Tag: North African
Meskouta (Moroccan Orange Cake)
Meskouta (Moroccan Orange Cake)
Meskouta is a commonly eaten cake for dessert, snacks, and tea time in Morocco. While there are many different flavors, this cake in particular uses freshly squeezed orange juice and it’s zest that brings out a strong, citrusy flavor. The orange cake is usually made in a bundt cake pan, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be baked in a loaf or sheet pan. Once the cake is baked and cooled, spank a dusting of powdered sugar over the top.
Equipment
- standing mixer
- Bundt cake pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 tsp orange zest
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the eggs and sugar in a standing mixer until incorporated.
- Add in the oil and continue to mix on low speed.
- Add in the flour mixture a 1/2 cup at a time.
- Add in the orange juice, zest, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Pour in the batter.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, your cake is done. Allow to rest on a rack for 15 minutes before taking out of the pan.
T’fina Pkaila (Instant Pot)
T’fina Pkaila (Instant Pot)
Tfina pkaila is a traditional Jewish Tunisian dish served during Rosh Hashanah. The dish consists of stewed spinach with white beans and beef. I used my Instant Pot in preparation to speed up the cooking process; taking about an hour to make as opposed to 3+ hours it would take if using your stove top. The pkaila is always served over couscous with crusty Italian bread.
Equipment
- instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry white beans soaked overnight
- 1 lb fresh spinach
- olive oil
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb beef shank meat cubed
- 1/2 tbsp harissa
- 1/2 bunch mint chopped
- 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in you instant pot on the sauté function over medium heat. Add in the spinach.
- Allow the spinach to cook down and release it’s liquid until it evaporates. Remove the spinach from the pot.
- Turn the function to high heat. Add in the onion, garlic, beef shank, and harissa. Brown for 5 minutes.
- Drain the beans and add into the pot. Stir in the spinach.
- Turn the function to pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Put on the cover and push start.
- Release the pressure. Turn the function back to sauté on high. Add in the chopped herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 more minutes until thickened.
Merguez Sausage
Merguez Sausage
Merguez sausage is the most popular type of sausage in North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The sausage is a combination of various ratios of lamb and beef, stuffed into lamb casings. This particular recipe uses 3 parts leg of lamb, 1 part beef fat. It is seasoned with freshly toasted whole cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds, paprika, cayenne, and Tunisian harissa paste.Merguez are typically grilled, but obviously can be pan fried. They will take about 5-6 minutes a side to cook through. If pan frying, you won’t need to add any oil. There is enough fat in the sausages that will render out to fry in. Serve the merguez with herbed couscous.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- meat grinder
- sausage stuffer
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless leg of lamb cubed
- 1 lb beef fat
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup harissa
- 1/3 cup ice water
- lamb casings
Instructions
- Dry toast the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Let cool. Grind to a powder in a spice grinder.
- Mix all of the spices together.
- Grind the lamb and beef fat once through a meat grinder with a medium ground plate.
- Add all of the ingredients to the ground lamb. Mix thoroughly.
- Place in the refrigerator and allow the ingredients to commingle for an hour before stuffing.
- Stuff the sausage into the lamb casings. Twist to 6” in length.
- Allow to rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before cutting the links apart. Wrap whatever you don’t plan to use in the next 3 days freezer paper.
- Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausages to the skillet.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes a side. These sausages can also be grilled for the same amount of time.
