The
midday meal is the main meal, except during the holy month of Ramadan,
and abundant servings are the norm. The meal usually begins with a series of hot
and cold salads which are followed
by a tagine, or stew. The heartiest plate, often a lamb or chicken dish,
is next, followed by a heaping plate of couscous topped with meats and
vegetables. A soothing cup of sweet mint tea is the grace note to this repast.
It is not uncommon for Moroccans to eat using the first three fingers of a hand,
and to use bread as a "utensil."
Spice it up!
Moroccan cuisine is rich in spices,
only natural when you consider the ages-old spice trade from Arabia to North
Africa. Spices here are used to enhance, not mask, the flavor of food.
Moroccan Favorites
You are probably quite likely to find
the following items at a Moroccan diffa, or banquet. If so, consider yourself
lucky, for you'll be eating some of the most delicious food around. If
invitations are in short supply, you can always prepare them yourself at home.
Bisteeya
This traditional savory pastry is made in three layers: a layer of shredded
chicken is topped with eggs which are curdled in a lemony onion sauce and
further topped with a dusting of sweetened almonds. The whole is enclosed in
tissue-thin pastry called warka and topped by a layer of cinnamon and sugar. It
is believed that this fine pastry (similar to the pastry used for Chinese spring
rolls) came from the Persians, who likely learned to prepare it from the
Chinese.
Couscous
These are fine semolina grains which are plumped by steaming them over a
simmering stew. The grains are then piled on a large platter, with the stew
heaped on top. This is a classic Berber dish which has seen many
interpretations. Traditionally, couscous is served for Friday lunch or for
special occasions. It is never a main dish, rather it is served as the last dish
at the end of a meal. A "couscous of seven vegetables" is common in Fez, where
seven is considered a lucky number. The seven "lucky" vegetables are onions,
pumpkin, zucchini, turnips, chili peppers, carrots
and tomatoes.
Desserts
Sweets aren't always served at the end of a Moroccan meal, but when they are, it
might well be one of the following: "gazelle's horns" are a croissant-like
pastry which is stuffed with almond paste and topped with sugar, while honey
cakes are pretzel-shaped pieces of dough which are deep-fried, dipped into a
piping-hot pot of honey and then sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Fish
Both fresh and salt water fish grace the Moroccan table. While it is commonly
prepared as a stew, it is sometimes fried and often stuffed. A popular fish
tagine, which is prepared with potatoes, tomatoes and green peppers, shows a
strong Andalusian influence. The Moroccans believe that in a tagine, the sauce
is everything!
Meat
Lamb is king on the Moroccan table, especially roasted lamb, which is as tender
and flavorful as you will find. It can also be braised, browned, steamed or
served on skewers, the latter commonly known as shish kebab. Kefta is lamb or
beef which has been generously spiced,
then rolled into the shape of a sausage, placed on a skewer and broiled; when it
is rolled into meatballs, it is used in tagines. Lamb tagines are prepared with
a cornucopia of vegetables and some even use fruit.
Poultry
Some of the tastiest dishes in Moroccan cookery involve chicken, which can be
steamed, broiled or fried and is often accompanied with vegetables. Chicken with
lemon and olives is the classic preparation, while a chicken tagine cooked with
butter, onions, pepper, saffron, chick-peas, almonds and lemon is also popular.
Chickens are also prepared stuffed with raisins, almonds, rice or eggs, but when
you consider the experimental nature of Moroccan cooks, perhaps it's all of the
above!
Salads
A fresh, cool salad is often served at the start of a meal. Among the most
commonly served are a tomato and green pepper salad (similar to the Spanish
gazpacho), a mixed herb salad, eggplant salad or a salad redolent with oranges,
which the Moroccans grow in large quantity.
Tea
Moroccan tea may be the main reason why desserts are an uncommon treat after a
meal: this tea IS dessert! Green tea is steeped and then laced with sugar and
fresh spearmint. The resulting brew is a minty, syrupy-sweet taste which isn't
for everyone.
Source:www.sallys-place.com
Morocco: Menus & Recipes from Africa
MOROCCO
