Spiced, slow-cooked plates from across the Maghreb. Ras el hanout, saffron, preserved lemon, olives and the fragrance of cumin, cinnamon and ginger drive the flavour. Tagines (slow-cooked clay-pot stews), couscous (steamed two or three times for the right texture), b'stilla pies of layered phyllo and the complex spice work of harira soups define the tradition.
Chicken poaches in a heavily spiced broth (saffron, ginger, cinnamon, lemon). The shredded meat returns to a reduced sauce thickened with beaten eggs to make a soft set. Toasted almonds with sugar and cinnamon form a layer. Everything wraps in butter-brushed filo, baked golden, and dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.
Skinned dried fava beans (or split peas as a substitute) simmer with garlic, cumin and a small amount of paprika until they completely break down. The soup is blended smooth, thinned to taste, and served with each bowl getting a generous topping of olive oil, ground cumin, paprika and chilli flakes. Bread is essential.
Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks rub with a saffron-cumin-ginger-paprika paste, then braise gently with onion, garlic and stock in a tagine or heavy casserole. Preserved lemon and green olives go in toward the end so they don't disintegrate. Coriander finishes.
Lamb and chicken poach slowly in a saffron-tomato broth with chunks of root vegetables and chickpeas. Merguez sausages grill or fry separately. Couscous steams (or is rehydrated quickly with hot broth and butter). Everything plates separately on a vast platter; diners build their own bowls and slick with harissa.
Lamb shoulder cubes simmer slow with chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes, vermicelli noodles, and a heavy spice mix (ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin) in a generous broth. The soup is finished by adding the noodles in the last 10 minutes and a final scatter of fresh coriander, parsley and lemon juice.
Lamb shoulder cubes brown deeply, then simmer slow with onion, garlic and a Moroccan spice blend (ras el hanout, ginger, cinnamon). Stock and a splash of honey go in; dried apricots join in the second half so they soften without dissolving. Toasted almonds and coriander on top.
Onions are softened with garlic and ras el hanout. Carrots, parsnips, potato and squash join in stages, root first, fast-cooking last. Chickpeas, tomatoes, stock and apricots simmer everything together. At the end, preserved lemon, fresh coriander and toasted almonds finish; honey rounds out the spice if needed.
