Britain is now a land of budding gastronomes and foodies who are constantly searching out the most delicious recipes, the freshest ingredients and the most sustainable foods. People are ready to explore new and exciting ways to enjoy healthy, delicious food inspired by cuisines from around the world.
Discovering Moroccan origin foods
Moroccan food is one cuisine that is becoming hugely popular in the UK, thanks to its fantastic flavours, simple dishes and wonderful, easy-to-source ingredients that can be bought, prepared or even home-grown in a sustainable, eco-friendly way with an emphasis on taste and nutrition.
Moroccan recipes invariably use colourful, flavoursome whole foods prepared in simple ways with clever cooking techniques that transform the finished dish into something truly memorable. Moroccan origin food can be easily sourced at home, with simple ingredients such as Moroccan tomatoes and Moroccan fish featuring heavily in the best Moroccan recipes. The dishes naturally combine sweet, salty and acidic flavours, but without hot spice.
Whether your taste buds crave a slow-cooked tagine or vibrant Moroccan street food, there are so many Moroccan recipes to discover. Many of them are incredibly simple to prepare, although there are also plenty of complex, indulgent and show-stopping dishes for special occasions too.
Natural flavours, fresh ingredients
Chermoula is a spice paste commonly found in most savoury Moroccan recipes and varieties of this fresh condiment are found all over North Africa. To make it, gather 50g of roughly chopped coriander, a few parsley leaves (chopped), two medium cloves of garlic, 80ml of olive oil, half a teaspoon of sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika and the same of cayenne pepper. Blend them together to make a paste, and then squeeze in the juice of a lemon wedge to add flavour. (You can also use a preserved lemon.)
If you are looking for inspirational Moroccan recipe ideas to get you started, why not try this simple and delicious Moroccan street food dish? It is vibrant, colourful and a lot of fun to prepare – in common with all recipes from this wonderful country. It also marries the best of Moroccan and British ingredients for a harmonious combination.
Tomato and crispy fried sardines
Every Moroccan street corner sells these flavor some crispy fried sardines, and the fish are easy to source from your Moroccan origin food supplier.
Begin by chopping fresh coriander and parsley, add these to a bowl with a generous slug of olive oil and – if you want to try this authentic option – an equal measure of argan oil, which is incredibly good for your health and has a naturally nutty flavour. Add a touch of cumin, salt and pepper, some paprika and plenty of lemon juice. The trick here is to adjust measures and ingredients to taste! Finally, add a little chilli sauce, or harissa, and some optional extras such as a squeeze of tomato puree and a preserved, chopped lemon.
This marinade works perfectly with fish dishes and any other meats that you want to marinade and really is the quintessential Moroccan ingredient, packed with flavours and zing!
Use the above paste to marinade your fresh sardines, which should be filleted. Sardines are widely available at this time of year. You can then leave the fish to marinate for a few hours in the fridge or fry them immediately.
To cook, fry each fish for around 3-4 minutes on each side. Prepare your tomato salad to accompany the fish, blanching your beef tomatoes if you wish. This salad will soak up the oils and flavours of the fish dish. Chop the tomatoes and place slices on a plate. In a dish, combine a little harissa, lemon juice, argan oil and mustard with salt and pepper to create a dressing. Use this to dress the tomatoes and then place the fish on top.
The finished dish will look incredible, and can then be topped with some watercress, fresh basil and a little extra dressing if you wish. Add crusty bread if you fancy a hearty accompaniment!
Let us know what you think and which recipes you have been inspired to try this month to make the most of delicious, seasonal Moroccan food in your own kitchen.