Moroccan Recipes to Try This Week!
- Valentina Sapia
- Jun 18, 2021
- 6 min read
Sfenj (Moroccan Donuts)
Ingredients (4 to 5 servings)
2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water (divided)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Granulated sugar or powdered sugar (optional)
Steps
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water and set aside to proof for 10 or 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt and the remaining 1 cup warm water. Add the yeast mixture and stir vigorously with your hand or a heavy wooden spoon until smooth. The dough should be too sticky to knead or shape.
Cover the bowl with a towel and leave the dough to rise for 3 to 4 hours, until double or triple in bulk.
In a wide, deep pot, heat 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat until hot.
Set out a bowl of water. Dip your hands in the water, then pull off a piece of dough about the size of a small plum. Use your fingers to make a hole in the ball of dough, stretch to make a ring, and place the dough in the hot oil.
Repeat with additional portions of dough until you've added as many sfenj as will fit comfortably in your pot. Wet your hands as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
Fry the sfenj until golden brown, turning once or twice. Remove the cooked sfenj to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Repeat shaping and frying until you've used up all the dough.
If desired, finish the hot sfenj by dipping in granulated sugar or by dusting with powdered sugar.
Serve the sfenj hot or warm; they lose their texture and appeal when cold.
Chicken Tagine
Ingredients (4 to 6 servings)
1 to 2 preserved lemons, quartered and seeds removed
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, skin removed, back discarded
2 large white or yellow onions, finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 handfuls pitted olives
1/4 cup water, approximately
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled (optional)
1 teaspoon smen (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout (optional)
Steps
Remove the flesh from the preserved lemons and chop the flesh finely. Reserve rind for cooking.
Add the lemon flesh to a bowl along with the chicken, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, ginger, pepper, turmeric, and salt. If using, add the saffron, ras el hanout, and smen. Mix well.
If time allows, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 220 C. Add enough olive oil to a large baking dish so it coats the bottom.
Add the sliced onions and garlic to the marinade.
Then place the marinated chicken on top.
Add the oil
Rind off the preserved lemons on top and drizzle the chicken with the remaining olive oil.
Bake the chicken uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is light golden brown.
Reduce the heat to 180 C and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes or longer. The chicken should be deeply browned and the juices should run clear.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Kalinti (Moroccan chickpea flour tart)
Ingredients (4 servings)
2 scant cups/approx. 210 g chickpea flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or black pepper
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk (or water)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
Steps
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the water and milk, stirring constantly to ensure the batter is smooth and without lumps. Whisk in the eggs and oil.
The kalinti batter will be thin. Set it aside to rest while the oven heats.
Preheat your oven to 190 C. Generously oil a large shallow baking dish.
Lightly whisk the batter again and pour it into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or longer, until well-colored and set.
Note that some burnt or darkened areas on the top of the kalinti are desirable. You can pop the baked kalinti under a broiler for a minute to darken the top more if you like.
Serve slices of kalinti in bread or on a plate while still warm. Cumin, salt, and harissa should be offered on the side as condiments.
Fried liver and onions (2 to 3 servings)
Ingredients
1 pound calf or lamb liver
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar, or lemon juice
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, or olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, or cilantro
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging the liver (optional)
Steps
Make sure the liver is properly cleaned. Slice the liver into thin cutlets or steaks and score the edges all around to help prevent the liver from curling up while frying.
In a large bowl, mix the liver with the spices—cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper—, vinegar, and oil and let marinate for 30 minutes, up to two hours.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable or olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.
Add the sliced onions, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat evenly.
Fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly colored and tender. Push the onions to the sides of the pan.
If desired, dredge the liver lightly in flour. Add the liver to the pan and fry it for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (stirring the onions occasionally).
Transfer the meat and onions to a plate.
Add butter to the pan and swirl the pan to melt the butter and combine it with the juices from the meat to form a sauce.
Serve the liver and onions immediately with the sauce poured on top. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro.
Ktefa (Moroccan Pastry with Custard Sauce)
Ingredients (4 to 6 Servings)
1 pound warqa
3 cups vegetable oil for frying (or melted butter, for baking)
2 cups fried almonds
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 cups milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 or 2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons orange flower water (to taste)
powdered sugar, cinnamon, fresh fruit (Optional garnish)
Steps
To prepare the almonds:
Grind fried, cooled almonds on pulse mode in a food processor until finely chopped but not powdery. Transfer the almonds to a bowl and combine them with powdered sugar. Cover and set aside until needed. May be made one or two days in advance.
To make the Creme Anglaise:
Set up a strainer over a heat-proof bowl. Place the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat and allow it to barely reach a boil. Remove from the heat.
While the milk is heating, whisk together the sugar and the egg yolks in another heat-proof bowl. Gradually and slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.
Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Strain the sauce and stir in the vanilla and orange flower water. Set the creme Anglaise aside to cool. Cover and chill until needed.
To prepare the pastry:
Lay out your uncooked pastry sheets into one or two stacks. Using a small dish or bowl as a guide, cut out circles of dough 4" to 5" in diameter. Gently separate the circles of dough into double layers.
To fry the dough: Set up a metal strainer over a bowl, and layer a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 1/4 of oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and fry the double-layered circles of dough one at a time for just 15 seconds or so, turning it several times, until the dough turns golden brown. Immediately remove the cooked dough to the strainer, setting it upright rather than flat to allow for maximum draining of oil. Repeat with the remaining dough. Each time the strainer fills with cooked pastry, transfer the cooled pastry to the baking sheet lined with paper towels.
To bake the pastry: Preheat an oven to 190° C. Lightly brush the double-layered circles of dough with melted butter and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake just until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the crisped pastry to a rack to cool.
To assemble:
Ktefa is usually arranged in stacks of five or six layers. If necessary, re-crisp the fried or baked pastry at serving time in a 180° C oven for a few minutes.
Set out individual serving dishes. Place a layer of crisp pastry onto each plate. Top the pastry with some custard sauce and a sprinkling of the fried, sweetened almonds. Add another layer of pastry and top with custard sauce and almonds. Repeat until your stack is of the desired height. If desired, garnish the plate or ktefa with cinnamon, powdered sugar or fresh fruit.
Bibliography
Benlafquih, C. (2020, September 20) Kalinti - Moroccan Chickpea Flour and Egg Tart
Benlafquih, C. (2020, March 23) Ktefa Recipe - Moroccan Pastry With Custard Sauce (Creme Anglaise) The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/ktefa-pastry-with-custard-sauce-creme-2394439
Benlafquih, C. (2020, April 8) Moroccan Fried Liver and Onions. The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/moroccan-fried-liver-and-onions-2394796
Benlafquih, C. (2021, May 26) Sfenj: Moroccan Doughnuts. The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/sfenj-recipe-moroccan-doughnuts-2394817
Benlafquih, C. (2021, March 10) The Best Moroccan Chicken Tagine. The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/chicken-tagine-with-preserved-lemons-olives-2394715
Chiou, J. (2019, May 14) Moroccan Chicken Tagine Skillet [Photograph] Table for Two. https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/moroccan-chicken-tagine-skillet/
Frances, D. (2019, December 24) Moroccan Sfenj Donuts Recipe [Photograph] My Jewish Learning. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/moroccan-sfenj-donuts-recipe/
Frances, D. (2019, December 13) Sfenj Moroccan Donuts [Photograph] One Sarcastic Baker. https://www.onesarcasticbaker.com/sfenj-moroccan-donuts/
Küche, A. (n.d.) Milk bastilla - moroccan pastry with creme anglaise (ktefa) [Photograph] Kosher Cowboy. https://koshercowboy.com/pastry/milk-pastilla/
Maxwell, N. (2019, December 5) Why liver has gone from super-hated to superfood (plus a great liver & onions recipe) [Photograph] Grateful. https://www.makeitgrateful.com/trends/superfood-liver-and-onions-recipe/
Murphy, T. (n.d.) Moroccan chickpea flour tart (Kalinti) [Photograph] Woolworths Taste. https://taste.co.za/recipes/moroccan-chickpea-flour-tart-kalinti/
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