Moroccan Kitchen

Moroccan Kitchen

1) Couscous with lamb and vegetables roots :-

Ingredients :

• One small leg of lamb about 1.5k/3-1/2lb.
• Ten ounces, about 250g.of couscous
• Just under 3/4 of a pint 400cc. of boiling water
• Four large carrots - bite sized pieces
• One Moroccan preserved lemon (pith and flesh removed and sliced).
• One pint - about 500cc. of lamb or chicken stock
• Four stalks of celery - bite sized pieces
• A good sized courgette - bite sized pieces
• Four Leeks - bite sized pieces
• One small white turnip - bite sized pieces
• One red pepper - coarsley chopped
• Four ounces, about 100g. sultanas
• Two tablespoons of honey
• Two large tomatoes - chopped
• One large onion - chopped
• Six large cloves of garlic - chopped
• A bunch each of parsley and coriander (chopped)
• 2tbs. Extra virgin olive oil to fry
• A teaspoon of corn flour (corn starch) and a little cold water to slake

Spice mix

• 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger
• 1/2 a teaspoon of powdered nutmeg
• 2 cloves
• 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds (cominos)
• 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds (cilantro)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 or three dried chillis
• A 2" piece of cinnamon

Directions: 

1.  first, in a large non stick fry pan or skillet, brown your lamb, onions, carrots, red pepper and celery together in the olive oil.
2. Then - reduce the heat and add the garlic, stirring well.
3. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
4. Let it simmer gently and meanwhile - dry roast your cumin seeds, cloves, salt, cinnamon and chillis in a small pan, until toasted.
5. Then transfer to a pestle and mortar and add the ginger and nutmeg...or you may find it easier, like us, to have a special coffee grinder that will whizz these spices up in seconds!
6. Pound to a powder and then add to your pan (through a seive).
7. Next the tomatoes, leeks, turnip, preserved lemon, honey and half the parsley and coriander.
8. Bring back to the boil.
9. Spoon this mixture into an earthenware       cooking tagine . Put on the top and place on the middle shelf of a moderate oven 180ºc/350ºf
10. Cook for 1-1/2 - 2 hours adding the courgettes 15 minutes before the end.
11. While all that's going on you can cook the couscous - place the couscous with a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
12. Pour on the boiling water and leave for two minutes.
13. Stir with a fork until well separated.
14. Get ready to serve - spoon the hot couscous into an earthenware casserole. (If it needs reheating a little, just give it a quick buzz it in the microwave.)
15. Carefully drain the liquor from the vegetables and lamb in the tagine, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and coriander, then put the top back on to keep it hot.
16. Now put the liquor into a small pan and bring to the boil -then thicken with the corn flour (slaked in a little cold water) and pour the sauce into a sauce boat.
17. Time to serve this wonderful feast.....the flavours are amazing. Remember that you can make it as hot or mild as you like ...just adjust the chilli's to your taste and enjoy!!

2- ElHareera Soup : 

Ingredients : 

• ½ lb. uncooked meat (lamb, beef or chicken), chopped into 1/2” pieces
• several soup bones (optional)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 bunch cilantro (coriander), finely chopped to yield about 1/4 cup
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped to yield about 1/4 cup
• 1 or 2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, grated
• 1 handful of dry chick peas, soaked and then peeled
• 1 tablespoon smen (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric or ¼ teaspoon yellow colorant
• 6 large tomatoes (about 2 lb. or 1 kg), peeled, seeded and pureed
• 2 to 3 tbsp dry lentils, picked over and washed
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste, mixed evenly into 1 or 2 cups of water
• 2 to 3 tablespoons uncooked rice OR uncooked broken vermicelli
• 1 cup flour

Directions : 

Step 1 - Ahead of Time

Make sure you have all the ingredients. Do the following before you begin cooking the soup.

1. Soak and skin the chickpeas. (You might want to soak them the night before you cook.)
2. Pick through the lentils and wash them.
3. Peel, seed and puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Or, stew the tomatoes and pass them through a food mill to remove the seeds and skin.
4. Pick the parsley and cilantro leaves from their stems. Small pieces of stem are OK, but discard long, thick pieces with no leaves. Wash the herbs, drain well, and finely chop them by hand or with a food processor.

Assemble the remaining ingredients and follow the steps below.

Step 2 - Brown the Meat

Put the meat, soup bones and oil into a 6-qt. or larger pressure cooker. Over medium heat, cook the meat for a few minutes, stirring to brown all sides.

Step 3 - Make the Stock

Add the cilantro, parsley, celery, onion, chick peas, tomatoes, smen and spices. Stir in 3 cups of water.

Cover tightly, and heat over high heat until pressure is achieved. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and release the pressure.

Step 4 – Make the Soup

Add the lentils, tomato paste mixture, and 2 quarts (or about 2 liters) of water to the stock.

Set aside (but don’t add yet), either the rice or vermicelli.

Cover the pot and heat the soup over high heat until pressure is achieved. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking.

If adding rice: Cook the soup on pressure for 30 minutes. Release the pressure, and add the rice. Cover, and cook with pressure for an additional 15 minutes.

If adding vermicelli: Cook the soup on pressure for 45 minutes. Release the pressure, and add the vermicelli. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for five to ten minutes or until the vermicelli is plump and cooked.

Step 5 – Thicken the Soup

While the soup is cooking, mix together the 1 cup of flour with 2 cups of water. Set the mixture aside, and stir or whisk it occasionally. The flour will eventually blend with the water. If the mixture is not smooth when you're ready to use it, pass it through a sieve to remove balls.

Once the rice (or vermicelli) has cooked, taste the soup for seasoning. Add salt or pepper if desired.

Bring the soup to a full simmer. Slowly — and in a thin stream — pour in the flour mixture. Stir constantly and keep the soup simmering so the flour doesn’t stick to the bottom.

You will notice the soup beginning to thicken when you've used approximately half the flour mixture. How thick to make harira is your own preference. I like to thicken the broth so that it achieves a cream-like consistency.

Simmer the thickened soup, stirring occasionally, for five to ten minutes to cook off the taste of the flour. Remove the soup from the heat.

Serves 6 to 8

3- Chicken with Lemon Tagine : 

Ingredients :

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into 8 pieces (or 3-4 lbs of just chicken thighs and legs, the dark meat is more flavorful)
• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• The rind from 1 preserved lemon , rinsed in cold water, pulp discarded, rind cut into thin strips (if you don't have preserved lemon, use whole thin slices of regular lemon)
• 1 cup green olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions : 

1 Combine all the spices in a large bowl. Pat dry the chicken pieces and put in the bowl, coat well with the spice mixture. Let the chicken stand for one hour in the spices.

2 If you are using a clay tagine (if you have one, you must soak the bottom in water overnight before using), place it on a heat diffuser on the heating element to prevent the tagine from cracking, and place the olive oil in the tagine and heat it on medium heat. If you do not have a tagine, you can use a thick-bottomed, large skillet with a cover. Heat the oil in the skillet on medium high heat. In either case, sprinkle the chicken pieces very lightly with salt (go easy on the salt, the olives and preserved lemons are salty) and place skin side down in the tagine or skillet for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and onions over the chicken. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes. 3 Turn chicken pieces over. Add the lemon slices, olives, raisins, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, then lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and quite tender.

4 Mix in fresh parsley and cilantro right before serving. Adjust seasonings to taste.




4-Lamb Tagine : 

Ingredients :

• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas
• 5 garlic cloves (2 whole, 3 chopped)
• 1 large cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds 1" cubes lamb shoulder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 teaspoons ras elhanout  spice blend
• 1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes with juices
• 2 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken stock
• 1/2 cup halved dried apricots
• Steamed couscous
• Chopped fresh cilantro  

Directions :

Place chickpeas in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover by 2". Let soak overnight.

Drain chickpeas; return to same saucepan. Add 2 whole garlic cloves and cinnamon stick. Add water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to a medium bowl. Add onion to pot; reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, ras elhanout  , and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and lamb with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil. Add 2 1/2 cups stock. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lamb is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Stir in chickpeas; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in apricots; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon couscous onto a large, shallow platter, forming a large well in center. Spoon tagine into center. Sprinkle cilantro over.

5-Saffron scented  brioches : 

Ingredients : 

To make a yeast batter:
2 tsp dried yeast (not quick acting) or 15g fresh yeast
3 tbsp milk, hand hot
1tsp sugar
25g strong white flour
Other ingredients:
200g strong white flour
Large pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
50g butter
2 eggs + 1extra for glazingSmall pinch of saffron threads 
`
Directions : 

1. To make the yeast batter, stir the yeast into the warm milk (if using dry yeast leave to stand for 5 minutes). Mix in the flour and the sugar and leave in a warm place until frothy, about 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl beat the eggs and mix in the saffron strands and leave to stand until the yeast batter is ready.

3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt and sugar together and rub in the butter.

4. Mix the beaten eggs and yeast batter together, add to the flour mixture, and work to a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes.

5. Put the dough into a lightly greased large bowl and cover with cling film and leave in a warm place to double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

6. Grease a tray of small muffin tins, turn the risen dough back onto the side and knock back.

7. Heat the oven to 230C. Divide the dough into 12 equal sections, roll and place into the greased tins. Glaze with beaten egg, cover with lightly greased cling film and put in a warm place to rise, about 40 minutes.

8. Bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack: they should be cold before filling with the egg mixture.

9. Cheat's version - Buy some brioche fingers and cut into small sandwiches to fill with egg and cress. No saffron or wonderful smells of baking bread, but much quicker.

Makes 12 small brioches

6-Roasted Eggplant Bisque with Honey-Harissa Sauce :-

Ingredients: 

Parmesan Crisps:
6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Honey-Harissa Sauce:
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to ½ teaspoon cayenne

 Bisque:
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced (1-inch)
1 medium tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sliced leeks, white part only
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions : 

For the Parmesan Crisps: Sprinkle cheese into circles, 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, in dry
non-stick skillet, four at a time.  Cook 1 to 2 minutes minutes or until golden brown. Flip the crisps
and cook on reverse side for 1 minute.  Remove from pan with a spatula and cool on wire rack.
Set aside.

For the Honey-Harissa Sauce:   Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend
or process on high speed until almost smooth. Set aside.

For the Bisque: Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss eggplant, tomato, leeks, onion, oil, garlic and pepper
in large bowl. Spread in single layer on foil-lined shallow baking tray.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until softened. Allow to cool slightly.  Puree 1/2 the vegetable mixture and
1 cup of the stock in blender on high speed until smooth. Pour bisque into large saucepan. Repeat
with remaining vegetable mixture and stock.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of the Honey-Harissa Sauce, cream, honey and salt. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Pour bisque into 4 soup bowls. Top each with 1 teaspoon of the Honey-Harissa Sauce, cilantro and 2 Parmesan Crisps.

7 - Moroccan Fish with Mango :  

Ingredients 

• 1 cup dried whole-wheat pearl couscous (if you can’t find “pearl” just regular whole-grain couscous will work)
• 1 lb fresh wild-caught white fish
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ tablespoons butter
• 1 ripe (soft) mango, peeled and diced (FYI – we use a mango corerat our house)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped + extra for garnish
• 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions : 

1. Cook couscous according to package directions. The “pearl” version usually takes about 8 – 10 minutes to cook.
2. In a small bowl combine the cumin, chili powder, coriander and a pinch of salt & pepper. Evenly rub the spice mixture on all sides of the fish and set aside (in the fridge if you’d like).
3. Peel, core and dice the mango. We use a mango corer at our house. Chop the cilantro into small pieces. Put the mango, cilantro, and lime juice together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
4. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the seasoned fish to the pan and cook on both sides until it’s white all the way through. For thinner pieces this might only take a few minutes.
5. Once the couscous is done transfer it to the bowl with the mango, cilantro, and lime. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and mix together thoroughly.
6. Divide the couscous mixture evenly among plates. Top with pieces of fish and extra pieces of cilantro. Serve warm .

8- Kaab elghazal : 

Ingredients : 

Dough Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1 cup water

5 Tbsp butter (also equals 1/3 cup)

pinch of salt

1 egg

2 Tbsp blossom water 

Filling Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups blanched almonds (if not blanched boil regular raw almonds for 45 seconds)

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 tsp of cinnamon

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp blossom water (also known as orange blossom water)

Directions : 

Dough:

Melt butter. Making the dough by hand requires you to knead the dough for about 20-30 minutes. Otherwise you can use a food processor. Add the flour to the food processor, then add the salt, then add butter, egg. Cover and turn on the food processor for a couple of seconds. Then add water through the top and turn on again for about 10 seconds. Open and add the blossom water. Turn on food processor for several minutes. Make sure dough is properly mixed. You may have to hold the food processor down. The final product should be a smooth elastic dough.

Filling:

Roast the almonds in a pan to enhance the flavor for a few minutes. Again in a food processor add your almonds, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and blossom water. Mix until the filling is paste like with no chunks.

Now its time to roll the Kab El Ghazal. Roll out the dough very thinly. Take a small handful of filling and place it on the dough. Cover the filling with the dough and shape the cookie into a crescent shape. Use a cookie cutter to cut the cookie out of the rest of the dough. Then reroll the dough thinly and continue until all the filling is used.

Use aluminum foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet. If you don't have either you can use nonstick cooking spray directly on the baking sheet. Place the Kab El Ghazal on the baking sheet. Use a fork to poke holes in the sides of the dough to allow heat to escape when baking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 15-20 minute

9- Moroccan Stuffed Dates Recipe (Dessert)

Ingredients:

• 500g (1 lb.) dates
• 150g (one heaping cup) almonds
• 60g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons orange flower water
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• food color
• granulated sugar, for garnish
• walnut pieces, for garnish

Directions :

Blanch and peel the almonds. Bring some water to a boil in a small pot. Add the almonds and leave to boil for one or two minutes. Remove the almonds from the heat and drain. While the almonds are still warm, remove the skin by pinching individual almonds between your forefinger and thumb. Leave the skinned almonds to cool.

Make the almond paste. Process the almonds, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor until the almonds are a powdery mixture which is moist enough to pack. Add the butter and orange flower water and continue processing until a smooth paste forms around the blade. Remove the paste from the processor and if desired, divide and color the paste by kneading a drop or two of food color into each portion.

Stuff the dates. Roll small cylinders of almond paste the same length as your dates, but only about 1/3 the diameter. Take a date, make a vertical cut deep enough to remove the pit, but not so deep as to cut the date in half. Discard the pit, insert a cylinder of almond paste, and press the sides of the date firmly around the paste, while leaving a portion of paste exposed. Repeat with the remaining dates and almond paste.

Garnish the dates. This is an optional step; you might try one of the following methods or be creative and come up with your own:

• Top the exposed paste with a piece of walnut, shredded coconut, or light dusting of cinnamon
• Roll the stuffed date in granulated sugar
• Score the exposed almond paste with the dull side of a paring knife, then roll the date in sugar

Store the stuffed dates in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring them to room temperature before serving.

10- Makrout Recipe with Dates and Honey (Dessert)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (350g) fine or medium semolina
• 1/4 cup (35g) flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup (160g) melted butter or vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup orange flower water
• 10 oz. (300 g) dates
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon orange flower water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste
• dash nutmeg (optional)
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 cups (340g) honey
• 1 tablespoon orange flower water

Directions :

1. Oil the semolina. Blend the semolina, flour and salt. Add the melted butter (or oil) and use your hands to toss and massage the mixture for several minutes to ensure that each grain of semolina is individually coated with the butter. If time allows, cover and set aside for an hour or longer before proceeding.

2. Make the dough. Again using your hands, gradually work the orange flower water into the semolina mixture. Don't knead, but do rake the semolina and mix/squeeze with your fingers to incorporate the liquid until a moist ball of dough forms and holds shape. (If necessary, you can add a little more water, a few teaspoons at a time, to achieve this.) Cover, and set the dough aside to rest for at least an hour while you make the date paste in the next step.

3. Make the date paste. Remove the pits from the dates, and place the dates in a steamer basket or metal colander which has been set over a pot of simmering water. Steam the dates, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer the dates to a food processor, add the butter, orange flower water and cinnamon, and process until a smooth paste forms. Set the paste aside to cool.

4. Shape the cookies. When the date paste has cooled and firmed a bit, wet or oil your hands. Divide the paste into four portions, and shape each portion into a thin log about the diameter of your finger.

Divide the dough into four portions. Take one, and gently shape it into a log the same length as a log of date paste. Make a deep indentation that runs the length of the dough and insert the date filling. Gently pinch the dough around the filling to enclose it (pinch off and discard any excess dough on the ends), then roll the dough back and forth a few times on your work surface to seal and smooth it.

Special presses/molds are available for flattening decorating the top of makrout dough, but you can achieve an equally nice look by gently pressing the length of the roll with your fingers or palm to slightly flatten it, and then pressing or scoring the top of the dough with the dull side of a knife to make a pattern or decorative lines.

Slice the log with diagonal cuts into 1" wide pieces. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet or tray, and repeat the process with the remaining date paste and dough. Leave the cookies to rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes or longer before cooking.

5. Cook the makrout. You will need a deep skillet or wide pot for frying, a smaller pot for honey, and a strainer set over a bowl. Place 1" of vegetable oil in your pot over medium heat. At the same time, heat 2 cups of honey in a smaller pot until very hot but not boiling. Add a tablespoon of orange flower water and remove from the heat.

When the oil is hot (a test piece of scrap dough should simmer rapidly when placed in the oil), fry the cookies in batches until golden. Immediately transfer the fried cookies to the hot honey and allow the cookies to soak for a few minutes while the next batch cooks. Transfer the honey-drenched cookies to a strainer, and after a few minutes to a tray to finish to cooling.

Allow the makrout to cool for several hours before storing in an airtight container.