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Moroccan cuisine is world-renowned and comprised of fresh, healthy ingredients, with influences from Mediterranean, European (particularly French and Spanish), Arabic, and African cultures.
The classic dish is the tagine, a fragrant stew cooked slowly over a charcoal brazier in a shallow clay dish with a conical lid that gives the dish its name. Tagines can be make with almost any kind of meat or fish and are delicately flavored with a range of herbs, spices, and vegetables or dried fruits according to the season and local availability.
Other staples include couscous, a steamed grain accompanied by roasted meats and/or vegetables; harira, a thick tomato-based soup with chickpeas, lentils, and spices; and bastilla, phyllo pastry stuffed with chicken, lemon-cooked vegetables, saffron, and almonds, then topped with cinnamon and sugar. Delicious mint tea finishes the meal, along with delightful pastries and fresh fruit.
Taste Morocco without leaving home by cooking up some of our favorite recipes.
Lamb Tagine with Honeyed Prunes
Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives
Chicken Bastilla Rolls
Moroccan Style Carrots
Harira
Couscous
Lamb Tagine with Honeyed Prunes
serves 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs boneless lamb stew meat
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp paprika
large pinch of saffron threads, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
salt to taste
peel from one orange
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cinnamon sticks
bunch cilantro, chopped
24 pitted prunes
2 tbsp honey
Preparation
1. Mix lamb, cumin, paprika, salt, saffron, olive oil, onion, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Marinate in refrigerator for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Heat 1 further tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the lamb in batches and cook until evenly browned/braised; add more oil as necessary. Transfer the lamb to the tagine and cover.
4. Put marinade in pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, cilantro, and enough liquid (chicken stock or water) to make slightly pourable. Bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove from heat and pour over lamb in tagine. Cover tagine and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour.
5. Put prunes in a saucepan and add enough water to just cover them. Add honey and simmer for 10 minutes. Add to prunes and liquid to tagine.
6. Leave tagine in oven for another 15 minutes. Remove and serve.
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Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives
serves 4
Ingredients
6 small chicken thighs (or 4 large ones)
2 large garlic cloves
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
1 tsp saffron threads
1 finely chopped onion
4 Tbsp olive oil
juice from 1 large lemon
1 cup chicken or veggie stock
1 large sliced lemon
3/4 cup pitted green olives
Preparation
1. Place chicken in a dish. Crush garlic with paprika, cumin, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Mix with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add this mixture to the chicken, stirring well to ensure the chicken is fully coated. Cover and marinate up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in frying pan. Add the chicken and brown evenly. Remove chicken and place in tagine.
4. Add onion to the pan and fry until soft and golden. Add the saffron and stir for 1 minute. Add lemon juice, sliced lemon, and stock. Heat to a simmer. Add the olives. Pour over chicken in tagine. Place in oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning the chicken 2-3 times or until they are tender.
5. Pour the cooking juices into a saucepan and boil until reduced to a sauce. Pour over the chicken and serve.
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Chicken Bastilla Rolls
serves many
Ingredients
5 lbs chicken legs and thighs
3 cups water
1 stick butter
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 red onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 sticks cinnamon
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1/2 lb blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
8 eggs
(optional) 1/4 cup raisins
(optional) 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed well
1 stick of butter, melted and clarified
package of phyllo dough, thawed
Preparation
Making the stuffing
1. Remove skin from chicken and place in large pot. Add 1/2 butter, cilantro, onion, garlic, spices, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a frying pan over medium high heat until slightly browned. Allow to cool, then chop in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and mix in powdered sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Scramble eggs in a bowl and set aside.
4. Remove chicken from the pot to a side bowl to cool. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil until and reduce to about 1 1/2 cups. Decrease heat to low and add eggs. Stir constantly until eggs are cooked and fluffy but still very moist.
5. Remove bones from chicken and tear into smaller pieces. Stir in cooked eggs and almonds. (Optional) Stir in raisins and garbanzo beans.
All steps up to this point can be done in advance. The stuffing will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Making the rolls
1. Clear large work surface. Remove defrosted phyllo dough from package, unroll, and lay flat. Always keep phyllo covered with a slightly moist towel to keep it from drying out.
2. Lay out one sheet of phyllo, brush lightly with butter, then place another sheet on top. Slice phyllo once top to bottom and once side to side, to create four equal sized pieces. Place 2 tbsp of stuffing on each phyllo piece. Roll sides of phyllo over the mixture 1/4" on each side, then roll forward like an egg roll. Brush some butter lightly on the end to seal, and place with the seam down on a cookie sheet. Keep prepared rolls covered with waxed paper while working to keep from drying out.
3. Once all rolls are finished, place in the freezer uncovered for 1 hour. Transfer to air-tight freezer bags.
4. When ready to use, arrange frozen rolls on cookie sheet. Cook in preheated 425F oven for 15 minutes until phyllo turns golden. Arrange on plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon.
Serve hot.
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Moroccan Style Carrots
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" sticks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Preparation
1. Steam carrots until soft but with some firmness (5-10 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and toss with carrots. Refrigerate.
Serve cool or at room temperature.
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Harira
serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped celery leaves
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp smen (or salted butter)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 lb lamb stew meat (shoulder)
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup dried lentils
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
2 lbs red, ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
3 tbsp semolina or all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup water
lemon wedges
Preparation
1. In a large soup pot, cook the onions, parsley, celery leaves, pepper, and turmeric in smen/butter for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, then add the cinnamon, lamb, and chicken. Cook slowly, turning the mixture repeatedly until golden but not browned (about 15 to 20 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, pick over and wash the lentils. In a mortar, pound the cilantro leaves with a little salt into a paste. Add the lentils, cilantro paste, and pureed tomatoes to the pot. Cook 15 minutes over low heat, then pout 1 1/2 quarts water and cook until the lentils are soft and the soup is well blended.
3. Five minutes before serving, salt the soup. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the flour-water mixture. Cook 3 minutes longer, stirring continuously to avoid any flour nuggets forming. Serve at once with lemon wedges
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Couscous
Ingredients
2 quarts water (or beef broth) plus 2 cups to use during couscous procedure
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
4 pounds lamb shoulder or lamb shank, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small bouquet parsley, approximately 1/2 cup
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon black pepper
24 ounces couscous
1 pound green and yellow zucchini cut in half lengthwise
1 pound baby carrots
1 pound potatoes, any kind, peeled and cut into quarters
1/2 head cabbage, diced
1 pound peas, fresh or frozen
2 rutabagas, peeled and diced
2 large turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
1/2 cup butter, softened
(optional) Bay leaves and fresh thyme may be added to the recipe
(optional) 2 to 3 whole jalapenos can be added to the vegetables, then served separately
Preparation
1. Put broth in the couscousiere pot, add the onions, tomatoes, meat, parsley, olive oil, saffron, ginger, salt, and pepper. Boil on medium high heat for 5 to10 minutes. Put the keskes on top of the pot and add couscous slowly. Let the couscous steam for 1/2 hour.
2. After steam starts coming up, take the couscous out of keskes and transfer into a large bowl (gsaa). Break up any clumping grains of couscous with wooden spoon, and cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup cold water on the couscous while it is in the bowl, to make the grains larger and soft. Return to heat and steam for another 30 minutes.
3. Remove the couscous from the pot and transfer to the large bowl. Again, break up any clumps and sprinkle with 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water. Remove the meat from the couscousiere, cover and set aside.
4. Add vegetables to the couscousiere and return the couscous to the keskes and place in the couscousiere. Cook the vegetables and the couscous for 30 to 45 minutes on medium high heat.
5. After the vegetables and couscous are all fully cooked, remove the couscousiere from heat. Return the couscous to a large bowl and add butter.
6. Place the couscous on a platter, forming a hole in the middle of the couscous. Place meat in the hole and top with vegetables. Put sauce around sides of the platter. Serve guests additional sauce in small bowls.
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