Couscous, tagines, brick… Moroccan cuisine is, for us French, both familiar and exotic. Very varied, it mixes Eastern and Western influences, but also Muslim and Sephardic Jewish. This crossbreeding gives it many advantages in terms of flavor and health benefits. Our chefs at www.ma-cuisine-ma-sante.fr have concocted a menu with spicy flavors for you. Here’s something to warm up the ending autumn…
“In Moroccan cuisine, we find very complete dishes that are excellent for your health,” explains Aicha Essalki, home chef in Paris. This young woman, who has always been passionate about cooking, comes from the gates of the Sahara. For her, Moroccan cuisine is a clever mix of influences. “We see this in Marrakech in particular, the heart of Moroccan gastronomy, where Berber, Jewish, Spanish and Arab culinary influences come together of course,” she continues.
Mixture on the plates
This rich and colorful gastronomy gives pride of place to fresh fruits, dried fruits and vegetables. Eggplants, carrots, onions, olives, figs, apricots, oranges are available as starters, main courses or desserts. Indeed, “in the Moroccan tradition, fruits served as dessert. Fatty and sweet pastries, so famous today, have not always been part of traditional daily life. Moreover, families continue to prefer oranges and dates at the end of each meal,” assures our chef. And so much the better for your health. “The younger generation is paying much more attention to their line and shape,” she adds.
Salads – also called mezzés – are Moroccans’ favorite starters. “They were inspired by Sephardic cuisine,” says Aicha Essalki. Like the carrot and lentil salad concocted by our chef, they are often seasoned with spices and aromatic herbs such as coriander or mint. A real delight, full of freshness to whet your appetite. “You can also use brick sheets to create appetizers as you wish. For example, bricks with fried vegetables or fish,” she suggests.
Tasty spice blends
When it comes to main dishes, tagines and couscous are emblematic of Moroccan cuisine. And they offer a lot to the imagination. Of course, traditional recipes are often based on mutton or poultry, but “you can cook almost any meat or fish in a tagine.”
Once you have browned your meat, simply add the other ingredients. Chickpeas, apricots, prunes… and of course, spices. Without them, there is no tagine. “Ras-el-hanout is a delicious blend of spices developed in Morocco. It makes it very easy to season all your tagines,” she advises. It is sometimes composed, depending on the recipe, of more than 27 spices. Among them, black pepper, coriander seeds, cloves, turmeric, cardamom, ginger… You will then naturally have less need to salt the dish. It’s better for your heart. And if tagines should normally be cooked in an earthenware dish, “it is entirely possible to prepare them in a large saucepan,” reassures Aicha Essalki. To conclude your meal, take a digestion break with a delicious mint tea.
destination
