Taste the exotic dishes of Morocco right here at home with recipes
|Cinnamon-dusted orange slices, a wide variety of dates, and tangy preserved lemons served with succulent green olives were among the flavor combinations I experienced during a recent visit to Morocco, a country of breathtaking beauty in North Africa. I have attempted to reproduce a few dishes to share with readers who would like to taste something of this exotic place.
My 12-day trip with Odysseys Unlimited included my daughter, Sascha, and me with six other Americans and included most meals as we traveled in an air-conditioned minivan along ancient caravan routes to Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Marrakech and in the High Atlas Mountains and in the Sahara Desert.
Shopping in Morocco’s souks reveals ancient North African people and customs
We were advised not to drink or brush our teeth in tap water, but bottled water was available at every meal and in hotels, as well as in a cooler in our vehicle. Residents, however, have not encountered any problems with public water. Wine and other adult beverages, forbidden to Muslims, are offered to tourists but are never served within sight of a mosque, where the Muslim population prays five times a day.
Every meal and many transactions begin with an offering of hot mint tea, poured from above into small embossed glasses with a rim that keeps the heat from burning the hands. Usually it is very sweet, but you can request it without sugar.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are widely available, but I ate them cooked and avoided lettuce and foods washed in local water.
The domed earthenware tagine gives its name to a common stew of seemingly endless variety. The meat is often lamb but can be chicken, beef or even camel. It’s never pork, because like alcohol, pork is forbidden for Muslims. It is necessary to show restraint for the numerous vegetable dishes cooked with beets, eggplants, potatoes and spinach presented as starters in small tagines before the main course is placed on the table to be sharing.
The meat is buried in the middle of the tagine as it cooks with a combination of sweet and savory vegetables and spices. Think dried apricots, cinnamon, nutmeg and sliced almonds browned in butter prepared with lamb, saffron, turmeric, tomato paste and green onions or roast beef cooked with prunes and figs. Herbs and lemon juice are in everything, as are green olives.
A Dutch oven or heavy frying pan with a lid can replace a tagine.
Couscous, considered the national dish of Morocco, is traditionally served on Fridays after midday prayers. It is often part of the tagine.
Ras el hanout, a blend of herbs and spices added to many dishes, was one of my purchases to bring back from Marrakech after discovering it at Herboristerie Almas in the city’s medina.
I also found a recipe for this fragrant mixture that can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to a month. Its components add a delicious sweet but earthy flavor to chicken and many other dishes.
Both the rose water and preserved lemons can be ordered online. Rose water can be used as a facial spray, to scent the air, or to spritz fresh orange slices before sprinkling with cinnamon.
Candied lemons are dried in salt with sugar and stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar for six months. Lemons soften when pickled and, when used, add a lemony burst to a multitude of dishes, stews and even sandwiches.
Odysseys Unlimited runs dozens of small group tours around the world. The next 12-night discovery tours of Morocco will take place in March and April. Learn more at Odysseys-Unlimited.com and 888-370-6765.
Recipes
Head of Hanout
(Makes 12 servings)
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
Mix salt, cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, white pepper, coriander, cayenne pepper, allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl until ‘to homogeneity. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Candied lemons
Ingredients
10 whole lemons, organic if possible
½ cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
2-½ cups lemon juice
2 dry bay leaves
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
Instructions
Cut the tops and bottoms of the washed lemons. Keeping the lemons upright, cut them into quarters but leave them attached at the bottom.
Spread the lemons and stuff them with the salt-sugar mixture, rolling them in the mixture once cooked.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Transfer the salted lemons and their juice to a large sterilized canning jar.
Squeeze the lemons firmly into the jar.
Add peppercorns and a few dry bay leaves.
Add fresh lemon juice to fill the jar and cover the lemons (you will use the juice of 8 more lemons or 2 ½ cups fresh lemon juice). Make sure to submerge the lemons so that the lemon juice covers the entire top.
Cover the jar tightly and refrigerate for 3 weeks and up to 1 month before consuming.
The lemons will soften and blend as they sit in the pickling liquid. Salt-preserved lemons can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Quick chicken tagine
Ingredients
4 pounds of chicken thighs
3 tablespoons of ras el hanout
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 preserved lemon, sliced
¼ cup raisins
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup green olives
½ cup low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
Dry the chicken pieces, then season lightly with salt.
Rub the ras el hanout spice mixture over the chicken pieces, rolling them in if there is any left.
Leave at room temperature for 40 to 45 minutes or, if you have time, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Heat some high-quality extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven until shimmering but not smoking, then brown the chicken well on both sides. If the skin is present, start by browning the skin side, then turn it over.
Reduce the heat and add the onions, garlic and coriander.
Let them sweat briefly, then add the lemons, olives and dried fruit. Add the chicken broth.
Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked and registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
For garnish, add more fresh coriander and toasted almonds.
— Recipes adapted from mediterraneandish.com