Breads and Savoury Pastries 38 Fresh and Cooked Salads 68 Soups 116 Pulses and Vegetables 138 Eggs 172 Couscous, Pasta, Rice and Grains 186 Red Meat 246 Offal 276 Poultry, Rabbit and Snails 290 Fish and Seafood 312 Confections, Desserts and Fruits 348 Preserves 400 Drinks 414 Basics 440 Introduction 6 Select Bibliography 448 Index 450 Recipe Notes 464Breads and Savoury Pastries 38 Fresh and Cooked Salads 68 Soups 116 Pulses and Vegetables 138 Eggs 172 Couscous, Pasta, Rice and Grains 186 Red Meat 246 Offal 276 Poultry, Rabbit and Snails 290 Fish and Seafood 312 Confections, Desserts and Fruits 348 Preserves 400 Drinks 414 Basics 440 Introduction 6 Select Bibliography 448 Index 450 Recipe Notes 464Algiers Anchovy, Onion and Tomato Salad ALGERIA PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes SERVES: 2–3 This simple salad of anchovies, onions and tomatoes called n’tchouba is ubiquitous on Ramadan tables in Algiers alongside various hot and cold starters. Mop up the flavours that remain on the serving dish with bread. 12 anchovy fillets 2 tomatoes, cored and sliced crosswise 1 red onion, sliced crosswise 14 olives extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling white vinegar, for dashing finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish Rinse the anchovies under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels and arrange on a plate without overlapping. Lay slices of tomatoes and onion on top of the anchovies and the olives around them. Generously drizzle with oil and add a dash of vinegar. Scatter over some parsley and serve. Anchovies with Capers ALGERIA PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes SERVES: 4 Preserved anchovies are deeply popular in Algeria. When they are good, there is little reason to do much to them. But adding some garlic, parsley and capers to the fillets makes for a perfect starter. Anchovies now usually come packed in oil, although they can still be found packed in salt. For those in salt, rinse thoroughly, soak in a bowl of cold water for 2 hours, rinse again and pat dry with paper towels. 16 anchovy fillets packed in oil 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed 2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley ¼ lemon extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling pepper Rinse the anchovies under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. If needed, separate into individual fillets and trim. Neatly arrange the anchovies on a small plate. Sprinkle over the capers, garlic and parsley. Grind some black pepper over the top and squeeze over the lemon. Generously drizzle with oil and serve. ← Algiers Anchovy, Onion and Tomato Salad 113Algiers Anchovy, Onion and Tomato Salad ALGERIA PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes SERVES: 2–3 This simple salad of anchovies, onions and tomatoes called n’tchouba is ubiquitous on Ramadan tables in Algiers alongside various hot and cold starters. Mop up the flavours that remain on the serving dish with bread. 12 anchovy fillets 2 tomatoes, cored and sliced crosswise 1 red onion, sliced crosswise 14 olives extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling white vinegar, for dashing finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish Rinse the anchovies under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels and arrange on a plate without overlapping. Lay slices of tomatoes and onion on top of the anchovies and the olives around them. Generously drizzle with oil and add a dash of vinegar. Scatter over some parsley and serve. Anchovies with Capers ALGERIA PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes SERVES: 4 Preserved anchovies are deeply popular in Algeria. When they are good, there is little reason to do much to them. But adding some garlic, parsley and capers to the fillets makes for a perfect starter. Anchovies now usually come packed in oil, although they can still be found packed in salt. For those in salt, rinse thoroughly, soak in a bowl of cold water for 2 hours, rinse again and pat dry with paper towels. 16 anchovy fillets packed in oil 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed 2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley ¼ lemon extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling pepper Rinse the anchovies under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. If needed, separate into individual fillets and trim. Neatly arrange the anchovies on a small plate. Sprinkle over the capers, garlic and parsley. Grind some black pepper over the top and squeeze over the lemon. Generously drizzle with oil and serve. ← Algiers Anchovy, Onion and Tomato Salad 113Harira Soup MOROCCO PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes COOKING TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes SERVES: 6 Morocco’s iconic harira is prepared across the country during Ramadan, when it is a key part of the fast-breaking meal (see page 120). There are endless variations on this soup, but all are soothing and nourishing. Whisking flour into the soup towards the end gives the dish its quintessential velvety texture. The traditional spoon to eat harira is carved from lemon or orange wood into a deep, ladle-like shape. Outside of Ramadan harira remains a favourite for dinner but also breakfast, and it is typically the last thing served at the end of Moroccan weddings that last until dawn. 3 tablespoons olive oil 250 g/9 oz boneless lamb or stewing beef, cut into small cubes 2 red or yellow onions, finely chopped 1 celery stalk with leaves, finely chopped 3 heaped tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish 3 heaped tablespoons finely chopped coriander (cilantro), plus extra to garnish 1 tablespoon butter or 1 teaspoon smen (see page 412) 4 ripe tomatoes, halved crosswise and grated, peel discarded (see page 445) 2 tablespoons double concentrated tomato purée (paste) ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 100 g/3½ oz (½ cup) dried brown lentils, picked over for any stones or debris and rinsed 100 g/3½ oz (½ cup) canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, or cooked dried chickpeas (page 443) 2 tablespoons uncooked rice 70 g/2¾ oz (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour salt and pepper lemon wedges, to serve dates, to serve Add the oil, lamb, onions, celery, parsley, coriander (cilantro) and butter to a soup pot, cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée (paste) and 3 tablespoons water and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, ginger and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper and add 1.5 litres (50 fl oz/generous 6 cups) water. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add the lentils and chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and cook for 15 minutes. Add the rice and cook for another 15 minutes. Pour 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) cold water into a large bowl, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Leave to stand for 5 minutes then whisk again. While steadily stirring, slowly add to the soup. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, allowing the soup to thicken. Thin with some water if it becomes too thick. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley, coriander and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over and the dates on the side. Harira Soup 118Harira Soup MOROCCO PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes COOKING TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes SERVES: 6 Morocco’s iconic harira is prepared across the country during Ramadan, when it is a key part of the fast-breaking meal (see page 120). There are endless variations on this soup, but all are soothing and nourishing. Whisking flour into the soup towards the end gives the dish its quintessential velvety texture. The traditional spoon to eat harira is carved from lemon or orange wood into a deep, ladle-like shape. Outside of Ramadan harira remains a favourite for dinner but also breakfast, and it is typically the last thing served at the end of Moroccan weddings that last until dawn. 3 tablespoons olive oil 250 g/9 oz boneless lamb or stewing beef, cut into small cubes 2 red or yellow onions, finely chopped 1 celery stalk with leaves, finely chopped 3 heaped tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish 3 heaped tablespoons finely chopped coriander (cilantro), plus extra to garnish 1 tablespoon butter or 1 teaspoon smen (see page 412) 4 ripe tomatoes, halved crosswise and grated, peel discarded (see page 445) 2 tablespoons double concentrated tomato purée (paste) ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 100 g/3½ oz (½ cup) dried brown lentils, picked over for any stones or debris and rinsed 100 g/3½ oz (½ cup) canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, or cooked dried chickpeas (page 443) 2 tablespoons uncooked rice 70 g/2¾ oz (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour salt and pepper lemon wedges, to serve dates, to serve Add the oil, lamb, onions, celery, parsley, coriander (cilantro) and butter to a soup pot, cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée (paste) and 3 tablespoons water and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, ginger and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper and add 1.5 litres (50 fl oz/generous 6 cups) water. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add the lentils and chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and cook for 15 minutes. Add the rice and cook for another 15 minutes. Pour 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) cold water into a large bowl, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Leave to stand for 5 minutes then whisk again. While steadily stirring, slowly add to the soup. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, allowing the soup to thicken. Thin with some water if it becomes too thick. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley, coriander and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over and the dates on the side. Harira Soup 118248 Sweet Lamb with Prunes and Dried Apricots ALGERIA PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes COOKING TIME: 1 hour 40 minutes SERVES: 6 Known as lham lahlou (‘sweet meat’), this Algerian lamb stew is prepared with prunes, usually apricots and sometimes also raisins, lending sweetness to the savoury flavours of the dish. It is a tradition for many families to prepare on the first day of Ramadan, when home cooks usually leave out the salt to avoid making people thirsty. Add 80 g (3 oz/½ cup) seedless raisins with the other dried fruits, if desired. 3 tablespoons butter 1.5 kg/3¼ lb bone-in lamb, cut into stewing-size pieces 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons honey or sugar pinch of salt 1 red or yellow onion, grated 175 g/6 oz (1 cup) prunes 125 g/4½ oz (¾ cup) dried apricots 1 tablespoon orange blossom water 35 g/1¼ oz (¼ cup) fried or toasted almonds (see page 445), to garnish Melt the butter in a low, heavy, wide pot or brazier pan over a medium-high heat, add the meat and brown on each side, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of the honey and salt. Add the onion and pour in 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer partly covered for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, put the prunes and apricots into a large bowl of hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the soaked prunes, apricots, orange blossom water and remaining 2 tablespoons of the honey to the pot and cook until the meat and dried fruit are tender, about 45 minutes. Add more water if needed. There should be some syrupy sauce. Arrange the lamb in a serving dish, top with the sauce, prunes and apricots and garnish with the almonds. Serve. Sweet Lamb with Prunes and Dried Apricots Slow-cooked stews form the heart of many North African meals. In Morocco, the classic method of cooking meat is to braise it with very little liquid in a tagine – a low, round terracotta pot with a conical lid. The moisture from the stew condenses on the cool part of the lid and falls back down into the stew. Cooking in this distinctive pot lends the dish its name. (See page 250 for more on cooking with tagines.) In Algeria and Tunisia, a braised stew or ragoût is called a marka and cooked with equal patience to equal tenderness. (Note that in Algeria, tajine is the name for the round frying pan used for cooking bread, although the term is now also sometimes used synonymously with marka. In Tunisia, tajine is a frittata-like egg dish, see page 174.) These stews generally call for bone-in cuts of meat. These become the most tender and also give the stew more flavour. Lamb leg or shoulder is common, although saddle and neck are excellent choices. For beef, generous pieces of cross-cut shanks with bone and marrow are succulent and delicious. Chicken should also be bone- in, with legs (drumsticks and thighs) particularly well-suited for this style of cooking. And fish is either whole or if it is a large species then ideally cut into generous steaks rather than fillets. Cooked such tenderness, the pieces of meat in these stews pulls easily away from the bone. Served alongside is plenty of bread, ideally, traditional round loaves with crusts firm enough to carry morsels to the mouth and inside soft enough to soak up the rich sauce. SLOW - COOKED STEWS248 Sweet Lamb with Prunes and Dried Apricots ALGERIA PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes COOKING TIME: 1 hour 40 minutes SERVES: 6 Known as lham lahlou (‘sweet meat’), this Algerian lamb stew is prepared with prunes, usually apricots and sometimes also raisins, lending sweetness to the savoury flavours of the dish. It is a tradition for many families to prepare on the first day of Ramadan, when home cooks usually leave out the salt to avoid making people thirsty. Add 80 g (3 oz/½ cup) seedless raisins with the other dried fruits, if desired. 3 tablespoons butter 1.5 kg/3¼ lb bone-in lamb, cut into stewing-size pieces 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons honey or sugar pinch of salt 1 red or yellow onion, grated 175 g/6 oz (1 cup) prunes 125 g/4½ oz (¾ cup) dried apricots 1 tablespoon orange blossom water 35 g/1¼ oz (¼ cup) fried or toasted almonds (see page 445), to garnish Melt the butter in a low, heavy, wide pot or brazier pan over a medium-high heat, add the meat and brown on each side, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of the honey and salt. Add the onion and pour in 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer partly covered for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, put the prunes and apricots into a large bowl of hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the soaked prunes, apricots, orange blossom water and remaining 2 tablespoons of the honey to the pot and cook until the meat and dried fruit are tender, about 45 minutes. Add more water if needed. There should be some syrupy sauce. Arrange the lamb in a serving dish, top with the sauce, prunes and apricots and garnish with the almonds. Serve. Sweet Lamb with Prunes and Dried Apricots Slow-cooked stews form the heart of many North African meals. In Morocco, the classic method of cooking meat is to braise it with very little liquid in a tagine – a low, round terracotta pot with a conical lid. The moisture from the stew condenses on the cool part of the lid and falls back down into the stew. Cooking in this distinctive pot lends the dish its name. (See page 250 for more on cooking with tagines.) In Algeria and Tunisia, a braised stew or ragoût is called a marka and cooked with equal patience to equal tenderness. (Note that in Algeria, tajine is the name for the round frying pan used for cooking bread, although the term is now also sometimes used synonymously with marka. In Tunisia, tajine is a frittata-like egg dish, see page 174.) These stews generally call for bone-in cuts of meat. These become the most tender and also give the stew more flavour. Lamb leg or shoulder is common, although saddle and neck are excellent choices. For beef, generous pieces of cross-cut shanks with bone and marrow are succulent and delicious. Chicken should also be bone- in, with legs (drumsticks and thighs) particularly well-suited for this style of cooking. And fish is either whole or if it is a large species then ideally cut into generous steaks rather than fillets. Cooked such tenderness, the pieces of meat in these stews pulls easily away from the bone. Served alongside is plenty of bread, ideally, traditional round loaves with crusts firm enough to carry morsels to the mouth and inside soft enough to soak up the rich sauce. SLOW - COOKED STEWSNext >