Cuisine Focus – Moroccan – A Blended Cuisine
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For anyone who tasted Moroccan food, the experience was absolutely delightful. Characterized as sumptuous and flavorful, Moroccan cuisine brings one into a unique culinary experience, thus making him crave for more. The cuisine’s diversity is due to the influences brought by various cultures such as Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Jewish. Also, Moroccan cuisine’s culinary value is neither defined by change nor rapid growth as it is determined through constant communications outside the borders of Morocco.
Historically speaking, Moroccan cuisine is simply a product of century-old practices and techniques, which are practiced by the experts and cooks of the so called ‘royal kitchens.’ The different eras bring in a wide selection of food items and ingredients, which resulted to the cuisine’s refinement and progress. Foreign settlement and civilizations have prompted the cuisine to change and adapt accordingly. And by the time these culturally-varied people set foot in Morocco, a blended type of cuisine is already in the works. History shows that Morocco served as home to political refugees during the middle Ages. In addition, Muslim refugees and people from the Mediterranean influenced the Moroccans to make use of key ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, cattle, poultry and fish.
Moroccan food is said to be incomplete without its spices. And it is in the biggest markets of Morocco where you can find a number of these items. All of these spices are used to give life to Moroccan dishes, therefore giving traditional meals that distinct taste. As for practices relative to food, the Moroccans consider the mid day meal as the most significant. This mid day meal comprises of salad, tajine, chicken/lamb dish and couscous, which is often served with meat and vegetables. The bread is likewise considered a staple and everyone is expected to have a drink of sweet mint tea at the end of each meal. Couscous meanwhile is considered as the main dish and is an essential part of Moroccan cuisine. With regards to meats, lamb and beef are the most consumed items while seafood is slowly becoming popular nowadays.
Ingredients Utilized in Moroccan Cuisine
Meat:
Beef, Lamb, Seafood, Poultry
Spices:
Saffron, Cinnamon, Cumin, Turmeric, Ginger, Pepper, Paprika, Coriander, Mint, Sesame seeds, Anise seeds
Fruits:
Lemon, Oranges, Dates, Prunes, Apricots
Vegetables:
Chickpeas, Carrots, Tomato, Lentils, Eggplants
Morocco is one place where local produce includes Mediterranean vegetables and fruits. The country is likewise known for producing quantities of poultry, cattle and seafood. Naturally, since these food items are easily available, Moroccan dishes are normally comprised of said ingredients and are used as bases for most of the recipes.
Unlike other cuisines where desserts are often served after each meal, the Moroccans prefer to have seasonal fruits in place of sweets. Common desserts are ‘Halwa Shebakia’ and ‘Kaab el ghzal.’ Also known as Gazelle’s Horns, ‘kaab el Ghzal’ is a type of pastry made with almond paste and sugar. On the other hand, Halwa Shebakia is a deep-fried honey cake, which is usually consumed during the month of Ramadan.
Moroccan cuisine is indeed a blended cuisine. Its roots come from a varied source, filled with many traditions and cultures. And while some could be apprehensive in trying spicy food, Moroccan cuisine will somehow prove these critics wrong.
Authentic Moroccan Recipes
Beef or Lamb Tagine Recipe with Carrots, Olives and Preserved Lemon
Recipe Source: moroccanfood.about.com
This easy Moroccan recipe was taught to me by my mother-in-law, who served it as a family meal with Moroccan bread for scooping everything up. Olives and preserved lemons impart a unique, tangy flavor. If you like things spicy, add a little cayenne pepper to the Moroccan seasoning of ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. Harissa can be offered as a condiment on the side.
Use beef, lamb or goat meat cut into 3″ pieces.
Cooking time is for a pressure cooker. Allow double this time if preparing in a conventional pot, and triple this time if cooking in a clay or ceramic tagine.
Serves 4 to 6.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. (500 to 700g) beef, lamb or goat meat
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- —————————————————-
- 2 lbs. (1 kg) carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 1/2 cup red or green olives
- 1 preserved lemon, cut into quarters and seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon butter
Preparation:
Pressure Cooker Method
Mix the meat with onion, garlic, cilantro or parsley, spices and olive oil in a pressure cooker. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 cups of water, cover, and cook the meat with pressure for 25 minutes if using beef, and about 35 minutes if using lamb or goat meat.
Add the carrots, adding water if necessary so that the broth almost reaches the top of the carrots. Cover and cook with pressure for about 10 minutes. Add the olives, preserved lemon and the teaspoon of butter, and reduce the sauce until it is quite thick.
Conventional Pot Method
Mix the meat with onion, garlic, cilantro or parsley, spices and olive oil in a Dutch oven or pot. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 cups of water, cover, and simmer the meat for about 1 hour if using beef, and about 1 1/2 hours if using lamb or goat meat. Occasionally check on the level of the broth, and add more water if necessary during the cooking.
Add the carrots and enough water so that the broth almost reaches the top of the carrots. Cover and simmer the carrots until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add the olives, preserved lemon and the teaspoon of butter, and continue simmering, uncovered, to reduce the sauce until it is quite thick.
Clay or Ceramic Tagine Method
Slice the onion instead of chopping it, and tie the parsley or cilantro into a bouquet instead of chopping it. Omit the butter.
Pour about half of the olive oil into the base of a tagine. Distribute the onions over the bottom and then arrange the carrots on top of the onions.
In a bowl, mix the meat with the garlic and spices. Place the meat in the middle of the tagine, bone or fatty sides down. Swirl 1 cup of water in the bowl to rinse the spices, and then add this water and the remaining olive oil to the tagine.
Top the meat with the parsley bouquet and distribute the olives and preserved lemon wedges over the meat and carrots.
Cover the tagine and place on a diffuser over medium-low to medium heat and allow the tagine to reach a simmer. This can take some time so be patient. Once a simmer is achieved, reduce the heat to the lowest temperature necessary to maintain the simmer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat and carrots are very tender.
Vegetable Couscous
Recipe Source: moroccancuisine.net
Ingredients:
* 2 cups dried chick peas
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 1 small stick cinnamon
* 200 g eggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes
* 3 medium carrots, cut in 5 mm rounds
* 3 medium new potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes
* 150 g pumpkin, cut into 1 cm cubes
* 1/4 teaspoons allspice
* 3 teaspoons harissa, or to taste
* cups boiling water
* 100 g small stringless beans, cut in 5 cm diagonal slices
* 2 zucchini, unpleed, cut in 1 cm rounds
* 1 medium, ripe tomato, cut into eight pieces
* 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaved parsley
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander ground pepper
Couscous
* 1 cup couscous
* 3/4 cup boiling water
* 2 teaspoons butter
Preparation:
Cover chick peas with cold water, overnight.Drain, wash well and cook in large pan, on low simmer for 1 1/2 hours Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan and cook onion and cinnamon stick over low heat until onion softens. Add eggplant, carrots and potatoes cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.Add pumpkin, allspice and Harissa.Pour boiling water over mixture and add chick peas, beans and zucchini.
Stir in tomato and pepper just before serving, Simmer, covered for a further 15 minutes. Garnish with the fresh parsley and coriander.
To prepare Couscous: Pour boiling water on to 1 cup couscous in a bowl.Stir in butter and allow to stand for about 10 minutes
Steam in a pan with a close-fitting lid on low heat for 5 minutes.Serve with vegetables.Note: Couscous is the name given to both the cooked dish and the semolina. HINT It is not necessary to salt eggplant before cooking to remove any bitter juices if eggplant is young and fresh.
Image Credit: all-about-food.blogspot.com
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