morrocan stew! MmmMmm

[aveoamare]

i'm having company over saturday, and i want to make something impressive but not scary. I LOVE morocan stew, but there's so many different recipes I dont really know where to start. Does anyone have a good recipe for a really good (none overwhelming) morocan stew? I'm thinking lamb and eggplant as the main ingredients.

I also want a good salad that fits the theme. I know couscous is the obvious choice, but does anyone else have any suggestions?

thanks in advance!

[Suzanne]

Funny you should ask. I'm in the middle of working on a couple of books of Algerian recipes -- pretty close to Moroccan. And that inspired me to make a North African-style lamb stew last weekend. While I can't give you an exact recipe from the the books, the idea is: make a basic lamb stew (lamb, onion, garlic, S&P, water, chopped cilantro, chunks of carrots if you like) adding sweet spices such as cinnamon, ground ginger, maybe some cumin (not sweet but typical of the area). Grill eggplant slices, then gently combine with the stew before serving. Couscous is of course the perfect starch to go with, but rice works, too. And if you want to stretch the dish, add some cooked chickpeas to the stew.

If you don't think it would be too scary, instead of adding eggplant, you could add some dried apricots when cooking the stew, and some chunks of roasted winter squash.

As for a salad, greens in a vinaigrette (add cumin) with orange slices and slivers of sweet onion would complete the meal. A variety of vegetable salads (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes if you can get decent ones) make a nice start, and pita for bread.

[Ishbel]

Here's a vegetable tagine recipe that tastes really good!


This is a really tasty vegetarian dish and is wonderful if left to mature for a couple of days. It can also be frozen. Serve with cous cous to soak up the juices. It is a good side dish to other Moroccan dishes.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 aubergine, cut into 4cm chunks
400g can chopped Italian tomatoes
2 tsp Harissa paste (or a bit more if you like it spicy!)
1 parsnip, cut into 2.5cm chunks
1 sweet potato, cut into 2.5cm chunks
150g pack semi dried pitted soft apricots

To garnish: 50g roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Good handful fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped

In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil and gently cook the onion for 4-5 minutes, until starting to soften. Stir in the cinnamon and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the aubergine and cook for a further 5 minutes until it has started to soften.
Add the chopped tomatoes, 300ml boiling water and the harissa. Season, then stir in the parsnip, sweet potato and apricots. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender.

Garnish with the chopped almonds and parsley, I serve it with a lemon flavoured cous cous.

[KYHeirloomer]

Keep in mind that low and slow are the watchwords for any North African stew. Morroco, in particular, is the heartland of braising. Most Morrocan recipes work best in an actual tagine. But, barring that, a heavy Dutch oven will work. Low heat and long cooking are the keys.

Here's a T&T recipe fromDorinda Hafner's A Taste of Africa you might find suitable:

Morrocan Tagine of Lamb w/Pumpkins, Veggies & Fruit

2 lb stewing lamb, roughly chopped
4 arlic cloves, chopped fine
2 sm onions, coarsely chopped
1 tsp cayenne
salt
4 tbls vegetable oil
1 tbls turmeric
8-10 tomatoes, peeled & diced
1-2 red chilies (optional)
1 tbls raisins
1 lb pumpkin, peeled & coarsely chopped*
2 lb green beans, halved
Juice of half lemon

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the meat, garlic, onions, salt, pepper, oil, turmeric, tomatoes and chilies in a deep baking dish. Mix well. Cover and bake about 45 minutes. Add the raisins and cook another 15 minutes. Stire in the pumpkin, beans and lemon juice, cover again, and cook an additional 1-1 1/2 hours until meat is tender and cooked. Serve hot with couscouse or saffron rice.

I've adapted this recipe to work in my tagine, on top of the stove, and believe you could use a Dutch oven that way as well, if you prefer rangetop cooking. Just keep the flame low, and expect to cook the stew longer, rather than shorter.

*Because African sweet pumpkins are rarely available, I substitute butternut squash in this and similar recipes.

[Ishbel]

I remember buying 2 very heavy tagines in Morocco and bringing them back in my hand luggage, via Heathrow airport. Never again! Nowadays, I could buy them for about a third the cost, here in the UK.

[aveoamare]

thanks guys, i'll let you know what i go with on saturday =) i'm still thinking it over.

and you know, buying a tagine is very simple on the internet. no need to lug it in your handbag =) not that i have room for a tagine in my crowded little kitchen lol

[KYHeirloomer]

Originally Posted by aveoamare

not that i have room for a tagine in my crowded little kitchen lol

That's what I thought. Until I bought one.

You'd be surprised how you can find room for the things you really want.

[Ishbel]

Originally Posted by aveoamare

and you know, buying a tagine is very simple on the internet. no need to lug it in your handbag =) not that i have room for a tagine in my crowded little kitchen lol

I know. But it was 20 years ago when I first encountered Moroccan and Algerian foods and brought those tagines home.... WAAAAY before they became a designer cooking pot!