I’ve long been a fan of Morocco, I’ve visited a number of times and, in fact, also helped with publicity for the Moroccan Tourist Office here in the UK.
About Moroccan Food
Moroccan food is fabulous.
Spicy and scented, fruity and sweet, offering creative combinations of cumin and ginger, honey and cinnamon, saffron and rose, chillies and turmeric, nuts, marinated olives and preserved lemons, served in painted, earthenware bowls and tagines…
It’s no wonder the food of Morocco has been described as its “perfumed soul”.
Freshly baked or griddled bread, sweetmeats and fruit are offered to greet guests, and wherever you go a glass of hot, sweet mint tea is the essence of hospitality.
Morocco, the land of the setting sun, is the western part of the Arab world and a geographical door to the rest of Africa. Its cooking traditions have been shaped by invaders and settlers from the ancient Romans and Arabs to the Ottomans, Spaniards and the French. This rich history and culinary culture are vividly displayed as you travel through the country.
It has its roots in Africa but its branches touch the Mediterranean.
The Moroccan Cookbook by Ghillie Basan
This is the culmination of years of research, an evocative volume by this award-winning author and cook explores the history and customs of Morocco, as well as the local ingredients, and presents a mouthwatering selection of more than 145 classic recipes.
The vibrant location photographs are by adventurer Alice Morrison, who lives in Imlil and whose expeditions have been documented in films and books.
It’s a fabulous book, published by Lorenz Books at £20 for a beautifully illustrated hardback – a veritable trip to Morocco!
Here are some recipes to whet your appetite:
Sautéed chicken livers with orange flower water and roasted hazelnuts
Serves four
“Sautéed offal, such as liver and kidney, is a popular appetizer, often cooked simply in olive oil and garlic and served with lemon to squeeze over. This dish of chicken livers makes a delicious, tangy appetizer on its own, served with a few salad leaves, or spooned on thin slices of toasted bread. In the restaurants of Casablanca, where the French influence still lingers, you will find variations of this dish using lamb’s liver too. “
30–45ml/2–3 tbsp olive oil 
2–3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 dried red chilli, chopped
5ml/1 tsp cumin seeds
450g/1lb chicken livers, trimmed and cut into bite size chunks
5ml/1 tsp ground coriander
handful of roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
10–15ml/2–3 tsp orange flower water
½ preserved lemon, finely sliced or chopped
salt and ground black pepper
small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
fresh salad leaves, to serve
Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan and stir in the garlic, chilli and cumin seeds. Add the chicken livers and toss over the heat until they are browned on all sides. Reduce the heat a little and continue to cook for 3–5 minutes. When the livers are almost cooked, add the ground coriander and hazelnuts. Stir in the orange flower water and preserved lemon.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper and sprinkle with a little fresh coriander.
Serve immediately with salad leaves.
Variation: Lamb’s liver, trimmed and finely sliced, is also good cooked this way. The trick is to sear the outside so that the middle is almost pink and melts in the mouth. If you don’t have orange flower water, try a little balsamic vinegar.
Spiced sardines with grapefruit and fennel salad
“Sardines spiced with cumin and coriander are popular in the coastal regions of Morocco, both in restaurants and as street food. In Tangier, I ate them from a street stall, where they were cleaned and smeared with a spicy paste, dredged with flour and deep-fried, then sandwiched between two bits of bread with a handful of fresh coriander.”
Serves four to six
12 fresh sardines, cleaned and gutted
coarse salt
1 onion, grated
60–90ml/4–6 tbsp olive oil
5ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
10ml/2 tsp ground cumin, roasted
10ml/2 tsp ground coriander, roasted
5ml/1 tsp paprika
5ml/1 tsp ground black pepper
lemon wedges, to serve
For the salad :
2 ruby grapefruits
5ml/1 tsp sea salt
1 fennel bulb
2–3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
2.5ml/½ tsp ground cumin, roasted
30–45ml/2–3 tbsp olive oil
Rinse the sardines and pat them dry on kitchen paper, then rub inside and out with a little coarse salt. In a bowl, mix the grated onion with the olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, paprika and black pepper. Make several slashes into the flesh of the sardines and smear the onion and spice mixture all over the fish, inside and out and into the gashes. Leave the sardines to stand for about 1 hour to allow the flavours of the spices to penetrate the flesh.
Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Peel the grapefruits with a knife, removing all the pith and peel in neat strips down the outside of the fruit. Cut between the membranes to remove the segments of fruit intact. Cut each grapefruit segment in half, place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Trim the fennel, cut it in half lengthways and slice finely. Add the fennel to the grapefruit with the spring onions, ground cumin and olive oil. Toss lightly. Preheat the grill, broiler or barbecue.
Cook the sardines for 3–4 minutes on each side, basting with any leftover marinade. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing over and the refreshing grapefruit and fennel salad.
Chicken tagine with apricots, rosemary, ginger and harissa
“Fruity and spicy, with the delightful aroma of rosemary and sweetened ginger, this is the type of tagine best served with bread to mop up all the delectable syrupy juices. As an alternative to chicken thighs, you could adapt the recipe to use breasts of chicken, pigeon, turkey, pheasant or duck. Serve with crusty bread and a leafy green salad.”
Serves fou
15–30ml/1–2 tbsp clarified butter or argan oil
1 onion, finely chopped
15ml/1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 2 sprigs
15–30ml/1–2 tbsp finely chopped preserved stem ginger
5–10ml/1–2 tsp harissa
8 skinless chicken thighs
175g/6oz ready-to-eat dried apricots
juice of 1 lemon 1 lemon, cut into quarters
30ml/2 tbsp clear honey
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh green or purple basil leaves, to garnish
Heat the butter or oil in the base of a flameproof tagine or casserole, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to soften. Add the chopped rosemary and preserved stem ginger and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then stir in the harissa. Add the chicken thighs, coating them in the onion mixture, and add the apricots with the sprigs of rosemary. Pour in enough water to cover the base of the tagine and come halfway up the chicken thighs.
Pour in the lemon juice and slip in the lemon quarters. Drizzle the honey over the tagine, put on the lid, and cook the tagine over a gentle heat for about 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
Season the dish with salt and pepper, and garnish with the fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately, with chunks of crusty bread to dip into the syrupy cooking juices.
