Maroque Newsletter
Welcome to the latest edition of the Maroque newsletter.
With spring well and truly here I have got the DIY bug again! I managed to persuade hubby to fit some more maesto light fittings and have hung some fantastic new Moroccan lanterns (for a person that runs a business selling lamps, I have a remarkable number of bare bulbs in the house), some of the pictures have come out very well.
Continuing our look at the main ingredients in Moroccan cooking, I have been delving into the history of Ras el Hanout, possibly one of the most exotic and memorable spice mixes imaginable. Known for its aphrodisiac qualities, this spice blend is so evocative of a Moroccan bazaar that just opening a packet has me whisked away.
The recipe this month proved quite a challenge, following with the Ras el Hanout theme should I try a modern influenced dish or a traditional one, should it just hint as the spice or blow your mind with the complex flavours? In the end I decided upon the traditional Moroccan sweet majoun. While they are best known for the hashish they normally contain, even without the added extra something they are a great little sweet and a complete doddle to make.
We have added a new selection of foods to the site and a host of other items to look at.
Ras el Hanout
Ras el Hanout literally translates as 'head' or 'top' of the shop. It fascinates everyone: foreigners and Moroccans alike. It is a very old mixture of many spices, sometimes ten, sometimes nineteen, often over thirty.
The intoxicating aroma is said to have been originally assembled by a nomadic warrior combining all the scents of the countries he had passed through.
In Morocco the mixture is likely to contain reputed aphrodisiacs, which may add to its local appeal. Each spice vendor will have his own secret blend varying in price according to the rarity of the ingredients.
Ras el Honout has traditionally been used in game dishes; at Eid el Kebir (Festival of the goat) when mrouzia - a sweet lamb dish containing raisins, almonds and large quantities of honey, is made; and of course in majoun, the infamous hashish balls.
Nowadays it is used in a variety of dishes, marinades and rubs and it goes extremely well with lamb. We have several recipes in our food section.
Should you fancy making your own, this recipe, from Paula Wolfert 'Couscous and other good food from Morocco', is a good mixture:
4 whole nutmegs, 10 rosebuds, 12 cinnamon sticks, 12 blades of mace, 1 tsp aniseed, 8 pieces turmeric, 2 small pieces of orris root, 2 dried cayenne peppers, 1/2 tsp lavender, 1tbs white peppercorns, 2 pieces galingale, 2 tbs whole ginger root, 6 cloves, 24 allspice berries, 20 green cardamom pods, 4 black cardamoms.
Grind all the above ingredients together until you obtain a fine mix.
Recipe
Sesame-coated Majoun
The most appropriate recipe it seemed to include with this newsletter was a recipe for majoun, obviously excluding their most infamous ingredient.
You will find these sweet, spicy fruit balls on every street corner in Morocco. They are also lovely with a strong coffee.
Ingredients
250g (9oz) blanched almonds
125g (4 oz) walnuts
250g (9oz) raisins
125g (4 oz) clear honey
65g (2oz) butter
1 tsp Ras el Hanout
1 tsp ground ginger
60-75g (4-5oz) sesame seeds
Makes about 20 balls
1. Finely chop the almonds, walnuts and raisins in a food processor or blender until they form a coarse, slightly sticky mixture.
2. Melt the butter in a large heavy pan and stir in the honey, Ras el Hanout and ginger.
3. Add the nuts and raisins and stir over a gentle heat for a few seconds until the mixture is thoroughly combined, firm and sticky.
4. Cool a little, then shape into about 20 balls.
5. Roll the balls in sesame seeds to coat completely.
6. Serve as an after dinner sweet with strong coffee.
Site Update
I have great pleasure in introducing a range of products from Nomades, from ready made tagine sauces (if you fancy Moroccan but don't have the time), spice blends, some fabulous zaalouk and mechouia. Zaalouk is an aubergine mix and mechouia is peppers in garlic, both essential for any mezze. We also stock their preserved lemons in a kilner jar, very home made looking, and amlou: toasted almonds, honey and argan oil, similar to peanut butter and great on toast or mixed with lemon juice and oil as salad dressing.
We have some new slippers (more a sandal really as the base is hard and they have a small heel, very funky for the summer), some very unusual new perfume bottles that would make a great birthday present, and some new lanterns, mirrors and pouffes.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any comments, ideas, suggestions I would love to hear from you. Please email info@maroque.co.uk.
Kind regards
Julie Woodard
Maroque