Briouat Bil Lahm (Meat Briouats)
Morocco's iftar starter: warka triangles wrapped around slow-cooked spiced lamb with onion, herbs, ras-el-hanout and preserved lemon. Deep-fried.
Overview
Onion is softened slowly in olive oil 15 minutes. Lamb mince browns with the onion; ras-el-hanout, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper season. Stock or a splash of water; simmered for 8-10 minutes till dry-fragrant. Off heat: parsley, coriander, beaten egg, finely chopped preserved lemon. Left to cool. Warka strips lay flat; a teaspoon of filling at one end; flag-folded up the strip into a triangle. Sealed with egg-wash. Deep-fried for 3 minutes till deep gold.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion (large, very finely diced)
- 400 g lamb mince (or beef-lamb mix)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ras-el-hanout
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 100 ml stock (or water)
- 30 g flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
- 20 g fresh coriander (chopped)
- 1 egg (large, lightly beaten)
- ¼ preserved lemon (peel only, finely diced)
Pastry
- 18 sheets warka (or filo pastry, cut to 8 × 25 cm strips)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for light brushing)
- 1 egg (beaten, for sealing)
Frying
- 600 ml neutral oil
To serve
- Lemon wedges
- Mint tea
Method
Stage 1 - Cook the filling
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion; cook 10-12 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not browned.
- Add the mince; brown 5 minutes, breaking up.
- Stir in the garlic, ras-el-hanout, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper.
- Cook 1 minute till fragrant.
- Pour in the stock; simmer 8-10 minutes uncovered until dry-fragrant (no pooling liquid).
- Off heat; stir in the parsley, coriander, lightly beaten egg and finely diced preserved lemon peel.
- Cool to room temperature.
Stage 2 - Cut strips
- Stack warka or filo sheets; cut into strips 8 cm wide.
- Cover with a damp tea towel.
Stage 3 - Shape
- Take one strip; brush lightly with olive oil.
- Place 1 heaped teaspoon of filling at the bottom-left corner.
- Fold flag-style into a triangle: diagonal fold over the filling, then straight up, then diagonal, then straight up.
- Walk up the strip until used.
- Seal the final flap with egg-wash.
- Repeat for the rest.
Stage 4 - Fry
- Heat oil to 170°C.
- Lower 4-5 briouats; fry 3 minutes, turning, till deep gold.
- Lift onto a wire rack.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Pile on a platter.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges and mint tea.
- Some versions get a drizzle of honey; this works particularly well with the warm spices.
Notes
- Cook the filling fully dry: wet filling leaks during frying and the briouats burst. The stock should fully evaporate.
- Egg in the cool filling, not the hot: stirred in off the heat, the egg binds without scrambling. Adding hot would cook into ribbons.
- Preserved lemon peel only: the flesh is too soft and bitter for filling; the peel gives the salty-floral note that defines the dish.
- Bake variant: for a lighter version, brush with melted butter and bake at 200°C for 12-15 minutes. The filo browns and crisps. Not as Moroccan-iconic but acceptable.
Storage
- Best fresh from the fryer.
- Refrigerate 2 days; reheat in a 180°C oven 7 minutes.
- Freeze unfried, 2 months; fry from frozen + 1 minute.
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