Yesterday I made a Moroccan style lamb shank braise in the morning. After it cooled, I pulled the meat from the bones, leaving it in big chunks and defatted and reduce the sauce. Preserved lemons and olives stuffed with lemon were garnished at the table. Served with something called pastina, which wasn’t what I was expecting at all. It was miniature stars, clearly for soup.
No pictures since this was dinner with the grand-scallion and she was not being totally cooperative. Amazed that at 16 months old, she was popping pieces of preserved lemon in to her mouth like candy!
The flavor was quite subtle but the two adults really enjoyed it tremendously. Leftovers will be tomorrow night’s dinner. Will try to get a photo then.
Lamb merguez, the spicy Moroccan sausage, is a favorite of ours. D’Artagnan sells them in packages. Some time ago, they changed from 6 to a package to 5 and also reduced the spiciness quite a bit. I’m guessing people found them too spicy though we didn’t. I grill them (though they can be fried in a pan). Couscous is a perfect accompaniment.
I am making some of these next week. They are almost my favorite sausage in the world. And since I make my own harissa, I can decide how spicy I want my sausages.
I love merguez as well - I made some of my own a few months ago but we gobbled them up in no time flat. Time to get out the grinder and stock the freezer.
Recipe from Jeff Koehler’s Morocco book mentioned in the beginning of this thread.
I have made this dish before with another recipe, but this one is the best, the chicken rub includes saffron, fresh parsley, coriander, fresh ginger, turmeric, preserved lemon and lemon juice. The yogurt sauce was quite refreshing with mint. Sided with rice cooked with salty water and butter.
What a handsome tangine. I have not been able to justify a purchase in my “little” mind, but I think the shape is one of the most elegant things in the world. Maybe I should look for an affordable used one. Oh, and then find a place to store it. I do not have a garage and the basement is full.
Thank you. It took me a while to justify this purchase, when I saw it on sale online, couldn’t resist it anymore. I have an Algerian friend told me, real cooking in tagine, you need an unglazed tagine with an open fire. This Staub has a cast iron bottom (I have only induction cooktop) and the top is ceramic glazed exterior and unglazed interior, I wonder if this makes some difference if used a lot. I have to agree with you, it is pleasing to the eye.
Harira as supper last night. An hearty tomato beef soup. Recipe again from Jeff Koehler.
There are numerous recipes of Harira, this one uses stewing beef. Other ingredients include celery stalks, onion, parsley, cilantro, butter, ginger, ground cinnamon, tomatoes (can), chickpeas, vermicelli, tomato pasta, lemon juice, salt and a lot of black pepper. The biggest challenge was to cook separately the chickpeas and the pasta in the same pot but apart. DH hates chickpeas and isn’t too fond of pasta in soup. I ended cooking a bit too much pasta, still delicious.
Your Harira is very different than mine! In case it would amuse, here is the one I have developed, grabbing this and that from different websites. I generally use some of my home made Marquez sausage as the meat, though traditionally it is made with lamb chunks.
I have 3 Maroccan cookbooks that contain the recipe of Harira, 2 out of 3 use lamb. The base ingredients include tomato, chickpea, cilantro, parsley, onion, black pepper and lemon. 1 recipe asks for a meat (beef) broth. Butter or ghee or the original smem to be added. Variation on vegetables include celery, carrot and olives. Some recipes call for vermicelli, or rice, some others call for red lentils. Spices vary too, ginger, safran, turmeric, bay leaves, cinnamon or yours with curry, another one with paprika. The soup is to be served with dried or fresh dates, or figs.
I have been told by two Moroccans that meat stock is never used for this soup since it might be “dirty” or something like that. They always trip over finding the right word. No matter. I have never met a version of this soup that I didn’t love!
Interesting. You mean no beef or chicken broth? I saw in so many recipes asking for stock, of course the no pork rule. The Harira I made had no stock though.
Actually does it only refer to Harira or to all Moroccan dishes?
I wish I could find a supporting link, but I have failed. I did spend some time on an Islamic law site tonight, where it was stated by Imams that bone broth is not forbidden, but cartilage is. Is it possible that during Ramadan that bone stock isn’t used? This soup is often the second thing eaten during Ramadan after the sun has set.
I know that Mr. SMT much prefers it when I use chicken stock. Now, I won’t feel “dirty” when I oblige.
EDITED TO ADD: I expect the FBI to show up tomorrow for a “chat.”
Looks like a jerky, which is then “confitted” which I don’t think is a word!
Found a number of sources in the US to buy while using Dr. Google. Never heard of this before, but of course, preserving and then actually being able to eat meat was a non-ending quest for civilizations for ages.
