So there’s this company called Fathom Events that shows a lot of different things in movie theaters, as one-, two-, or three-night events. Ballets. Operas. Hiyao Miyazaki retrospectives. They also collaborate with Turner Classic Movies to show classic films on anniversaries. In 2017, the family and I went to see The Princess Bride on the big screen, for its 30th anniversary. It was inconceivably awesome! Earlier this year, they showed Casablanca, one of my top ten favorites, in honor of its 80th anniversary. (I didn’t go; still twitchy about unmasked crowds. Also, you probably get the title of this diary now.)
Anyway, the point of this seemingly random, Maddow-esque intro is that I have some recipes from Morocco, home of the actual city of Casablanca, that I really enjoy. (I used to have one for a marvelous chicken stew but I lost it many years back, and haven’t been able to recreate it.) So tonight, I take you on a culinary journey to exotic North Africa! Please have your passports and taste buds ready.
The first dish is grilled chicken thighs, specifically boneless/skinless, although if you want to do other chicken parts instead, go nuts—it’s your dinner, not mine. As with my last few diaries, this one is great for summer. Warning—the marinade doesn’t spread easily, so you may need to use your hands, which is a little messy….
MOROCCAN SPICED GRILLED CHICKEN
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t mild chili powder
1 t sweet paprika
1/2 t cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
8 - 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in bowl or gallon baggie; mix to coat chicken evenly. Marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour. Grill over low heat.
The side dish is a couscous recipe that is quite tasty on its own, and makes a good lunch, especially in the hot summer months. Recipe says to un-chill before serving, but I never do.
MOROCCAN COUSCOUS
1 c (plain) couscous
1/3 c raisins
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 c hot chicken broth
1/2 c canned chick peas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 T finely chopped flat leaf parsley
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place spices in a dry skillet and heat gently, stirring until quite fragrant. Stir spices in bowl with dry couscous and raisins. Add broth, stir and cover for 10 minutes. Stir in other ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature before serving.
The third recipe is, of course, dessert (because that’s how ghost rolls). If you’re not familiar with caster sugar, it’s also called ‘superfine’ but you can use regular sugar instead—you just might have to simmer the syrup an extra minute or two, to make sure all the sugar dissolves properly.
MOROCCAN ORANGE CAKE
Cake:
1 slice slightly stale white bread, broken into crumbs
1 c minus 1 t caster sugar
1 t baking powder
1 c plus 3 T ground almonds (aka almond flour)
7/8 c sunflower oil (or canola, or other veg oil)
4 large eggs
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Citrus syrup:
juice of 1 large orange
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 c caster sugar (slightly heaped)
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with baking (parchment) paper.
Rub the fruit zests into the sugar with your fingertips until quite fragrant. Stir in bread crumbs, ground almonds, baking powder. Whisk oil and eggs. Add to dry mixture. Whisk and pour into pan.
Bake 45-60 minutes until cake is golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
When the cake is cooled completely, make the citrus syrup. Put all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring gently to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 3 minutes, at which time the sugar should be completely dissolved, making a thick syrup. Discard the cinnamon stick and the cloves.
Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a toothpick or skewer. Spoon the hot syrup over the cake allowing it to soak in. Spoon any excess syrup back over the cake every now and then until it is all soaked in.
Serve topped with whipped cream or Greek yogurt (or not).
Louie, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful dinner….