— Moroccan
Moroccan Recipes.
The food of home — tagines, couscous, and the spice markets of Casablanca.
Moroccan cooking is where everything begins for me. These are the recipes I grew up watching my grandmother make in Casablanca — tagines slow-braised with saffron and preserved lemon, hand-rolled couscous steamed three times until it floats, harira simmered through Ramadan nights. I cook these dishes now in a Boston kitchen with New England ingredients, but the technique and the soul come directly from home. Every recipe here is written from memory first, then refined through a decade of professional kitchens.
Moroccan Mint Tea — Atay
Fresh mint steeped in hot water with green tea and a generous amount of sugar. It's more ritual than recipe, and absolutely essential to Moroccan hospitality. Serve in ornate glasses and let the warmth and aroma do the talking.
Chebakia (sesame and Honey Ramadan Pastries)
Chebakia is not a beginner pastry, and that is part of its beauty.
Fekkas with Almonds and Raisins
Fekkas is Morocco’s answer to the twice-baked cookie tradition, but the sesame, anise, and orange blossom give it a completely different soul.
Marrakchi Beef Tanjia
Traditional tanjia is cooked in an earthen urn in the embers near a hammam or communal oven, and that old method gives it its romance.
Maakouda (moroccan Potato Fritters)
The biggest mistake with maakouda is adding too much flour inside the potato mixture.
Sellou
Sellou is not a flashy dessert, but it has real depth and history.
Taktouka
For me, the real flavor of taktouka comes from properly roasting the peppers.
Sardine Chermoula Balls in Tomato Sauce
This is a dish where freshness matters more than complexity.
Bissara
I like making bissara with both fava beans and split peas because it gives the soup a rounded texture and a fuller flavor, while still keeping it very traditional in spirit.
Sfenj
Sfenj is all about dough confidence and frying temperature.
Harcha
Harcha rewards restraint.
Msemen with Honey and Mint
The secret to good msemen is not force.
Kefta Briouats
Briouats live or die on contrast.
Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives
This recipe depends on restraint.
Zaalouk — Eggplant and Tomato Dip with Garlic and Cilantro
A silky puree of roasted eggplant and fresh tomatoes seasoned with garlic, cumin, and cilantro. It's served warm or at room temperature as a dip or side, and it's one of those dishes that tastes humble but feels luxurious.
Moroccan Almond Pastry with Honey and Cinnamon
Crisp sheets of warqa pastry layered with a fragrant almond paste, then finished with a drizzle of warm honey and a whisper of cinnamon. It's luxurious without being heavy, and carries all the warmth of Moroccan spice.
Moroccan Lamb Tagine, Preserved Lemon & Almonds
A slow-cooked tagine in the manner of my grandmother — lamb shoulder braised with saffron, ras el hanout, preserved lemon, and a finishing handful of toasted almonds. Eaten with bread, never a fork.
Chicken Bastilla
Layers of warqa pastry, slow-braised chicken, cinnamon-dusted almonds, and a cloud of powdered sugar. Sweet and savory in the way only Moroccan hands know.
Harira — The Ramadan Soup
Tomato, lentil, chickpea, and lamb — the soup that breaks the fast. Thickened with flour beaten into egg and finished with a fistful of herbs.
Seven-Vegetable Couscous
Friday couscous the way it's meant — hand-rolled semolina steamed three times over a broth of seven seasonal vegetables and tender lamb.