Posts filed under 'Soups'
Harira
Harira seems to be every Moroccan’s favorite late afternoon snack. Moreover it is what is first eaten when the fast during Ramadan is broken. Harira is normally served with a sweet accompaniment such as dates or Tressed Pastries, but it is sometimes eaten with a savory dish such as potato cakes, instead of diced lamb. The chick peas can be replaced with dried split broad beans or lentils and the vermicelli with short-grain rice, rinsed before use, or m’hamssa (big couscous grains.) served 4-6
ingredients
- 75 g/2 ½ oz dried chick peas soaked overnight with ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda added to the water.
- 250 g/9 oz lamb neck fillets cut small cubes.
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 55 g/2 oz fresh flat-leaf parsley most of bottom stalks discarded then very finely chopped
- pinch of saffron filaments crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- sea salt and finely ground black pepper
- 1 x 400 g/14 oz can Italian plum tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 55 g/2 oz butter
- 55 g/2 oz vermicelli broken into 2 cm/ ¾ in pieces
- 55 g/2 oz fresh coriander most of bottom stalks discarded then very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon tomato puree
- juice of 2 lemons, or to taste
- 3 – 4 tablespoons plain flour
preparation
- Drain and rinse the chick peas. Spread them on a clean cloth, cover them with another cloth and, with a rolling pin, crush lightly to split them in half and loosen their skin. Out them in a bowl of water and stir with your hand. The skins should float to the surface, which will make them easy to remove and discard.
- Put the drained chick peas into a large saucepan. Add the lamb, onion, parsley, spices, 1 teaspoon pepper, the tomatoes and their juice, and 3 liters/ 5 ¼ pints water. Bring to the boil. Drop in the butter, cover and leave to medium high heat for 1 hour.
- Stir in the vermicelli, coriander, tomato puree and lemon juice. Reduce the heat under the pan to low.
- Mix the flour with 240 ml/ 8 fl oz water. Dribble this mixture into the soup, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. The soup should thicken to a velvety consistency. Add sea salt to taste and simmer for a few more minutes, or until the vermicelli is cooked. Check the seasoning, then serve very hot.
June 8th, 2007
Beyssara
Beyssara, or Beyssar, depending on who you speak to, is a street-breakfast staple, somewhere between a thick soup and a thin puree. In Marrakesh it is cooked in large, round earthenware jars which are balanced over charcoal fires in a tilted position. The narrow opening of the jar faces the cool and he ladles the soup out into bowls using a long handled spoon. Serves 4-6
ingredients
- 250 g/9 oz dried split broad beans, soaked overnight with 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda added to the water
- 2 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoons each ground cumin and paprika
- scant ½ teaspoon dried chillies crushed to a coarse powder, or taste
- sea salt
- extra virgin olive oil
preparation
- Rinse the broad bean, which will have swelled to twice original size, and put them in a large saucepan. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and the spices and cover with water (about 2 liters / 3 ½ pints). Bring to the boil over a medium high heat, then cover the pan and leave to boil for 30 minutes or until the broad beans have turned into a mush.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
- Discard the garlic and add sea salt to taste. Pour into a shallow serving bowl, drizzle olive oil all over and sprinkle with a little more cumin. Serve very hot, with more oil and cumin for those who like it.
December 25th, 2006
Harira Krawiya
This is a wonderfully refreshing soup that can be served hot or cold (although the later is not tradition.) It has a rather unusual taste and a slightly crunchy texture because of the caraway seeds. It is generally served with baked lambs’ heads, which are main feature of street breakfasts. The soup to counteract the rather rich meat of the heads.
ingredients
- 6 tablespoons plain flour
- ¼ teaspoon mastic
- 4 or 5 springs of fresh mint
- 1 ½ tablespoons caraway seeds
- sea salt
- juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
- lemon wedges to serve
preparation
- Bring 2 liters (3 ½ pints) of water to boil in large saucepan, then remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour and powdered mastic with 300 ml (1/2 pint) cold water to produce a smooth milky liquid. Pour this slowly into the hot water, strring continuously so that it dose not form lumps. Return to medium high heat and bring back to the boil, still stirring.
- Add the mint, ground caraway and salt to taste. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve hot or cold, with lemon wedges on the side.
December 4th, 2006