Fatima & Latifa's Recipes from La Maison Anglaise
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The Moroccan Responsible Tourism Trophy for Social & Economic Development was awarded to us in 2009
for the contributions made to Community Projects from funds raised by donations for our Taroudant recipes.
Thank you very much for your donation to our community aid projects in the Taroudant area, which is very much appreciated. As promised, please find below a selection of recipes from our talented cooks. We hope you enjoy them and can recreate some of the sights, smells, tastes and other good memories from your holiday in Taroudant.
Firstly let’s begin with the freshly ground spices. Our cooks buy their own whole spices and grind them. Here is their favourite mix (not to be confused with what is often sold in the souk which has added cheap ingredients). We sell this mix ground or unground for a fair price in our shop in the reception.
Rhas Al Hanout Spice Mix
(meaning: shopkeeper’s choice):
How to make it and use it
2 teaspoons cardamon
2 teaspoons mace (nutmeg bark)
1 teaspoon long pepper
1 teaspoon star anise
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon anise seeds
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Grind the mix above.
For each tagine for 6 people ¼ tsp of the above mix with:
½ teaspoon ginger for all tagines
1 teaspoon turmeric for all tagines
¼ teaspoon cinnamon for pastilla, beef, chicken, lamb and egg tagine
1 teaspoon cumin for lentils, fish, vegetable tagine, cooked vegetable salads and baked vegetables
VEGETARIAN MAIN COURSES
Vegetable Tagine
1 small onion, finely diced
chopped parsley & coriander
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, cut into small pieces
2 carrots, cut into strips
1 cup peas
1 cup green beans cut in half
1 courgette cut into strips
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ginger
100 g almonds, soaked and peeled or walnuts and figs
In a tajine pot over medium heat, heat the oil and cook the onions, beans, carrots, peas and mashed garlic. Add the parsley and coriander and then add salt and all the spices, stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes. Add one peeled and diced tomato. Stir to blend. Add two small cups of water, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Finally add the pieces of potato, courgette, tomato and decorate with lemon and then sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender. If using almonds fry them in oil in a frying pan until golden. Decorate with the almonds/walnuts or figs and serve immediately.
Vegetarian Pastilla
Pastilla is a Moroccan savoury pastry served on special occasions. Traditionally it contains pigeon meat, although it is often made with chicken or fish instead. Our vegetarian version is a favourite.
1 pack filo pastry
2 coarsely chopped hard boiled eggs
6 oz coarsely chopped almonds, fried in a shallow pan of oil until golden, plus a few whole almonds to decorate the top of the pie
Gently fry these vegetables, herbs and spices together for 5 minutes:
A large knob of butter
4 medium carrots, grated
4 medium courgettes, grated
½ teaspoon ginger; ½ teaspoon turmeric; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon mixed spice (Rhas el hanout)
Salt and pepper to taste
Then add to the pan and fry gently until soft
Add a large knob of butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
Garlic to taste -optional
8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped (we often use black mushrooms)
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Then prepare the pie as follows.
Grease a metal baking dish.
Put 1 or 2 layers or filo pastry for the base, add filing then put 2 or 3 layers for the top.
Bake at 220 degrees centigrade or 425 f for about 20 minutes until golden.
Before serving decorate with whole toasted almonds. Some people like to use some icing sugar and cinnamon too.
Aubergine & Egg Bake
4 large aubergines, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, grated
I medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
Spices: salt and pepper to taste; ½ teaspoon of cumin; ½ teaspoon of ginger; 1 teaspoon of paprika.
4 eggs.
Soak the aubergines in salted water for about 20 minutes to remove bitterness. Preheat oils in a saucepan and fry on both sides.
To make the sauce mix all remaining ingredients except eggs in a pan, cook for about 10 minutes until it forms a thin sauce. Layer sauce and aubergines in several thin layers in a baking dish, finishing with a sauce layer. Make 4 holes in the top and break an egg into each. Bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are cooked.
Vegetable Bake
VEGETABLES:
½ kg Aubergine
½ kg Courgettes
½ kg potatoes
½ kg cherry tomatoes
SAUCE:
1.5 tablespoon tomato purée
6 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped coriander
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
TOPPING: Grated cheese
Prepare the sauce by chopping coriander, then adding the crushed garlic, cumin, pepper, salt, olive and vegetable oil. Cut all vegetable in rings and layer in a baking dish as follows: aubergine; sauce, courgette; sauce, then the final layer of tomatoes and potatoes then the rest of the sauce .
Cook in the moderate oven until the vegetables are tender, then top with grated cheese and bake for another 5 minutes and serve.
Haricot Bean or Lentil Tagine
300g dried beans or lentils (they always use fresh, but you may prefer to use 2 x 400g tins, drained)
1 finely chopped onion
2 peeled tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon minced parsley and coriander
1 tablespoon tomato purée
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt
½ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon cumin; ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon ginger
Cook the beans or lentils in a pressure cooker until they are cooked – about 20 minutes. Preheat olive and vegetable oils in a tajine pot or a saucepan and fry onion for 10 mins then add crushed garlic for 5 mins; finally add chopped parsley and coriander then salt and all the spices. Stir to blend, reduce the heat and cook for few minutes. Add tomato cubes, one tablespoon of tomato purée and two or three slices of lemon. Add one or one and a half cups of water to the sauce. When the sauce is ready add the cooked beans and leave it on the burner for about ten minutes and stir to blend. Serve with a salad and bread or potatoes.
Chickpea and Sultana Couscous
½ pint dried chick peas (equivalent to 1 pint of tinned)
½ cup sultanas
2 onions
2 tablespoons tomato purée or equivalent of grated fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
½ cup green olives (to taste)
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of black pepper
salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ideally you need a coucoussier, a specialist pan with a steaming basket for the couscous above the pan you prepare the stew in. We think the best flavour and taste is to be found in barley couscous which we buy from women’s cooperatives; our favourite is also flavoured with herbs. There is a real art in preparing real couscous (so much better than the instant variety!) It steamed 3 times and between each steaming is “fluffed” by hand. This makes each grain plump and tender without being wet, and therefore better suited for absorbing the tasty broth from the stew. Ideally use toasted argan oil for flavour. You can find videos on the internet (if you didn’t have practical experience with our cooks).
Cook soaked chick peas. The fastest way is to allow them to sprout for 24 hours, then cook for 15 minutes. When unsprouted you need to cook for 20 minutes IN A PRESSURE COOKER or 1 hour 30 mins in a normal pan.
Meanwhile chop onions finely, fry in olive oil with the spices and salt. Add the chickpeas, sultanas, olives, 1 pint water and leave to cook for a further 15 mins. Finally add tomato purée or grated tomato and coriander and simmer for 10 mins. Serve poured over a dish of couscous and decorated with sprigs of coriander.
Egg Tagine
4 eggs
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
two tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander
a pinch of paprika
salt
a pinch of cumin
a pinch of pepper
half a pinch of ginger
half a pinch cinnamon
Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a tajine dish, add the chopped onion, coriander, garlic, salt, paprika, ginger, pepper and cumin. Stir. Next add tomatoes and stir from time to time. Reduce this mixture down until it thickens. Add a tablespoon of water and when it has boiled break the eggs carefully into the sauce. Break the yolk with a fork then sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and let them cook. Serve with bread and salad.
Bessara (Fava Bean Stew)
A Berber Shepherd was once asked what he would do if he was rich and he said “I would eat Bessara every day”.
For 4 you will need:
500gms dried and shelled Fava beans (or substitute split peas if you prefer), soaked overnight
1 litre of cold water
4 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves
3 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon paprika
a handful of chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons argan oil mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil
juice of one lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook the fava beans in water for an hour till tender and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Heat the 4 tbsp olive oil in a pan and add garlic, then add cumin and paprika and stir for a minute. Now add the beans and stir well. Simmer for another 10 minutes till the flavours blend. Add the fresh coriander, argan and olive oil mix and blend until smooth, add lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve with bread. Decorate with a little paprika to serve.
FISH DISHES
Fish Tagine
1kg hake or electric eel
1kg peeled carrots
4 garlic gloves
Chopped coriander
2 green, red or yellow peppers (sliced)
2 tomatoes (sliced)
1 lemon (sliced)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato purée
½ cup of olive & vegetable oils
Salt
Prepare the marinade: mashed garlic, coriander, spices, tomato purée & the oils.
Put the sliced carrots in the tagine dish, add the fish covered with the marinade, and then decorate with peppers and lemon, and add the remaining marinade sauce and cook until tender.
MEAT DISHES
Beef Tagine
1kg beef in chunks
2 finely chopped onions
Plain yoghurt
Salt
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup olive & vegetable oils
Fry the meat, spices, oils and onions in a tagine dish. Cook on low heat for 90 mins, add yoghurt, stir the sauce until thickened. Serve.
Chicken Tagine with preserved lemons
1 kg chicken cut into pieces (legs are best)
3 garlic gloves
½ kg sliced onions
1 chopped onion
1 preserved lemon (chopped)
1 cup green olives (sliced)
Salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ras el hanout
Saffron
Chopped coriander
½ cup of olive and vegetable oils
Put the washed chicken in a tajine dish with lemon juice and water, then add chopped onion, mashed garlic, coriander, spices, and oils. Cook for 10 mins, turn the pieces of chicken to cook the other side. Add the slices of onions and olives, pieces of preserved lemon and coriander. Cover and cook for 90 mins.
Spiced Saffron Roast Chicken
2 chickens, each weighing about 2 kg. Wash thoroughly inside and out and rub with salt and lemon juice.
In a non-metallic bowl, marinade in 1 glass of water mixed with 2 medium grated onions, a handful of both coriander leaf and parsley, 6 crushed cloves of garlic, 4 filaments of saffron, salt and black pepper to taste and ½ teaspoon (or to taste) of each of the following: turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and rhas el hanout.
Mix everything together. Rub into the chicken inside and out, pour the rest over and leave for at least half a day in a fridge.
Put the chicken in a big saucepan with the rest of the sauce, add water to come about two-thirds of the way up the chicken, boil for 30-40 minutes. During the cooking keep piercing the chicken with a skewer to enable the marinade to permeate the chicken and turn over several times.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it and leave on a clean tea towel to dry.
Continue to cook the sauce to reduce it. Add slices of preserved lemons and sliced green olives.
Rub the chicken with butter and put in a hot oven to roast for about 15 minutes until nicely browned.
Serve chicken with the sauce poured over it and decorated with olives and slices of preserved lemon.
Lamb Tagine with Prunes
2 kg lamb
1 kg onions (slices)
50 kg blanched & fried almonds
4 garlic cloves
Chopped coriander
¼ cup olive and vegetable oils
10 dried prunes
A little sugar to taste
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon ras el hanout
Salt to taste
Put the meat, chopped onions, coriander, spices, and oils in a tagine dish. 15 mins later, turn the meat, cover and cook. Meanwhile caramelise the slices of onions in a pan with little bit of vegetable oil, cinnamon and sugar. In another pan caramelise prunes with water, cinnamon and sugar. Put the caramelised onions on the top of the meat and decorate with prunes and almonds.
Note *You can also sprinkle prunes with sesame seeds. *Figs & walnuts can be used instead of prunes & almonds
Meatball Tagine (Kefta)
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander
a pinch of paprika
salt
a pinch of pepper
half a pinch of ginger
half a pinch cinnamon
½ kilo minced beef
1 green or red pepper
Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a tagine dish, add the chopped onion, coriander, garlic, salt, paprika, ginger, and pepper. Stir. Next add tomatoes and stir from time to time. Reduce this mixture down until it thickens. Mix the minced beef with salt, paprika, ginger and black pepper and then make small balls and put in the tajine and add slices of tomatoes and green or red pepper on the top then more chopped coriander and half a glass of water. Cover and let it cook. When the meat is cooked and the sauce is reduced, serve with bread and salad.
SIDE DISHES
Cauliflower Bake
Similar to cauliflower cheese but the lemon and nutmeg make a difference.
Steam a medium cauliflower with salt to taste and a slice of lemon till tender then drain.
Prepare a béchamel sauce (melt 2 oz butter, add 3 tablespoons of flour, cook over gentle heat for a few minutes, take off heat, stir in 0.6 litres milk gradually, add grated nutmeg then cook gently, continuing to stir to avoid sticking to the pan.
Grease an ovenproof dish with butter then arrange cauliflower on the base, cover with béchamel sauce, grate some cheese on the top and bake for 15 minutes in a moderate oven.
Pumpkin Mash
Cut 0.5kg orange pumpkin into cubes, steam then mash. Put a dessertspoon of oil into a saucepan, add brown sugar to taste (about 1 level dessertspoon) and cinnamon to taste (about 1 heaped teaspoon), then mashed pumpkin, salt and black pepper to taste and then stir on a low heat until it becomes a golden colour and there is no water left. Serve either hot or cold.
Stuffed Vegetables
6 courgettes
6 aubergines
6 tomatoes
½ kg rice (boiled)
100 g raisins
3 garlic gloves (mashed)
Coriander (chopped)
½ cup olive & vegetable oils
Salt 2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon tomato purée
Scoop out the inside of courgettes, aubergines, and tomatoes. Steam both the courgettes and aubergines. Mix the spices, rice, raisins, garlic, purée, coriander and oils, then stuff the mixture into the courgettes, aubergines & tomatoes. Bake for 20 minutes.
Spiced Rice
finely chopped onion
½ kg rice (washed)
1 tomato
Salt
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ras el hanout
5 bay leaves
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a pan put the chopped onions, oil and spices, cook for 5 mins then add rice, water and tomato. Cover and cook.
Special Mashed Potato
3 large potatoes
3-4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
a pinch of black pepper
a pinch of cumin
salt
2 fresh eggs
Boil potatoes. When cooked mash them with a fork and add mashed garlic, coriander, pepper, cumin, one tablespoon vegetable oil, salt and the two fresh eggs. Mix all ingredients then shape into small patties, top with a black olive or an almond then bake them.
Aubergine Salad
1 grated tomato
1 kg aubergines (slices)
chopped coriander
3 garlic gloves (crushed)
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon pepper
oil for frying
Fry the aubergines. Cook the grated tomato, tomato purée, coriander, garlic, and spices in a separate pan. When the sauce is ready, add the fried aubergines leave it on the burner for 10 minutes and stir from time to time.
SOUPS
Carrot & Coriander Soup
½ kg carrots
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander
a pinch of paprika
salt
pepper
a pinch of cumin
a pinch of pepper
half a pinch of ginger
half a pinch cinnamon
tomato purée
1 chopped onion
½ litre water
1 tomato
Place all ingredients in a pan. Simmer until the carrots are soft. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, liquidise and serve.
Lentil Soup
1 mug peeled lentils
½ kg peeled tomato
Coriander (chopped)
2 garlic gloves (mashed)
1 small onion
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Chop the lentils in a food processor, then cook them all the ingredients until soft. Liquidise and serve.
Courgette Soup
½ kg courgettes
2 potatoes
1 small onion
A good handful of coriander
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ginger
A knob of butter
Water to cover
3 portions of ‘La Vache Qui Rit’ type cheese or tasty olive oil
Simmer all these ingredients except the cheese until the courgettes and potatoes are soft. Add the cheese or olive oil and liquidise until creamy. Serve hot.
CAKES
Walnut & Banana (or Apple) Cake
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups orange juice
Grated rind of 1 lemon
3 rounded teaspoons of baking powder
1 rounded dessertspoon cinnamon
50 gms walnuts
50 gms raisins or sultanas
Flour- sufficient to make a soft paste
2 finely sliced bananas or apples or one of each
Vanilla essence (optional)
Mix all ingredients except fresh fruit. Put half the mixture in a loaf tin, then add a layer of fresh fruit then the rest of the mixture. Bake at 180 degrees C for approx 30 minutes. May be served with butter, but it very moist, so is lovely without!
Coconut Cake: a moist low sugar recipe
- Mix in liquidiser:
3 eggs
200 ml of oil
200 ml of milk
zest of one orange & 1 lemon
½ teaspoon vanilla essence - Fold in:
300 ml of semolina
75 cup dessicated coconut
2 teaspoons baking powder - Put in a square tin and top with this mix:
400 ml yoghurt
2 tablespoons dessicated coconut
Use a knife to make a criss cross pattern - Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees C or until skewer comes out cleanly.
- Prepare a syrup while baking using 70 ml orange juice and 2 tablespoons sugar. Pour slowly over cake while still hot.
Orange Cake
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup of orange juice
2 teaspoons baking powder
flour to mix to correct consistency
Orange Icing:
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons white flour or cornflour
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Beat the eggs with sugar and add a cup of oil and beat again and then add baking powder and start adding flour. Continue stirring until it is thick and then add a cup of orange juice. If the mixture is too runny add more flour and then put everything in a blender to mix. Bake for approx 30 mins in a moderate oven. To prepare icing place ingredients in a pan and stir continuously over low heat until thickened. Cool and then spread on top of the cake. Decorate with slices of orange.
BREAKFAST DISHES
Lemon Pancakes
Batter:
1 cup flour
1 cup fine semolina
Water to thin paste consistency
1 tsp yeast
Mix & leave yeast until bubbles appear.
Cook in a non stick pan until firm. Toss & cook second side.
Serve with melted butter & honey and lemon juice to taste.
Barley Porridge
- Kibbled barley, sometimes sold as steel-cut barley or barley grits – the fine variety is best
- Dash of olive oil
- Salt to taste
- water
Soak the kibbled barley overnight. Drain and add water to cover generously. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, adding more water as necessary. Add salt and oil to taste at the end. We serve with a choice of orange honey, dried fruit, plain yoghurt, olive oil and almonds.
Latifa and Fatima © 2020
La Maison Anglaise, Taroudant
www.holidays-with-heart.co.uk
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