♥︎Spicy Moroccan carrots

For ➍-➏
500 g carrots

marinade:

juice of ½ lemon (2 tbs)

3 large garlic cloves

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

4 tb olive oil

1 ts honey

1 ts sweet paprika

½ ts hot paprika

½ ts ground cumin

½ ts salt

Peel carrots. Cut into 1.5cm slices. Cover with hot salted water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15m. Drain and steam.

Crush garlic with salt to a paste. Thoroughly mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Add warm carrots to marinade. Toss gently to coat

Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 h, stirring occasionally.

♥︎Tajine with cod & sweet potato

For ➋ 

 500 g skinless cod fillet 

2 onions, in half rings 

1 sweet potato, cubed 

15 cl fish stock 

15 cl passata 

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

½ red pepper, in strips 

½ orange pepper, in strips 

1 red chili pepper 

1 tin of chickpeas 

olive oil 

 marinade: 

1 handful of coriander, finely chopped 

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 

1 tsp baharat (Arabic spice mix) 

1 dash of olive oil 

½ preserved lemon, finely chopped peel 

Put the coriander, parsley, baharat, olive oil and preserved lemon in a bowl.  Stir everything well. Marinate the cod fillets in the oil for a while. Or put them together in the fridge for 30 m. 

Put some olive oil in the tajine and fry the onion in it. Add the sweet potato cubes and season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the fish stock and the passata. Put the lid on the tajine and let it cook for 10-15 m. After 5 m, add the pepper strips. 

Then add the garlic, the chili pepper and the pieces of fish, together with the marinade (optional). Let it cook covered for the rest (depending on the thickness of the fish, 15-20 m). 

Pat the chickpeas dry between two pieces of kitchen paper. Put a pan on the stove and heat a dash of olive oil in it. Fry the chickpeas with, if desired, some more coriander, mint and baharat. Put the chickpeas in a jar and serve with the tagine on the table.

Couscous sebha godaar (7 vegetables' couscous)

For ➍

500 g couscous

1 kg lamb (preferably with bones)* 

2 big onions 

1 tomato 

½ ts saffron 

a handful of coriander 

olive oil 

1.5 l vegetable broth 

200 g turnips 

200 g young carrots 

100 g peas 

1 zucchini 

¼ cauliflower 

100 g cooked chickpeas 

a dash of butter 

a few mint leaves

 

Heat the oil and brown the meat. Add the ringed onions. Cover.

Peel the tomato, cut into chunks and, as soon as the onions are glazed, add to the mixture.

Add some of the broth, add the coriander and saffron. Bring to a boil and cook the meat*. (For 500 g, this will take 10-15 m for the meat to heat, and another 10 m to cook).

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables in large chunks and add to the mixture, firm vegetables first.

Steam the couscous on top of the meat and vegetables. When ready, remove the couscous and mix some butter through it.

Serve the couscous on a large plate. Put the meat in the middle, and decorate with some of the vegetables, some sauce and a few leaves of mint of fresh coriander. Serve the vegetables and sauce separately.

*You might prefer to roast the meat separately, with some onions, until done and add it to the vegetables and sauce a few m before serving. While not authentic, it preserves the taste and the structure of the meat very well. Nevertheless, there should be onions to start the vegetables' and sauce preparation.

'Couscous' got its name from the Berber 'k'seksu'. It became the dish we know today in North Africa, with some regional differences in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The latter was adopted by French colonialists and introduced in France as staple food. This recipe can claim to be authentically Moroccan, and refers to the magic power of the number 7. It can be made with 7 other vegetables that taste well together. Couscous can be served with other Moroccan food like Moroccan chicken and Moroccan spiced fish, or even with wokked tilapia. Read more couscous recipes. Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Chicken* tajine & quinces

For ➍

1 kg chicken in pieces*

2 quinces

2 yellow or white onions

2 tbs sunflower oil

for the charmoula marinade:

2 tbs olive oil

1 ts turmeric powder

1 ts ginger powder

½ ts cumin powder

¼ ts cardamom powder

½ ts pepper

1 ts paprika powder

1½ ts salt zest of ½ preserved lemon

juice of ½ preserved lemon

pinch of saffron, toasted

1 tbs chopped parsley

1 tbs chopped coriander

5 cl of water

Make the charmoula: chop the zest of your pickled lemon very finely. Squeeze out the pulp with your hands. Saffron threads are crushed into small pieces. Mix with the other herbs, spices and olive oil in a bowl. Heat your tajine** until hot.

Cut onions in half and then into slices. Cut quinces into 6-8 wedges. Pour the sunflower oil into your tajine****. Add the onion slices and make sure they are evenly distributed over the tajine.

Then divide the quince wedges over it. Sprinkle the rest of the charmoula over the tajine with a spoon.

Put the tajine** on a low heat. Let it stew for at least 1 h.

Check after 30 m whether there is still enough moisture in the tajine, as the onions release moisture. If necessary, add a little water.

Serve the tajine warm and traditionally with bread.***

*Cook the recipe with pieces of rabbit. You might to adjust the cooking time.

**For those who don't have a tajine: you can follow the steps above in a sturdy casserole.

Or bake in the oven:: bake the chicken golden brown in a pan and then mix it with half of the charmoula. Take a casserole and place half of your onions in it, then place the chicken, the rest of your onions, the quinces, the rest of your charmoula and the water. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30-45 m.

***Or serve with couscous, rice, bulgur or other grains. In the latter case  pay close attention to the moisture level, you will probably have to add the entire 5 cl of water or even more.

Moroccan chicken

For ➍
1 tbs olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbs chicken broth
salt & pepper
100 g cooked or canned chickpeas
1 tbs honey
50 g golden raisins
50 g toasted almonds
2 ts cinnamon
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled & seeded

Heat the oil. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides.
Add cinnamon, tomatoes, broth and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 m.
Add chickpeas and honey and simmer for an additional 5 m.
Top with toasted almonds.
Serve over rice or couscous.

Read tip on cooking chickpeas.

Couscous & veal shank

For ➍
1 kg veal shank
500 g couscous
1 large sweet onion
150 g chickpeas, soaked or canned
1 butternut squash
2 carrots
1 zucchini
1 l chicken stock
1.5 cinnamon stick
1 tbs ginger powder or ras-el-hanout
1 ts turmeric (or a few strands of saffron)
2 tbs butter or good smen

Cut the rind of the shank pieces to avoid curling.
Peel the onions and chop coarsely. Sauté them in a dash of olive oil at the bottom of the couscoussière or large casserole. Add the veal shank and 1 tbs of butter. Allow to simmer without browning.
Sprinkle the couscous in a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Pour 1 tbs of olive oil over the couscous and mix the grains well together so they do not stick together.
Add the lukewarm water until the grains are well wet, but not dripping. Allow 5 to 7 m to dry. Rub  the couscous loose between the hands so that the grains are detached from each other. Or make couscous according to instructions on the box *.
Season the meat with the cinnamon stick, saffron, ginger powder, pepper and salt. Deglaze the veal shanks with the stock and simmer for 10 m.
Cut the carrots in pieces of 5 cm. Add the carrots. Peel the butternut squash and cut into pieces of 5 by 5 cm. Add the pumpkin. Add the chickpeas (if canned or jar, add 10 m before the end of cooking). Simmer again for 10 m. Add zucchini.
Full cooking time: ± 1h (possibly slightly shorter for the vegetables).
[Meanwhile steam the couscous. Put the grains in the steam basket of the couscousière and place on top of the pot with the meat. Let stand until the couscous is visible through the steam of the dish.
Remove the couscous from the steamer and sprinkle lightly with water. Rub the couscous loose again in the hands. Repeat this process two more times.]
Before serving, add 1 tbs of butter to the couscous.
Serve the couscous in a large bowl with the meat on top. Dress the chickpeas, onion and butternut and vegetables around the veal shanks and pour over a few spoonfuls of the sauce.

Tajine de poulet aux olives et pommes de terre (Moroccan chicken stew with olives & potatoes)

For ➏
1 large chicken
1 kg new potatoes, peeled & cut into pieces
4 medium onions
1 box of 400 gr of green olives (canned)
1 bunch fresh coriander
1 bunch of parsley
1 preserved lemon
cubes chicken stock
ras-el-hanout, saffron, salt & pepper
olive oil

Cut chicken into 8-10 pieces, remove the skin and fat.
Slice the onions, make lightly in a little olive oil in a casserole. Chop the coriander and parsley, add the onions. Mix well.
Brown the chicken pieces in the mixture, salt and pepper.
Crumble the bouillon cubes in the pan, cover with boiling water to cover. Add 2 ts ras-el-hanout and a pinch of saffron.
Simmer for 20 m, then add olives and preserved lemon cut into quarters. Adjust the seasoning.
Continue cooking 20 m, and add the potatoes.
Cook for 20 m more.
Serve with flat bread.

♥︎Moroccan fennel & orange salad

for ➋
1 large fennel bulb, sliced​​, stem too
2 oranges, sliced
bunch radishes, sliced​​
a few mint leaves
seeds of 1 pomegranate
dressing:
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs orange juice
1 tbs orange blossom water
1 ts powdered sugar
1 ts ground cinnamon
some chopped mint leaves

Lay sliced ​​fennel in a circle at the edge of a large scale, put the slices of orange like roof tiles on fennel. Put the slices of radish and the mint leaves to the middle. Finally sprinkle the pomegranate seeds in the middle and along the outer edge.
Mix all other ingredients for the dressing. Sprinkle over the salad.
Put in the refrigerator for 30 m before serving.

Moroccan prawns

For ➋
250 g raw tiger prawns in their shells
2 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ ts ground cumin
¼ ts ground ginger
½ ts paprika
¼ ts cayenne pepper
a bunch of coriander, finely chopped
salt
lemon wedges

Remove the shells, legs, heads and entrails from the prawns. Cut along the backs with the point of a sharp knife and remove the dark thread.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and cook until it becomes aromatic. Stir in the cumin, ginger, paprika and cayenne pepper, heat for about 30 s, then add the prawns.

Fry quickly, stirring, until they turn pink. Stir in the coriander and season with salt, heat for about 30 s.

Dip the prawns into a steady cup with the cooking juices.

Couscous tfaia (chicken couscous with red onion marmalade)

For ➍
tfaia
500 g couscous
1 complete chicken, cut in pieces
1 large tomato
½ ts white pepper
½ ts ginger
¼ ts cinnamon powder
1 small bush coriander
olive oil
pepper & salt
1 l chicken broth

Braise the chicken in olive oil. Add pepper, ginger and cinnamon. Add pepper & salt, the bush of coriander and the chopped tomato.

Add chicken broth, cover and simmer until chicken is done.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous.

Serve the chicken, in a large scale, on top of the couscous and cover the chicken entirely with tfaia.

Tfaia (Moroccan red onion marmalade)

For ➍
1 kg sweet red Spanish onions, cut finely
3 cinnamon sticks
pepper & salt
20 cl honey
olive oil
a few threads of saffron
½ kg soaked dried raisins*

Heat olive oil in a large pan, add onions. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer until onions are reduced and soft.

Add cinnamon, saffron, raisins, pepper & salt. Cover and simmer for about 45 m.

Add honey, pepper & salt.

Serve with chicken or lamb couscous.

*Use 2 skinned and chopped peaches instead.

This red onion marmalade was developed in Moorish Spain and exported to North Africa.

Salata Magribira (Moroccan cold salad)

For ➍
2 cucumbers
5 tomatoes
a handful of fresh coriander
1 lemon
1 tbs thyme
½ ts salt
½ ts pepper
3 tbs soy oil or soft olive oil

Split the cucumbers in half, remove seeds, and cube.

Peel the tomatoes and chop them.

Chop the coriander leaves and mix with the cucumbers and tomatoes.

Add the lemon juice, coriander, thyme and oil. Put in the fridge until ice-cold.

Serve with lukewarm bread.

This very refreshing salad has all the ingredients of a Spanish gazpacho, without being a soup.
Serve it as such, or with a slice of cold meat or chicken.

Moroccan spiced fish

For ➍
4 fillets of firm white fish, 150 g each
8 small firm tomatoes
1 clove garlic, crushed
50 g almonds
Moroccan spice blend
8 leaves basil, shredded
olive oil
salt & fresh pepper
1 l salted water
4 sheets of baking paper or aluminium foil

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Brown almonds. Crush them.

Boil 1 l of salted water. Drop tomatoes in for 30 s. Cool under streaming cold water. Remove peels, seeds and juice.

Cube tomato meat. Add salt and pepper, 1 tbs olive oil, crushed garlic.

Brush some oil on both sides of the fish fillets. Add some salt and pepper.

On each sheet, put 3 tbs of tomato mix, a fish fillet, 2 pinches of spice blend, almonds and ½ tbs of oil.

Close the parcels.

Put in oven for 15 m.

Serve with couscous. Add some fresh herbs, like shredded parsley.

'Ras al hanut', 'spices of the master', consists of ginger, roses, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, pepper grains, and cubeb pepper. Each brand has its own specific blend.

Mehmer (Jewish omelet)

For ➏
8-10 eggs*
500 g potatoes*
250 g canned peas & carrots*/or 3 fresh carrots & a handful of peas
chopped parsley
salt & pepper
3 tbs of olive oil

Boil the peeled potatoes then mash coarsely. Add the peas and carrots, salt and pepper and chopped parsley. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix in with a spoon. Rub oil on a large spring form pan well. Heat over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the the pan and bake at 190°C for 45 m or until the omelet is golden. Allow to cool a bit before serving.**

*Less when serving 4.
**Can be baked in a pan on fire-top for 30 m, turned over for 15 m more.

A classic of the Jewish Moroccan kitchen, it is also made, slightly differently, in Spain as tortilla.
Read more Jewish recipes: lamb meatballs with eggplant sauce.

Kesksou belfoul (couscous with veal meatballs & broad beans)

For ➍
400 g fresh broad beans, cut
ground ginger
1 ts saffron
4 onions
400 g veal meat, minced*
5 slices of bread
1 bush of parsley
2 bushes of coriander
1 egg
1 ts cumin powder
1 ts cinnamon
2 tbs pistachio nuts (not salted), peeled/pistachio kernels**
salt & black pepper

Grate 2 onions, chop the parsley and 1 bush of coriander. Soak 5 slices of bread in water or milk. Press them dry. Mix onions, parsley, bread, meat, egg, ½ ts of cumin, 1 ts of cinnamon, 2 tbs of pistachio nuts**, salt & pepper. Roll the meatballs with wet hands.

Cut 2 large onions. Heat oil in the lower part of the couscoussière (or a deep skillet like a steamer). Add onions, black pepper, 1½ ts of ginger, 1 ts of saffron, 1 bush of coriander and salt. Sauté on low fire. Add 2 l of water (or enough to contain meatballs and beans).

When the broth is boiling, put in the meatballs. Boil for 20 m.

Put the couscous*** on top in the steaming pan. Cover.****

After 10 m, add the broad beans to the broth. Cover.

When ready, put the couscous on a plate.***** Decorate with meatballs and beans.

Serve broth in a separate bowl.

*Use chopped veal instead of meatballs. Cut into chunks, add to the onions, and braise. Add 2 l of water.
**Use pine nuts instead.
***Moisten couscous the traditional way before steaming, or use precooked. Remove couscous when ready.
****Or: steam couscous in another steamer or, when using precooked, add some of the broth to moisten the couscous.
*****Mix ½ tbs of butter through the couscous.

The secret ingredients of these meatballs are pistachio nuts. Native to Persia, their cultivation was spread by the Islamic conquest of the Mediterranean, and used in luxurious sweets. They add an unexpected taste and crunchy bite to the meatballs.

Moroccan fruit salad

For ➍
6 oranges
½ mid-sized watermelon
fresh mint, chopped (to taste)
1 ts cinnamon
2 shots of Grand Marnier Cointreau*

Cut the flesh from the chilled melon into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds and set aside. Fillet 2 oranges and place into bowl with the melon.

Finely chop mint leaves. Add to the fruit.

Make a dressing of freshly squeezed juice of 2 oranges, cinnamon (and Grand Marnier or Cointreau*).

Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss gently until everything is coated.

*Optional.

Moroccan ratatouille

For ➍
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 zucchini, sliced*
2 yellow peppers, cubed
4 tomatoes, skinned & chopped
2 tbs olive oil
bush of fresh coriander, shredded
bush of fresh mint, chopped

Put the sliced zucchini in a large bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. After 1 h rinse mildly.*Heat oil. Add garlic and let the perfume develop.
Add the zucchini and pepper. Bake and stir for 10 m.
Add the tomatoes. Cover the pan and let simmer for 15 m. **
10 m before ending, add the coriander and mint.***
Serve with fresh lukewarm bread (as a vegetarian dish) or with grilled chicken.
Alternatively, put some toasted Moroccan bread in a bowl and pour sauce and vegetables over it.

*You can leave the salt in, add pepper. Original recipe with egg-plant, you could take one of each.
**Up to 1 h, depending on the consistency you want. 1 h gives you a kind of sauce.
***Original recipe with cumin added, as well as salt and pepper.

tip: using preserved lemons

Bottled preserved lemons can be kept in the refrigerator for several months, as long as there is enough pickle to surround them. When using them, rinse the skin thoroughly to remove some of the salt. Chop the lemons, discard the seeds. They will add a salty lemony flavour. Use them in dishes or meals where some lemon would be appropriate.

Add little nubs to grain salads s.a. farro salad or barley pilaf.

Add to salad dressings and sauces. Chopped pieces of preserved lemon can make a salad stand out. or better, mix them through the dressing. Experiment by mixing them in a grilled fish sauce.

Pasta dishes get a boost with the lemons, along with some olive oil and garlic. Top it with seared chicken breast or fish for a full meal.

Tagines and other stews: from the famous chicken tajine to chickpea stews and anything with lamb.