Morocco
Although the best and most popular dishes of Morocco have their roots in peasant and working-class homes, this is a cuisine that shows a remarkable level of sophistication. The subtle use of spices and herbs and the frequent combination of meat and fruit make for an interesting and tasty table and, as in the case of other nations that have contributed large numbers of immigrants to Israel, these dishes have become as beloved in Israel as they are in North Africa.
In perusing the recipes for the dinner that follows, one should not be surprised to find almonds used in three of the dishes. Sometimes used as a fruit, sometimes as a seasoning and sometimes as a condiment, the effect of the almonds is quite different in each case.
Click Any Dish to Reveal Recipe:
1 chicken, about 1 1/2 kgs., quartered
2 medium onions, chopped
100 gr. whole blanched almonds
about 1/2 cup olive oil
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. pepper or more to taste
pinch or two of saffron
salt as required
Make a paste by grinding together 1 Tbsp. of the salt and half the
garlic cloves. Rub the chicken parts on all sides with this mixture.
Rinse well and then pat dry with paper toweling. In a mortar, combine
the remaining garlic with the parsley and pound to a paste. Moisten
the mixture with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and add the saffron and pepper.
With this mixture rub the chicken thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate
for about 24 hours.
Heat 4 Tbsp. of the oil in a heavy flameproof casserole and saute the
onion until just golden. Add the chicken and continue to saute until
the chicken is golden brown on all sides. Add about 2 cups of water,
bring to the boil, cover, reduce the flame and simmer gently for about
45 minutes, turning the chicken several times. Add water if necessary
to prevent the casserole from drying out.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a skillet and fry the almonds until golden brown.
Drain on paper toweling. To serve, spoon the almonds over the chicken,
garnish with the hard-boiled eggs and serve hot.
Serves 4.
400 grams margarine or unsalted butter
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking flour
5-7 cups flour-simply add 5 cups and the remainder
Add gradually until the dough is soft and not sticky
Sift flour; mix all the dry ingredients together (if
you like, you can add up to five cups of flour at first, and then add
additional flour slowly as necessary) (if you want, you can add the
seeds to the five cups of flour and then add more flour gradually as
necessary) cut the butter into small pieces. Mix everything together
to get a fine smooth dough. Make cookies. (Bake the cookies)
It is advisable to add a mixture of seeds-like granular
Sunflower, flax, caraway seeds, anise, whole sesame seeds, sesame seeds
white, black, or possibly poppy seeds.
It's possible coconut, or only sesame.
If you are adding to it many seeds, like in the crisp
Moroccan cookies recipe -One must reduce the quantity of the flour.
And take account the stripe that is usually on the
cookie does not become like a smooth pastry cookie without garnishment.
the greens and stems from 1 kg. beets
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 - 6 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
Wash the beet greens well, shake dry and cut into 1" (2 1/2 cm)
long pieces. Transfer to a saucepan, pour over water to cover and boil
just until tender (about 5-6 minutes). Drain and squeeze out the excess
water.
Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add
the beet tops and continue to saute over a low flame for 15 minutes
longer. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper and
cook over a very low flame for 5 minutes longer. May be served hot or
chilled.
Serves 4.
250 gr. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped finely
1 hot red pepper, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
250 gr. green olives, pitted and chopped finely
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
toast points or cocktail crackers for serving
Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions until translucent. Add
the mushrooms, hot pepper, black pepper and garlic and continue sauteeing
until the onions are golden brown. Add the breadcrumbs and olives and
saute for 2-3 minutes longer, stirring constantly. (Add a bit of olive
oil if the mixture becomes overly dry). Serve hot on toast points or
cocktail crackers.
Serves 4.
2 tablespoons beer yeast
1 kilogram flour
4 cups warm water
Mix all the ingredients together and let them rise for 2 hours. Kneed
dough again, and let the dough rest. Make into balls, with a hole in
the middle (like a doughnut shape) and fry in a deep pot of boiling
oil.
Date cookies with nuts and almonds
Dough ingredients:
200 grams margarine
4 cups of flour
1 package baking powder
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water
Filling ingredients:
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 package dates (like a paste)
100 grams chopped walnuts
100 grams chopped almonds
Put all the dough ingredients together and make a dough.
Put the dough aside for 20 minutes. Mix all the ingredients of the filling.
Take a piece of the dough, flatten it, fill it with teaspoon of filling,
and make a ball. The balls should be put on a baking pan that is covered
with baking paper and put in medium oven for 20 minutes.
Cookies are ready when the bottom turns golden. When
the cookies are cooled, spread with powdered sugar and store in a sealed
box.
This can be spicy (peppery) depending on the quantity
of hot pepper and hot paprika you put in the pot.
4-5 slices fillet of fish (Nile fish, Tuna, or Halibut)
A little oil (smear a little lemon juice and salt and let sit 1/2
hour)
2-3 cleaned red peppers and cut in slices
1/2 hot pepper (pungent pepper) not chopped (for children its possible
to make without)
3 tomatoes peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic peeled and cut in half
4 tablespoons coriander chopped
Sauce:
1/4 cup oil (and put into the oil) - 1 big teaspoon paprika
For sweet - 1/2 teaspoon paprika + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon
chicken soup powder + pinch black pepper
Mix spices well into oil
In a pot with 3-4 spoons of oil, arrange in layers
- sweet red pepper with skin down, on top of this - hot peppers (clean
out seeds in the middle) with skin down, sliced tomatoes, clove of garlic.
Put on low flame and allow the pepper and tomatoes
to produce juice and become soft. After 1/2 hour put the fish fillet
on top of the pan, washing off the salt and lemon juice mixture. Pour
the sauce on top, then one half a cup of boiling water. Seal the cover
almost entirely; leave a small opening to let out steam. After, continue
to cook for 45 minutes then add chopped coriander, and after 10 more
minutes the dish should be finished.
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp. onion, chopped coarsely
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped coarsely
rind of 1/2 orange, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup uncooked rice
Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the celery, onion, parsley and orange
rind and saute for 5 minutes on a low flame. Add the orange juice, 1/2
cup water and salt. Bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the rice, reduce
to a low flame, cover and boil until the rice is tender and the liquids
are absorbed (20-25 minutes). Fluff just before serving.
Serves 4.
375 gr. dates, pitted
1 cup each peeled, ground almonds and sugar
about 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg white
Mix the ground almonds, sugar and egg
white together. Put this mixture in a skillet and cook
over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture
becomes sticky. Add 1 tsp. water and cook 1 minute longer.
Remove from the flame and let cool for several minutes.
With this mixture stuff the dates and roll in confectioners'
sugar. Serve while the filling is hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4.
Sources: Embassy of Israel; Israeli
Foreign Ministry; Ruth's
Kitchen; Manischewitz; Rogov's
Ramblings- Reprinted with permission.
Daniel Rogov is the restaurant
and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz.
He is also the senior writer for Wine
and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary
and wine articles to newspapers in Europe
and the United States.
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