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Khalil

The foods of Morocco take great advantage of the natural bounty of a country where eating is both a practical and social ritual. The cooks in the kitchens of the four royal cities (Fez, Meknes, Marrakech and Rabat) helped to refine Moroccan cuisine and create the basis for what we know as Moroccan cuisine today. The midday meal is the main meal, except during the holy month of Ramadan, and abundant servings are the norm. The meal usually begins with a series of hot and cold salads which are followed by a tagine, or stew. The heartiest plate, often a lamb or chicken dish, is next, followed by a heaping plate of couscous topped with meats and vegetables. A soothing cup of sweet mint tea is the grace note to this repast. It is not uncommon for Moroccans to eat using the first three fingers of a hand, and to use bread as a "utensil."

The strong Arab influence found in two of the royal cities, Fez and Marrakech, contributed greatly to Moroccan cuisine, as did the Andalusian sensibilities of Tetuan and the Jewish traditions from the coastal city of Essaouira. Aspects of all of these cultures can be found in four of the best-loved Moroccan dishes: couscous, plumped semolina grains which are served with a variety of toppings; bisteeya, a delectable three-layer pie which is both savory and sweet and wrapped in the thinnest of pastry; mechoui, tender roasted lamb; and djej emshmel, succulent roasted chicken cooked with olives and lemon.

While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many commonly-used raw ingredients are home-grown: mint and olives from Meknes, oranges and lemons from sunny Fez, prickly pear from Casablanca and shad from the Sebou river. Also cultivated in Morocco are pomegranates, almonds, dates, walnuts, chestnuts, honey, barley, cherries and melon. Seafood is abundant along the Atlantic coast while lamb and poultry are raised on higher ground.

The Moroccans are quick to point out that the best meals are found not in the restaurants but in the homes. In this land of good and abundant food, the emphasis is clearly on preparing your own. It is worth mentioning that women do virtually all of the cooking in this very traditional country.

Khalil

Key Ingredients

Moroccan cuisine is rich in spices, only natural when you consider the ages-old spice trade from Arabia to North Africa. Spices here are used to enhance, not mask, the flavor of food. The following spices are among the most commonly used.

cinnamon
found in bisteeya, couscous and many desserts

cumin
ground cumin is among the most flavorful spices used and is common in meats, lamb and chicken

turmeric
always found in harira soup, a rich, hearty soup which is the evening meal during Ramadan

ginger
found in many tagines (stews)

cayenne
popular in the dishes of southern Morocco

paprika
usually in tomato dishes and vegetable tagines

anise seed
found in breads and cookies

sesame seed
used in breads, desserts and as a garnish for savory dishes saffron

black pepper
Spices found with less frequency in Moroccan cuisine include allspice, caraway, cloves, coriander seeds and licorice. Ras el hanout is a mixture of many spices (often 20 to 30) which is used to flavor dishes as well.

Herbs also play an important role in Moroccan food, chief among them the following:

parsley
a liberal sprinkling is used in tagines

green coriander
the leaves, not the seeds, are often used in tagines to give them a unique flavor

marjoram, grey verbena and mint
often used in teas

fragrant waters
orange flower water and rosewater are used in cakes, sweets, tagines and salads

basil
The Moroccan table also makes good use of the following ingredients:

onions
Spanish onions are popular

garlic
often used in honey dishes to balance the flavor

lemons
especially pickled lemons

eggs
a very popular element; curdled eggs are used in bisteeya, while vegetables and chicken are often coated with eggs

honey
used in glazed dishes, desserts, poultry stuffings and tagines

couscous
the grain as well as the dish is ubiquitous

chick-peas
used in hummus, couscous dishes and tagines

bread
heavier Arab bread and the lighter pita bread are both edible and functional when eating with the fingers

olives

buttermilk

Khalil

Moroccan Favorites

You are probably quite likely to find the following items at a Moroccan diffa, or banquet. If so, consider yourself lucky, for you'll be eating some of the most delicious food around. If invitations are in short supply, you can always prepare them yourself at home.

Salads
A fresh, cool salad is often served at the start of a meal. Among the most commonly served are a tomato and green pepper salad (similar to the Spanish gazpacho), a mixed herb salad, eggplant salad or a salad redolent with oranges, which the Moroccans grow in large quantity.

Bisteeya
This traditional savory pastry is made in three layers: a layer of shredded chicken is topped with eggs which are curdled in a lemony onion sauce and further topped with a dusting of sweetened almonds. The whole is enclosed in tissue-thin pastry called warka and topped by a layer of cinnamon and sugar. It is believed that this fine pastry (similar to the pastry used for Chinese spring rolls) came from the Persians, who likely learned to prepare it from the Chinese.

Couscous
These are fine semolina grains which are plumped by steaming them over a simmering stew. The grains are then piled on a large platter, with the stew heaped on top. This is a classic Berber dish which has seen many interpretations. Traditionally, couscous is served for Friday lunch or for special occasions. It is never a main dish, rather it is served as the last dish at the end of a meal. A "couscous of seven vegetables" is common in Fez, where seven is considered a lucky number. The seven "lucky" vegetables are onions, pumpkin, zucchini, turnips, chili peppers, carrots and tomatoes.

Fish
Both fresh and salt water fish grace the Moroccan table. While it is commonly prepared as a stew, it is sometimes fried and often stuffed. A popular fish tagine, which is prepared with potatoes, tomatoes and green peppers, shows a strong Andalusian influence. The Moroccans believe that in a tagine, the sauce is everything!

Poultry
Some of the tastiest dishes in Moroccan cookery involve chicken, which can be steamed, broiled or fried and is often accompanied with vegetables. Chicken with lemon and olives is the classic preparation, while a chicken tagine cooked with butter, onions, pepper, saffron, chick-peas, almonds and lemon is also popular. Chickens are also prepared stuffed with raisins, almonds, rice or eggs, but when you consider the experimental nature of Moroccan cooks, perhaps it's all of the above!

Meat
Lamb is king on the Moroccan table, especially roasted lamb, which is as tender and flavorful as you will find. It can also be braised, browned, steamed or served on skewers, the latter commonly known as shish kebab. Kefta is lamb or beef which has been generously spiced, then rolled into the shape of a sausage, placed on a skewer and broiled; when it is rolled into meatballs, it is used in tagines. Lamb tagines are prepared with a cornucopia of vegetables and some even use fruit.

Desserts
Sweets aren't always served at the end of a Moroccan meal, but when they are, it might well be one of the following: "gazelle's horns" are a croissant-like pastry which is stuffed with almond paste and topped with sugar, while honey cakes are pretzel-shaped pieces of dough which are deep-fried, dipped into a piping-hot pot of honey and then sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Tea
Moroccan tea may be the main reason why desserts are an uncommon treat after a meal: this tea IS dessert! Green tea is steeped and then laced with sugar and fresh spearmint. The resulting brew is a minty, syrupy-sweet taste which isn't for everyone.

Khalil

Recipes

The following recipes have been provided by the cultural section of the Moroccan Embassy in Washington, D.C. Enjoy!

Bisteeya
serves 12

Note: this dish is made of fine layers of almost transparent pastry called warka, akin to the pastry used for Chinese spring rolls.

2 chickens (about 4 1/2 lbs. of meat)
6 C. chopped parsley
3 lbs. onions
8 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. saffron (crushed saffron flowers)
12 oz. almonds (and oil to fry them)
1 C. sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Wash the chickens and put whole in a thick-bottomed saucepan with the salt, chopped parsley, grated onions, pepper, saffron, cinnamon and sugar. Add a small amount of water, and add more if there is no liquid left before the chickens are cooked. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time.

Take out the chickens when cooked, removing any stuffing which may have gotten inside. Allow the stuffing to cook longer, stirring constantly until all the water has evaporated. Add the eight beaten eggs and stir constantly, then remove from heat. Cut up the chicken meat. Skin the almonds and fry them in oil until they begin to color, then turn into a strainer. Crush the almonds coarsely in a mortar or through a vegetable sieve, using the widest grid. Mix with a little sugar. Add three tablespoons of the oil used to fry the almonds to the stuffing, putting the remainder of the oil aside.

To complete the bisteeya you can use a round, tin-lined copper utensil ("tbsil dyal bisteeya") with a diameter of about 19 inches. Oil the bottom and sides of this or a baking dish. Cover the dish with a first layer of twelve sheets of pastry, shiny side down, overlapping them and sticking them with beaten egg yolks. Make sure that the outer sheets hang over the edge of the dish. Cover with a second layer to strengthen, then a layer of stuffing,, another layer of pastry (but without going over the edges of the dish), then the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle with the crushed almonds. Fold back towards the center the pastry which overlaps the edge of the dish, sticking them together with beaten egg yolks. Place two more layers of pastry, shiny surface up, overlapping them again and with the edges hanging over the edge of the dish. Tuck these edges under the bottom of the bisteeya as if making a bed. Brush surface and edges with egg yolks and oil remaining from the almonds. You now have a flat pie about two inches thick.

Cook the bisteeya in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out onto a baking sheet, and about 15 to 20 minutes before serving, brush with oil again, put back in the oven and brown the other side. To serve, turn the bisteeya out onto a large plate, sprinkle the top liberally with powdered sugar and finish off with fine criss-crossing lines of powdered cinnamon.

Khalil

Harira Soup

serves 4

Note: this hearty Moroccan soup, of Berber origin, is typically served as the evening meal during the holy month of Ramadan. It is an excellent cold-weather soup.

1 C. chick peas/garbanzo beans
1 C. lentils
1 C. dried peeled fava beans
1 1/2 C. white flour
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. rice
1/2 C. vermicelli
2 T. tomato paste
1 lb. plum tomatoes, peeled
1 medium to large onion
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 small bunch parsley
2 sticks celery
4 quarts water (continue to add water as it evaporates)
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. yellow root ("kharqoum"), often used in Indian cuisine
1 T. salt
2 cloves garlic

Chop all the ingredients finely and place them in a large pot (note that the chick peas need to be soaked overnight to ensure their cooking well with the other ingredients). Save the vermicelli and the flour for the last stage. Let the soup boil for 40 minutes. When the chick peas are cooked, add the vermicelli. Mix the flour in a bowl with warm water until it is liquefied and there are no lumps. Add some lemon juice and pour the mixture into the pot very slowly while stirring with a large wooden spoon. The result should be a thick soup; add more flour if it is too watery. Add a raw egg to the soup if desired.

Khalil

Mechoui

serves 8-10

Note: this roasted lamb dish is usually served for special occasions or on religious holidays.

7-8 lbs. lamb (shoulder and rib portion is best)
1 T. paprika
1 t. cumin
4 ozs. melted butter
salt to taste

Rinse the meat. Mix together the paprika, cumin, butter and salt and spread over the lamb. Loosen some of the skin just under the shoulder and put a little of the mixture inside. Cook in a moderately hot oven with the fleshy part of the meat facing down. Add a glass of water and baste with the resulting juices from time to time so that the meat does not become dry. After two hours, turn the meat over and cook the other side until golden brown. Continue cooking for another thirty minutes, then remove once you have checked that the meat is tender enough to be torn off with the fingers. Arrange on a dish without the gravy. Eat while piping hot, seasoned with cumin and salt.

Khalil

Mint Tea

serves 4-8

Note: this tea is typically served in small, slender glasses.

green tea
sugar cubes
fresh mint sprigs
water

Rinse a large teapot with two quarts of hot water. Place two or three teaspoons of green tea in the pot and pour a little boiling water over it; remove the water afterwards. Add lump sugar to taste (usually 20 cubes for a large teapot) and fill the teapot halfway with boiling water. Add fresh mint sprigs and let steep for several minutes. Serve the tea in the glasses.

All photos courtesy of the Moroccan Embassy in Washington, D.C.