the water.

You could flavour the water with orange blossom (optional).

Next, squeeze the oranges and lemon to collect enough juice as indicated above.

Use a blender and start blending all the apricots with 1/4 cup of the orange juice until they turn smooth. Add the rest of the liquid 1/4 by quarter to make sure that the apricots are really gone smooth.

Serve cold or freeze cubes to add to your next smoothies and juices later on during the season.





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Light baked fish "en papillote" with Mediterranean flavours

April 13, 2015, 3:53 am
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In the old days, some civilizations used to seal a pot with dead dough (bread dough without yeast or a mix of water and flour). The food will cook over low heat in its own juice.

Cooking en "papillote" is not far from this, we just use newly invented cling film, foil, baking paper or special plastic bags.

When I was about 16, my father had discovered his diabetis and cholestrol problems and was requested to go on diet (which he never followed). He used to cook for pleasure and his food was so tasty. He was the reason why I got into cooking and loving fresh food markets.

While he discarded the bland diet dishes my mother cooked for him without blinking (for my mother, a diet meant steam food and serve with no salt, no sugar, no oil/butter no nothing), he never rejected any of my "creations". I was the youngest and definitely the preferred..So he finished all what I cooked for him. He was still critical.

It was quite encouraging as it pushed me to learn more about food and new trends in cooking. He bought me available French magazines and books. Moroccan being an former French colony, this was easy to come by.


My father loved his fresh fish and he was the one in charge of picking and buying the best of it in the market. His dad was a famous fishmonger in Fez, so  Ça coulait de source!

This is one of the light dishes I cooked for him, a long while ago. So I'm sharing it today, as I remembered while reading an old recipe book of mine. I didn't have fennel fronds this time so the one in the picture was cooked without. It was still tasty.


Ingredients
Serve 1-2
Prep: 10 min - Baking: 20 min
  • 1 sea bass for one or two, descaled and cleaned from the inside
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • Fennel fronds
  • 1 tomato
For the marinade
  • 3 tbsps of coriander, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of fennel fronds, chopped (optional, you could use fennel stalks around the fish to compensate)
  • 2 tbsps of lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp of ground cumin
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated (optional)
  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper



Preparation

Heat the oven to 200 degrees C.

For thick fish, slash the fish through the bone a couple of times from top and bottom. If the fish relatively small, it's optional.

Place a good tablespoon of the marinade/paste inside the fish and rub the cavity with it.

Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Cut 1 large square or rectangle of baking paper and a equally large square or rectangle of foil. The size should be at least 3 times the size of the fish.

Grease the middle of the baking paper where you would place the fish. Scatter some fennel fronds (optional). Place the fish in the centre and top it with a couple of tomato slices.

Wrap the fish in order to trap all the steam and seal in the juices. This will cook the fish through and keep it moist, which is the idea behind this type of cooking.

Bake for 20 min for a standard small sea bass (for 1 or 2 persons) or more for an even bigger fish.I like to open it and give it another 4 minutes.

Serve hot with the rest of the marinade, lemon wedges and anything else you fancy on the side.

I use cold leftovers for sandwiches and salads.





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Homemade crab cakes: My recipe

April 14, 2015, 5:17 am
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I fell in love with crab cakes while in Canada. I adopted them since then.

Now crabs are not always cheap or easy to come by good fresh ones, which is what this recipe is all about. But if you find any good crab, make crab cakes.

Fried crab cakes

I have twisted recipes to come up with my own: I use panko instead of the usual bread crumbs, I add mustard, chives, and potatoes to my mix. I use a good deal of brown meat from the crab while most of the usual recipes call for white meat only. We find that this adds a real craby taste to them and we like them that way.

So here is how I make my version of crab cakes. I bake them to avoid them mess and also extra calories. I also serve them with a lemony remoulade or a tartare-style sauce.

The use of a good amount of brown meat make them delicate to handle, so I bake them after they spend a bit of time in the fridge. You could still fry them by really want to make sure you can flip them without shattering them.

You could serve crab cakes as starters but I make relatively big ones and serve them with baked fries or a salad for a meal.

Baked crab cakes


Ingredients
Serves 2 to 4 (depending on cakes' size)
Prep: 7 min - Cooling: + 2 hours - Baking: 20 min/Frying: 4 min

For the crab mix
  • About 300 g of crab meat (50% brown and 50% white)
  • 150g of boiled potato, mashed
  • 2 tbsps of crackers, crushed
  • 1 tsp of mayonaise
  • 1 tsp of dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsps of chopped chives or parsley
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of freshly crushed black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp of lemon zest
  • 2 tbsps of spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 egg yolk

For coating

  • 1 cup of panko
For the accompanying sauce
  • 3 tbsps of mayonaise
  • 1 tsp of dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp of brined capers or gherkins, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsps of lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp of lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp parsley or chives, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation


Mix all the ingredients listed for the crab mix.

Prepare a flat plate or tray which can fit into the fridge: cover it with a layer of foil and fill it with  panko.

Wet your hands and make 4 to 6 balls then flatten them to a 1 1/2 cm thickness. Scatter panko from the top. Cover the crab cakes with cling film and place them in the fridge for 2 to 6 hours to firm up.





Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and brush with oil.
Bake the crab cakes for 20 mins.



 Accompanying sauce for the crab cakes

Mix all ingredients and place in the fridge for at least 30 min.

Serve on the side of the crab cakes, along with celery sticks and anything else you fancy.









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Moroccan Harissa sauce, call it Moroccan spicy vinegraitte

April 14, 2015, 1:54 pm
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Moroccan Harissa sauce is not to be confused with the harissa paste itself . This condiment is rather a sort of a spicy and zingy vinegraitte and served with grilled fish such as sardines, with potato Maakouda fritters etc...

It's easy to make and you can adjust the level of spiciness to your liking. In our family, we serve a really hot one and a medium one so everybody gets to enjoy it.


Harissa vinegraitte served with Potato maakouda

Ingredients
Makes about 1/3 cup
Prep: 3 min
  • 1 heaped tbps of good homemade harissa (if you really can't find it or make it, use tabasco or sambal oelek)
  • 1 heaped tsp of tomato paste/concentrate
  • 2-3 tbsp of water
  • 2 heaped tbsp of freshly and finely grated tomato pulp (seeds out) or a good passata
  • 1 to 2 tbspx of lemon juice or vinegar
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • Salt, black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp of chopped coriander or/and parsley

Harissa sauce/vinegraitte is always served with grilled sardines


Preparation

Mix all the ingredients and serve.

For a thinner version than what I'm showing in the photo, which is actually the most common version found in some Moroccan street food stalls, you just add a double the quantity of water/vinegar/oil mentioned in the recipe below.

You could also blend it to serve it smooth.

The Harissa sauce/vinegraitte keeps well in the fridge for a week.


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Moroccan lettuce and orange juice

April 15, 2015, 4:55 am
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Memories comes to me in the form of recipes. This is my parents refreshing lettuce, orange, cucumber and radish juice which I used to enjoy during lunch time in the spring and early summer days.

We used to have this over lunch when I was a teen..I asked my mother about it yesterday and it seems that I reminded her of her old recipes. We started a long discussion which went in different directions. Classic!



This juice helps digesting a meal and it makes some veg haters drink a dose of goodness without complaining (AKA my husband).

Adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more orange juice or a homemade lemonade.When the nephews and nieces are there for lunch, the extra lemonade (lemon, water, sugar) is an addition that makes them happy.



Ingredients
Serves 1-2
Prep: 5 min

  • 1 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 lettuce gem (called Sucrine in French), top and bottom discarded
  • A bit of cucumber, about a thumb long, discard seeds.
  • 2 small red radishes or about a thumb of a long one.
  • 1 tbps of sugar
  • 1/4 tsp of orange blossom water


Preparation

Place the cucumber, radish, 1/4 of the orange/lemon juice in a blender/liquidiser. Blend until smooth. Add the rest of the liquids and keep blending for another 5 seconds.



Serve cold, with ice cubes or without.

Keep for up to a day in the fridge.



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Moroccan "bid we maticha" for breakfast: chakchouka

April 16, 2015, 3:21 am
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Chekchouka or Shekshuka can be found all across the Arab world. It's usually served for breakfast but we also make sandwiches to go for later on in the day.

The Moroccan name for this breakfast combination is called Bid we maticha (Eng. eggs with tomatoes). The young generation calls in BM or BBM.

My breakfast combo. I like bid we maticha scrambled while my mother likes a runny egg yolk

The recipe is simple as it consists on frying or stewing tomatoes in olive oil along with garlic, then come the eggs which could be poached or scrambled. The seasoning is paprika, cumin and hot chili powder for a hot variation.

In our family, we also like to add some green olives all around.


Bid we maticha, served to us on the way to Essaouira

You can order bid be maticha in many mahlabas as part of Moroccan street food. I also remember an old man serving it throughout the morning @ Marché Central/Casablanca. His clients are locals but also foreigners who managed to get his address |(smart pants!). I reckon Bid we maticha and Moroccan mint tea was all what he sold during the morning. then he closes around 2 pm! Job done!



Ingredients
Serves 2 - 4
Prep: 7 min - Cooking: 10 min
  • 2 cups of tomato pulp or skined and seeded tomatoes chopped in small cubes
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 to 4 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp of chili powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp of paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
  • Green olives
  • Chopped parsley
If you want poached eggs on top, just ask the vendor.

Preparation

Cut the tomato from the belly into two, discard the seeds and grate it with large cheese grater. Discard the skin and collect the pulp.

I also used half chopped and half grated tomatoes for more texture
In a frying pan or a tagine over medium heat, heat half of the oil and fold in the tomato pulp and the garlic. Fry for about 7 minutes until the tomatoes seem to be cooked and the water evaporated. Season with salt, half of the spices.

I just added capers instead of olives (both are optional)

Add the rest of the oil and crack in the eggs one next to the other. Sprinkle the rest of the spices and cover.

Cook for about 2 minutes while pricking the eggs and opening pockets so the white cooks evenly. You could also beat the eggs before adding them to the tomato base, either you keep the layers separated or you scramble the eggs along with the tomatoes. It's a matter of choice.

Enjoy with a hot Moroccan mint tea.

You could eat the leftovers cold. We usually make a sandwich to go with them.



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Gluten-free Moroccan street food: soft chickpeas "Taib we Hari"

April 17, 2015, 10:10 am
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Taib we hari is a very common street food nibble which happens to be gluten-free and light. Well, unless you ask the seller to fill a half-baguette with it along with some salad, then you are looking for a meal.

Taib we hari is an interesting name which means "cooked to softness" and that's what is it about: cooking the chickpeas to a soft state so you can break it between two fingers without effort. It's then spiced with simple Moroccan flavours: cumin and soudaniya (chili powder).  It's an easy straight-forward recipe and nothing is complicated about it.

A street seller of taib we hari
The chickpeas version is rather more famous than the dried fava beans version.


This is the stantard version sold accross Morocco but families tend to add their own twists of herbs of spices. I prefer the simple version mentioned above and this is the one I'm about to post.

Don't be tempted to use tinned chickpeas. When cooked from scatch, they taste nothing like the thinned ones. It's the same logic for a proper homemade hummus. The result will be very rewarding.



Ingredients
Serves 4
Prep: 5 min - cooking : 45 min approx
  • 1 cup of dried chickpeas, presoaked in water overnight
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of baking soda or baking powder (optional)
  • 1 l of water
Seasoning after cooking (season generously)
  • Salt
  • Hot chili powder
  • Ground cumin

Taib we hari, lightly seasoned to my taste


Preparation

We usually use a pressure cooker for this recipe but you can use a deep cooking pot with a lid and adjust the cooking time.

Cook the presoaked and washed chickpeas in water, salt and baking soda (you can omit the last ingredient if you are not in a hurry). Keep the pot covered and adjust water level to cover the chickpeas as long as they're not tender yet.

The spice mix for seasoning


Once the chickpeas are soft, drain and season to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature within the next hours.





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Moroccan tea: the types, the herbs..all about it

April 18, 2015, 3:56 am
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Moroccan tea or Attay differs from an area to another. While Moroccan mint tea is the most famous drink to represent Morocco nowadays, it's worth knowing that Moroccan tea is more complex than that.

We have 3 types of Moroccan tea verisons: Attay Sahraoui. Attay be na'na', Attay be tekhlita.

Attay "Sahraoui": The people of Sahara and desertic areas don't use mint. They actually prefer it without. Their method of making tea and filtering it before serving a glass to the guest is far more complex than the usual mint tea we know. It's a show worth watching.

Attay "Sahraoui" has a serious reputation accross Morocco. It's just the strongest and it seems to be good for headaches.



Attay be tekhlita (mix): Going towards Marrakech, El Jadida and all in between, tea lovers like to flavour their mint tea with an array of other mints and herbs, depending on the mood, the seasonality or the occasion. The mix of herbs is called "tekhlita", which literally translate to mix.

Specific stalls in the market selling the Moroccan mint tea herbs. We bring it home and make our own tekhlita
The common dried tea leaves used for Moroccan tea are sold in a pack and referred to as Gunpowder green tea.

The standard dried green tea used for Moroccan tea
Herbs are not only added to flavour the tea but to help with specific nervous or digestive concerns. Thyme or lemon verbena are one of the herbs used for targeted purposes.

Tea served in a tall glass (public stall in a market) with extra sugar and extra mint leaves

Attay be na'na' (with mint): Some other regions or rather families don't even go there. They just pick a few types of mint or just one, mix them and add them to the pot.

Making Moroccan tea also differs from one family to another. While some insist on having the foam on top of their beverage, some don't bother and all they want is a mild glass of tea. This definitely impacts how it will be done after all ingredients are in the pot: Do you "chahhar" or not? Which means do you let it simmer for a few minutes over low heat or you just let it infuse without the heat to serve it afterward? That's the question!



It goes without saying that sugar is an adjustable ingredient to taste. Most of the caterers nowadays serve 2 teas: one with sugar and one without. No one will be surprised if you ask for less sugar or no sugar. However, foreign writers and publishers about Moroccan tea enjoy skipping this change in the habits because they would have tried only a few...But yes, you can always ask that sugar comes on the side or none of it should be around your tea!



I was invited to present a Moroccan tea ceremony to the Dolphin Square's Moroccan Spa and here is the description of the lovely PR lady who took the pain to write all my description on how to make Moroccan mint tea.

I'd rather say that the last glass posted there was the one showing a tea without a "signature" foam on crowning the tea..

Tea with a crown served in a weekly market along with grills.

Along with the usual type of mint used for Moroccan mint tea, we tend to use one or more of these herbs but with parsimony; we add one or two leaves of sage, a stalk of wormwood or verbena, or robert geranium (my favourite, also used during the distillation of orange blossom water).

Waiting for that tea to infuse
In Fez, the city where orange blossom is a big deal, we serve flavoured Moroccan tea with blossoms picked from the cedrat/bigaradier tree (bitter orange) or from any lemon or orange tree in the house. You could also buy the blossoms in the market when in season.

All these herbs can be dried and frozen. We use them throughout the year in case they're not available fresh due to the seasonality.


Herbs used for tea but also in some regional couscous and other recipes


Fliou: Fr = la menthe pouliot, menthe sauvage. Eng = pennyroyal. It brings a peppermint/spearmint layer to the mint and it suddenly becomes so refreshing eventhough it's a warm drink. Pennyroyal is also used to cook dishes such as potato "hzina" or special soups for winter. We also drink a milk infusion of pennyroyal when we catch cold.


Na'Na'/Liqama: Fr = la menthe. Eng = mint. Note that there are many types of mints in Morocco and mixing them makes the best Attay.


Timijja/Timarsat: Fr = menthe ronde ou aquatique. Eng =Applemint, Bowle's Mint. It has an interesting taste and we also use it to make a specific type of harcha or couscous.




 Salmiya: Fr= la sauge. Eng = sage

Left: sage is in the middle of the display. Right: sage in the pot (front)

Merdeddouch: Fr = la marjolaine. Eng = marjoram


Louiza: Fr= ka verveine citronelle. Eng= lemon verbena. So relaxing.



L'aatarcha : Fr: géranium Robert. Eng: Robert Geranium. It brings a flowery and refreshing flavour to the mix.



 Chiba: Fr= absinthe. Eng: absinth/wormwood. It's best to serve it in a glass on the side so whoever wants it adds it to their own glass. Not everyone is found of it. I just found it sold at one of the North African shops in London. I think it's not easy to come by though.


 Azir: Fr= romarin. Eng= rosemary.


Rosemary, between sage and mint
Z'itra: Fr =Thym. Eng =Thyme. There are a few varieties of thyme. It's worth mentioning that in Morocco, many people tend to use the word Za'atar or sahtar for thyme (not the Levantine mix) which is oregano.



Lahba1: Fr= basilic. Eng =basil. There are two types in Morocco: the common Italian basil but the best for Moroccan tea is a home grown variety called "lahbaq el beldi" which has rougher stalks and leaves. (No pic)

So how do you like yours?
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