In the world kitchen. Pastilla!

Pastilla…

So nice, I had it thrice (well, more than that, but “a lot” doesn’t rhyme with “nice”)

Hi there! Would you like some roasted and chopped almonds, honey and cinnamon with your… Chicken pie?

Wait! Don’t leave! Sure, I know it sounds like something dreamed up by some pregnant woman whose mind is swimming in hormone soup, or perhaps someone who’s taken one too many hits of weed. But if a lamb tagine is the Michael Jackson of Moroccan cuisine, then the Pastilla is the Jackson 5. 

Pulled chicken lovingly coated with spices like cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric, then mixed with orange zest, almonds, honey and some onions for good measure. Wrapped in brick pastry and baked to perfection. More honey. More almonds. More cinnamon. And a dash of powdered sugar. 

Is it dinner? Is it dessert? Who cares, if you can have it for both? 

Thanks to our lovely tour mate Lizahn for her review of a Moroccan favourite!

In the world Kitchen! Morocco!

In Marrakech, we decided to partake in a Moroccan Masterchef experience and cook our own chicken tagine. We met our chef and headed off into the souqs to source ingredients for the feast. First stop was Lenards, where our live chickens were selected and prepared. Not really wanting to think too much into the process, we concentrated on the selection of fresh vegetables and spices on offer.

The prep kitchen was on the terrace of of a local riad. A sunny location where we sat at a long table and chopped and dices to the direction of our expert. Many laughs were had whilst prepping and sipping mint tea as the tagine simmered on the flames.

End result, if we must say so ourselves, was a very delicious Moroccan delight!

• 
  

  Place the chicken in Tajine; squeeze the fresh lemon juice on the chicken. Add preserved lemon (not the skin). Chop

  onions, parsley and coriander nely and add to the chicken. Add garlic, spices and oil and cook for 10 min. Add

  water and cook for another 10 min. Then add olives, the skin of the preserved lemon and chili and cook for 40 min.

  All together cooking time is 1 hour.

  BEST. DAY. EVER

  recipe card

  500 grams chicken

  ¼ fresh lemon

  ¼ preserved lemon

  1 small onion

  Fresh parsley

  Fresh coriander

  2 cloves garlic

  1 tsp pepper

  1 tsp ginger

  ¼ tsp saron powder

  1 pscg saron color

  ¼ tsp salt

  1 tsp cumin (to taste)

  4 tbs olive oil

  1 cup of water

  Chilli (to taste)

  Olives

  Chicken Tajine

  Peel tomato, deseed it. Roast the capsicum on open ame and put it in a plastic bag for 5 min. Take the skin o.

  Chop tomato, capsicum, onion, parsley and coriander. Squeeze the lemon juice, add spices and mix with olive oil.

  1 tomato

  1 capsicum

  ½ an onion

  Fresh parsley

  Fresh coriander

  Cracked pepper

  Cumin

  Salt

  2 tbs olive oil

  ½ fresh lemon

  Moroccan salad

  marrakech

  Chicken dishes

  Ginger

  Saron

  Pepper

  Cumin

  Lamb & beef

  Prunes

  Apricot

  Cinnamon

  Fish

  Paprika

  Pepper

  Cumin

  Saron

  Moroccan spices
• 
  

  Today, Morocco’s famous mint tea – green tea steeped with lots of spearmint – has become symbolic not only of

  Moroccan cuisine, but also of Moroccan hospitality and culture. Many families serve the markedly sweet beverage

  several times a day with or without food, and both drop-in and invited company can expect to be oered tea as

  a welcoming gesture. While the Moroccan tradition of honoring the guest may be rooted in Islamic etiquette,

  Moroccans are renowned for elevating that standard of hospitality to an exceptional level. As such, even new

  acquaintances and unexpected guests will be encouraged to drink glass after glass of tea (to avoid oending the

  host, it’s wise to oblige!), and then pressed to stay on for a full meal.

  Tea is cooked in a stainless steel teapot that can be put directly on top of the stove. Moroccans typically use the

  Chinese gunpowder green tea. About 2 table spoons to a litre of water.

  •

  Put the tea in the pot and pour over about a glass of boiling water. Let it rest for few minutes and pour out the water

  in a glass. Don’t swirl around the water in the pot, just pour it straight into a glass. Leave the clear liquid for later.

  • Add another glass of boiling water to the tea leaves and once again let it rest for few minutes. This time swirl

  around the water in the teapot and pour it out. That will wash the tea leaves.

  • Now that the tea leaves are washed pour boiling water over them (about two thirds of the pot) and add the rst

  glass of tea you set aside for later use. Place the pot on a medium high heat.

  • Once you see rst bubbles forming add the fresh mint and sugar (to taste) to the pot.

  • Let it boil till you see the mint leaves on the top of the pot and tea has become bubbly and foamy.

  • Instead of stirring the tea Moroccans usually mix it by pouring the tea in a glass and then pouring it back in the pot.

  Repeat that four or ve times.

  • Once the tea has been mixed it is ready to be served. Try to pour holding the teapot about an arms length above

  the glass- this way you will get nice foam on top of the tea glass.

  • Sit back and enjoy!

  BEST. DAY. EVER

  Moroccan mint tea

  Chicken- Djaj

  Onion - Basla

  Lemon - Hamed

  Preserved lemon - Msyer

  Tomato - Matisha

  Green pepper - Fela

  Coriander - Kosbor

  Parsley - Moadnous

  Garlic - Toma

  Salad - Chlada

  Tea - Tay

  Mint - Lekama

  Sugar- Sokar

  Olive oil - Ziit

  Olives - Zitoun

  Water- Elma

  Pepper - Lebzar

  Cumin - Kamoun

  Ginger - Skinjber

  Salt - Melha

  Saron - Zaafron

  Cinnamon - Qarfa

  Chilli - Harra

  Paprika - Tahmira

  Food items in Arabic

  tajine cookery

  class

  take this tour!

  Starts daily at 9am

  Duration 4 hrs

  From USD $70