Posts filed under 'Main dishes'
Hergma
For Moroccans, this is classic street breakfast fare, and huge enamelware dishes filled with this rich mixture of chick peas and calf’s foot are a common early-morning sight. Though I love calf’s foot I couldn’t find this dish appetizing on the streets. Luckily a friend agreed to make it for me, for lunch, and it was perfectly exquisite. You can replace the calf’s foot with sheep’s trotters, in which case allow at least one per person. Serves 4-6
ingredients
- 150 g/5 oz husked whole wheat grain
- 2 calf’s feet singed, thoroughly washed and cut across in half
- 250 g/9 oz dried chick peas soaked overnight with 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda added to the water
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried chilies crushed to a coarse powder, or to taste
- sea salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
preparation
- If the wheat grain is not husked, soak it overnight in water.
- Put the cleaned pieces of calf’s foot in a large flameproof casserole or preserving pan and pour in 3 liters/5 ¼ pints water. Bring to boil over a medium high heat, then skim, cover and leave to boil for 45 minutes.
- Add the rinsed and drained chick peas and wheat, the oil, peeled garlic cloves, cumin and powder chilies. Boil, covered, for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the broth has reduced to an unctuous sauce.
- Add sea salt to taste. If the sauce is still runny, increase the heat to high and boil uncovered until reduced. Stir in the paprika. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve very hot with good bread and a selection of refreshing salads.
March 24th, 2007
Qotbane del Kefta
The best kefta I have eaten ware in Tangiers. There I had a charming guide, Rashid, who born and brought up in the medina, and knew every single cafe, restaurant and stall – and, of course, which ones were the best. He took me on a marvelous gastronomic tour of all these tiny places, culminating in a visit to a very old man who make the most exquisite kefta. The recipe below is his. Makes 24 brochettes.
ingredients
- 1 medium sized onion quartered
- 55 g/2 oz each fresh flat leaf parsley and fresh coriander most of bottom stalks discarded
- 2 – 3 springs of fresh mint, leaves only
- 1 kg/2 ½ lb boneless lamb, preferably from the shoulder minced
- 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and paprika
- ½ teaspoon each ground allspice, ras el hanout (optional) and dried chilies crushed to a coarse powder
- sea salt
preparation
- Put the onion, coriander, parsley, and mint in a food processor and process until very finely chopped.
- Put the minced lamb in a mixing bowl and add the chopped onion and herbs, all the spices and sea salt to taste. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. If you have a blender, process the meat mixture in it, in batches, for very short time to make it little smoother.
- Divide the meat into 24 portions. Roll each portion into a ball and warp it tightly around a skewer, squeezing it up and down, to form a sausage 10 – 15 cm/4 –6 in long. Pinch it quite thin at each end.
- Cook the kefta over a charcoal fire or under a preheated hot grill for 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until they are done to your liking. Serve immediately.
February 24th, 2007
Tajen Fatooma
This tortilla-like dish has a delicate lemony taste. The recipe comes from a man in Tetouan who has a delightful little restaurant not far from the superb fish market there. Have the prawns ready to use at room temperature to make user they will heat up thoroughly in the time it takes for the eggs to cook. serve 4
ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 300 g/10 oz fresh coriander most of bottom stalks discarded then finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- sea salt
- juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
- 9 free-range eggs
- ¼ teaspoon dried chilies crushed to a coarse powder, or to taste
- 600 g/1 lb 5 oz medium-sized cooked and shelled tiger prawns.
preparation
- heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan (preferably one from which you can serve at table.) When the oil is hot add the chopped garlic and coriander and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cumin, 350ml/12 fl oz water and salt to taste and stir to mix. Bring to the boil over a medium high heat, then cover and leave to boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has reduced and there is hardly and water left. If necessary, boil uncovered until excess water has evaporated. Add the lemon juice and leave to bubble for another 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs and season them with the crushed chilies and salt to taste.
- Reduce the heat under the pan to low. Add the prawns to the sauce, stir and spread them out evenly. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then add the eggs. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the eggs are set to your liking. Serve immediately.
February 12th, 2007