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Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/102355
Kitchen Essentials Moroccan seasoning is generous but not particularly spicy. The hottest food I tasted was harissa, a North African red paste made with piri piri chiles. The condiment originally came from Tunisia, says Paula Wolfert—whose cookbook, Foods of Morocco, was a 2012 James Beard Award winner—but is used in Morocco, as well. The flavors in Moroccan cuisine are also not overwhelming: Seasonings are more about a purposeful blend of sweet and savory herbs, spices and pantry ingredients. Along with fresh herbs, frequently used spices include ginger, turmeric, saffron, cinnamon, cumin and different peppers, including hot and sweet paprika. One of the most distinctive seasonings is ras el hanout, a mixture of ground spices that often includes chile peppers, coriander, cardamom, cumin, clove, nutmeg and turmeric. The name means "head of the shop" and it suggests the blend is the best the spice seller has to offer. Most kitchens I visited were modest. Essential tools include a couscoussier, a two-piece pot in which to steam couscous—the national dish—until light and fluffy, at least one conical terra-cotta pot, or tagine, with a flame diffuser to protect the dish from the direct heat of charcoal, and a grill basket. (Editor's note: See Prepared Food Focus on p. 94 for three tagine recipes.) As I was leaving, Soumiya gifted me with a lovely scarf that a few days later the Berber nomads in Merzouga wrapped around my head Tuareg-style before my camel, Bendidi, and I trekked into the Sahara. As the easterly Chergui winds blew across the desert, my headdress afforded invaluable protection against the microdermabrasion-like blowing sand and rain. PRODUCT FINDER Here are some more companies importing products straight from Morocco or touting the country's flavor notes in their offerings: American Roland Food Corp.: importer of olives, couscous and sardines; rolandfood.com Atalanta Corporation: importer of cheeses and specialty products; atalantacorp.com Atlas Olive Oils: olive oil; atlasoliveoils.com Conserves de Meknes: jam, argan oil, olive oil, sauces; aicha.com Dari Couspate: couscous and pasta; couscousdari.com Domaine Arije: olive oil; domainearije.com Encore Specialty Foods: importer of Moroccan anchovies; encorefoods.com FoodMatch: importer of olives and sardines from Morocco; foodmatch.com Industry Moroccan Anchovies: semi-preserved seafood; +212/528284802 Overseas Food Trading Ltd.: importer of condiments, oils and other specialty foods; 201.585.8730 Passage Foods: Passage to Morocco Simmer Sauce; passagefoods.com Sahadi Fine Foods: authentic Moroccan harissa and preserved lemons; sahadifinefoods.com Sauce Goddess Gourmet LLC: Moroccan Twist Spice Rub; saucegoddess.com Tajini: tagine sauces; tajini.com Victoria Gourmet Inc.: Victoria Taylor Moroccan seasonings; vgourmet.com PHOTO: MARK FERRI; FOOD STYLED: LESLIE ORLANDINI; PROPS STYLED: FRAN MATALON-DEGNI Fès. It is traditionally made with squab or chicken first simmered in garlic-, ginger- and saffron-flavored broth. When cooled, the meat is shredded and seasoned, then combined with eggs, coriander, parsley and a little honey and layered inside flaky brik pastry (a cross between spring-roll wrappers and phyllo) and baked until golden. Soumiya used honey along with toasted almonds and cinnamon, but many pastillas are decorated with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. The combination of textures and flavors made a complex yet comforting dish that I longed to keep eating. Given the amount of eggs and butter used to saute and brush the pastry, I asked Tariq if Moroccans were concerned about health. He noted there are some fish and even vegetarian pastillas that are popular. Soumiya's dessert of sliced oranges was laid out in a pinwheel pattern and sprinkled with orange water and cinnamon. In Morocco, care is taken with the presentation and aesthetics of even simple foods. There was also a plate of cookies, including the tender shortbread ghryba that were irresistible. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 91