Cook on the ways: recipes from around the world cooked in Morocco
I have lived in Morocco for fifteen years.
Even if they say that "Moroccan cuisine is the best in the world", there are other excellent cuisines. Moreover, like all immigrants, I am nostalgic for the dishes I used to enjoy in France. And I'm curious: in Morocco, food from elsewhere is little known. And the excellence of Moroccan cuisine is, in practice, reserved for private homes. In restaurants, we quickly go round and round on the same tagines, couscous, brochettes…
I've always liked cooking for my friends but, looking back, I wasn't really a "cook". Then I became interested in what I put on my plate. In fact, I "had" to take an interest to overcome my eating disorders and some allergies. Today, I have learned to eat better. I have understood how the composition of our food, its origin, influences our weight and our health, not only by the calories they include. I have moved further away from "Moroccan cuisine" by looking for less meaty recipes, among others.
Cooking differently in Morocco: not always easy
Doing things differently with local ingredients: oriental cuisines are not limited to the Maghreb, the cuisines of Lebanon, Syria and Persia offer wonderful dishes, with ingredients that are found in Morocco but used differently.
Doing without local ingredients: there are also things that cannot be found in Morocco, ingredients that I have learned to replace or make myself (the saga of my home-made tarama, for which I had to build my own flat smoker is a good example).
Finally, like everyone else, with the confinement, I immersed myself in my cooking pot, my oven, I made my sourdough, my bread, my pizzas, my mozzarella…
What the Cook tells you
My Cook has been wandering around, and I share with you what he has brought back: recipes, tips, information on our ingredients, on the history of food. This site is therefore a recipe blog… but not only! If you are in Morocco, you will also find good addresses, very soon.
I indicate a price range on my recipes. It is calculated for recipes made in Morocco, in relation to the Moroccan cost of living. A recipe that is expensive in Morocco can therefore be cheap in France, or the other way round. For example
- pork is very expensive in Morocco, since it is imported for some foreigners, and there is not much variety in the cuts.
- Buckwheat flour also costs three arms, and can only be found in specialised organic shops that import it. This makes blinis, which are rather cheap, a luxury recipe!
- Local fruit and vegetables are much cheaper, as is saffron. An omelette with beans and saffron is therefore almost economical.
- Fish is cheaper than in Europe, but the price has increased a lot and is therefore no longer economical, unless you live in a coastal town and go to the harbour.
- Basic poultry is cheap, but tasteless. A good chicken beldi (the equivalent of farmhouse) is expensive.
I always make too much ratatouille, so I can make this delicious ratatouille quiche the next day. As good as it is quick and easy!
25 grams of sugar added to 250 grams of flour and 125 grams of butter, for a sweet short pastry suitable for desserts.
Shortcrust pastry is very easy to make, you just have to be careful with the temperature of the butter. All the tips for one of the basic pastry recipes.
A classic assortment (fennel and carrots) revisited by a citrus and saffron sauce and a sesame marinated chicken.
For a gourmet snack, a traditional cake transformed by a saffron syrup.
A very easy recipe, perfect for the family table. The flavour of the rabbit is enhanced by the saffron and the slow cooking in the casserole.
A creamy, spicy soup that combines corn and potato, which can be made vegetarian if the chicken stock is replaced.
Peru is a huge country with a wide variety of landscapes, and its cuisine is even more varied: local and pre-Columbian recipes, Spanish and Asian influences… to be discovered without moderation
Inspired by Iranian cuisine, sole fillets with citrus juice, garlic and saffron. Easy and tasty!
A simple, healthy and tasty lentil salad with lemon confit and fennel