Top foods to try in Morocco

One of the great cuisines of the world, Moroccan cooking abounds with subtle spices and intriguing flavour combinations. Think tart green olives paired with chopped preserved lemon rind stirred into a tagine of tender chicken, the surprise of rich pigeon meat pie dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar, or sardines coated with a flavourful combination of coriander, parsley, cumin and a hint of chilli. Influenced by Andalusian Spain, Arabia and France, Morocco’s cuisine is a delicious combination of mouthwatering flavours that make it unique.

1_ Easy chicken tagine

Simple one-pots are perfect for the busy cook. This chicken tagine is great eaten with cous cous for something a bit more filling

PREP 10 mins
COOK 40 mins
DIFFICULTY Easy
SERVES/MAKES 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, halved if large
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
pinch saffron or tumeric
1 tbsp honey
400g carrots, cut into sticks
small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1- Heat the oil in a large, wide pan with a lid, add the chicken, then fry quickly until lightly coloured. Add the onion and ginger, then fry for a further 2 mins.
2- Add 150ml water, the saffron, honey and carrots, season, then stir well. Bring to the boil, cover tightly, then simmer for 30 mins until the chicken is tender. Uncover and increase the heat for about 5 mins to reduce the sauce a little. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

2_ Harira

Moroccan harira & chicken soup

This North African-inspired soup is flavoured with harissa and spices. Serve with houmous toasts and cooling yogurt

PREP 20 mins
COOK 1 hrs
DIFFICULTY Easy
SERVES/MAKES 5

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 leek, washed and finely sliced
4 fat celery sticks, chopped into small pieces
3 large carrots, chopped into small pieces
2 big parsnips, peeled and chopped into small pieces
small pack coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved to serve
1 tbsp cumin seed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp harissa (we used Belazu)
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled
85g raw green lentils
zest and juice 1 lemon
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
natural yogurt, toast and houmous, to serve

Method

1- Heat half the oil in a frying pan, season the thighs and brown really well on both sides. Remove to a plate. Tip a mug of water into the pan and simmer, scraping up all the browned bits. Tip this liquid into a measuring jug for later.
2- Put the remaining oil, the vegetables and coriander stalks in a big saucepan. Gently cook until the veg is softened – about 5 mins. Stir in the spices, turn up the heat, and cook for a few mins. Stir in the harissa, followed by the tomatoes, the chicken, stock cubes and lentils. 3- Top up your jug of chickeny juices to 500ml with water, then add this, too. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 mins.
Lift the chicken from the soup and shred finely using a couple of forks. Return to the soup with the lemon zest and juice, sugar, and season to taste. Ladle into bowls with a dollop of yogurt and the coriander leaves, and serve with toast, spread with houmous and drizzled with oil.

3_ B’stilla

This very special pie represents the pinnacle of exquisite Fassi (from Fez) cuisine. Layers of a paper-thin pastry coddle a blend of pigeon meat, almonds and eggs spiced with saffron, cinnamon and fresh coriander, the whole dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.