Savory Spice Shop: Moroccan Cooking Class

Charmoula Marinade

from The Basement Table     Yield:  approx. 3 cups

1 tablespoon dried crushed chile

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

2 diced onions

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1/2 preserved lemon, thinly sliced*

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly and leave for half an hour prior to use to allow flavors to meld. The Charmoula can be stored in the refrigerator for 7 days. It’s a fabulous marinade or zingy sauce for meat, chicken, or fish – it received rave reviews when I served it as a sauce with Pacific halibut and couscous along with glazed carrots.

*No preserved lemon? I substituted orange zest for another layer of flavor, lower-sodium as well.

Moroccan Meatball (Kefta) Tagine

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup Charmoula

2 – 14 ounce canned crushed tomatoes*

8 ounce peas

Meatballs:

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs*

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup minced onion

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 egg *

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

3/4 lb. ground lamb

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:

To make the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and “fry” the Charmoula marinade for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the meatballs.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make the meatballs, soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until soft, then use your hands to mix the remaining ingredients until feel combined. Roll into tablespoon sized balls. Arrange in a single layer in a shallow ovenproof dish and bake for 10 minutes to seal and partially cook.

Add the peas to the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs, coat them in sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Place a tagine or flameproof dish over low heat. Place the meatballs around the outside an sprinkle with parsley. Pour the sauce into the middle. Break a raw egg into the middle of the dish and cover. Cook gently for a few minutes to allow steam to poach the egg.

Serve immediately.

* For low-sodium sauce and meatballs, I used Trader Joes No-Salt Added Chopped Tomatoes, substituted Panko breadcrumbs which are lower in sodium than other packaged breadcrumbs. Adding the egg is a nice touch, but optional – you might end up fighting for it!