Maroque Newsletter
Welcome to the latest Maroque newsletter. With summer here and our thoughts on summer living and enjoying the outside aspect of summer life (well when the sun arrives that is), capturing a little bit of Morocco doesn't seem that difficult. We may have searing temperatures later in the summer and finding ways to keep cool becomes a preoccupation, but in Morocco in the summer extremely high temperatures are a way of life and so I have included 10 tips on keeping cool, Moroccan style, to help you through the heat.
The recipe this time is a really unusual take on roast lamb, do try it, the recipe looks more complex than it is and I'm sure you will be delighted with the result.
Keeping cool Moroccan style
Moroccans are used to searing temperatures and manage to stay effortlessly cool and elegant; we take a leaf from their book with a few simple tips.
Slashed roast leg of lamb with Harrisa stuffing
I came across this unusual way of dealing with a leg of lamb from a recipe by Jill Dupleix and it really works, it cooks quickly and evenly and carving is a doddle.
Ingredients
Leg of lamb, about 2kg (4 1/2 lb)
1 onion, one half sliced, the other for blending to make the stuffing
4 garlic cloves peeled
2 tsp harrisa, either from a jar or paste made up fresh
1 tbsp parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
30g bread crumbs (a small roll whizzed up)
15g pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Pre heat the oven to 220C gas mark 7. Lay the leg of lamb meaty side uppermost on a chopping board and using a large sharp knife, cut deep slashes to the bone widthways all along its length, spacing the cuts about 1cm (1/2 in) appart: these will form your slices when you carve it. The slices should fan out a little like a book.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a small pan until golden and leave to cool in a glass bowl, big enough to take the stuffing. To make the stuffing put one half of onion, the garlic, parsley, harrisa and olive oil into a little blender and whizz until fairly smooth. Add the breadcrumbs to the mixture and give another little whizz. Add this to the bowl with the toasted pine nuts and mix well adding some salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing into all the cuts you have made in the lamb. Using fine string, tie the lamb to keep the slashes from fanning out while cooking.
4. Make a bed of the sliced onions for the lamb in the roasting tin and lay the tied up lamb on top. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Put uncovered in the high oven for 20 minutes.
5. Turn the oven down to 190C and cover the lamb with foil, cook for 15 minutes per lb (this will produce pink lamb).
6. When cooked transfer the lamb to a carving board and cover with foil to keep warm.
7. Remove the excess fat from the roasting tin and put on a low gas ring, add about 1/2 pint of vegetable stock and stir, getting all the nice gooey bits from the bottom of the tin. Bring to the boil and strain into a clean saucepan.
8. Simmer until reduced to the thin gravy, check seasoning and adjust as needed, adding any juices from the meat as it rests, and pour into a serving jug.
9. Carve the meat across the slashes into slices and serve.
Serves 6
Site update
Our painted furniture is back in stock, and we have a new blend of mint tea. I love traditional Moroccan mint tea but it does pile on the calories if you drink a lot of it. Our new version, Maroque light, is designed to be drunk without sugar, still with the traditional Moroccan taste, but slightly more minty and a lighter green tea.
All our Moroccan traditional tagines are back in stock as well as a new range of lovely colourful Tunisian cooking tagines.
I have also added a few new recipes, including a salad recipe for our giant couscous. I hope you enjoy them.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions I would love to hear from you. Please email info@maroque.co.uk
Kind regards
Julie Woodard
Maroque