Merguez are the delicious sausages of the Maghreb.  In Morocco the flavours and tastes of these delicious little links are different from the intensely spicy Tunisian variety.  Almost exclusively made with beef, but sometimes also with turkey, Moroccan merguez are a treat.

Delicious merguez sausages at the Sanssouci Cooking School in Marrakech

Traditional Beef
500 g twice ground beef, ideally jarret but also chuck or other fatty piece
1⁄2 to 1 cup of water
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper 1⁄2 tsp of salt
Pinch of saltpetre (optional)

Spicy Beef
500 g twice ground beef, ideally jarret but also chuck or other fatty piece
1⁄2 to 1 cup of water
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper 1 tsp of salt
2 tsps hot paprika

Turkey
500 g of minced turkey breast, twice ground
1 medium onion, chopped fine and ground with the meat
1 tbsp of blended fresh parsley and coriander, minced very fine
1⁄2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of powdered ginger
1⁄2 tsp of sweet paprika
1⁄2 tsp of hot paprika
1 tsp of salt
1⁄2 tsp of ground white pepper

In all cases, grind the meat thoroughly, passing it through the grinder twice. Sprinkle over the herbs and spices and work in gently. Add water, a little at a time, as you are kneading, until you obtain a very smooth, pliable paste, similar to the consistency and softness of toothpaste. While you are doing this soak the intestines in a bowl of water to remove any salt they have been cured in and to ensure they are fully supple.

Load your sausage stuffing machine according to its instructions. A plastic bag wrapped over the tamper, will help tighten the seal in the chamber and prevent leaks. Gently untangle the intestine and blow into one end to inflate it slightly and make it easier to slip on to the sausage nozzle. Slide a metre or so of intestine on to the nozzle for this quantity of sausage and tie off the cut end with a triple knot. Very gently turn the crank with your right hand whilst guiding and resisting the sausage and casing (you need to provide some friction for the casing to ensure it fills the sausage evenly). Proceed gently until the filling has fully dispensed or you have reached the end of your sausage casing. Tie off the end.

Beautiful field of saffron crocus just before the harvest

Saffron is an extremely important and prized spice within Moroccan culture. It’s used primarily as a spice with a complex and slightly sweet flavor, and imparts the food it spices with a brilliant yellow color. It’s also used in dyes, tea, perfumes, and medicines. Studies suggest that it could help to suppress cancer, have antioxidant-like properties, and may even help with depression.

The red threads you see when you buy saffron are in fact the stigmas of a purple flower, the saffron crocus. The flowers must be gathered by hand and the stigmas must be separated from the flower by hand. One kilogram of saffron requires the harvest of 110,000–170,000 flowers; forty hours of labor are required to pick 150,000 flowers. Knowing this, it is easy to see why saffron is by far the most expensive spice in the world.

A handful of Moroccan saffron crocus flowers

In Morocco, most saffron is grown in Taliouine village, in the Souktana cooperative. The flowers bloom in October and early November, and the crop is cultivated in traditional ways, with natural fertilizers and manual plowing. It’s best to buy saffron in the whole stigma, rather than the powder, because saffron is often fraudulent. The strands should be long and thin with a dark red color. The smell should be strong, and the strands should stain your finger when you pinch them.

Some key facts: Morocco is the world’s 4th largest producer of Saffron, after Iran, India, and Greece.  Morocco produces just 3,000 kg of saffron per year.  That small amount, however, is enough to employ 1,285 farmers and support the village of Taliouine and its 12,000 inhabitants. Today, Moroccans Saffron has achieved status as a Product Designation of Origin for its unique qualities, which helps farmers achieve a fair price for it.

Harvesting the saffron threads by hand in Morocco

Once you have the prized spice in hand, join our cooking classes to learn all the delicious ways you can use it!

Organic argan oil is the base of our spa products at Sanssouci Collection

Argan oil is an essential factor in the Moroccan health and beauty regime, and in the Western world it has gained lots of celebrity endorsements under the name “Moroccan oil.” But where does it come from? How is it made? What makes it so great? We’ll look deeper at this wondrous “liquid gold” to figure out the story behind the hype.

Where does it come from?

Argan oil is made from the nut of the argan tree, which grows exclusively in Morocco, primarily in the southwestern part of the country between Essaoira and Taroudant. The tree once grew all over North Africa, but it’s now endangered and protected by UNESCO, making argan oil one of the rarest oils in the world. The region in which the tree grows is a vast biosphere reserve. The Berber communities that harvest the oil are committed to preserving and sustaining the argan forest, initiating an ecosystem reforestation project and working with the Moroccan Water and Forests Authorities to ensure the trees continue to thrive.

Traditional craft making for this important oil and way of life

How is it made?

Traditionally, undigested argan pits were collected from the waste of goats that would climb the trees to eat their fruit. Today, the process is a bit less messy: the pits are extracted from the fleshy fruit my machines instead. But to make the oil, the pit must be cracked open to reveal the kernels inside. This hasn’t been successfully mechanized, so Berber woman crack them open by hand, one at a time. The kernals are then roasted, ground, and pressed to finally reveal the smooth, golden oil. Most argan oil is produced by women’s cooperatives under fair-trade agreements that ensure they are paid fair wages and have good working conditions. This is a significant advantage as it allows them to support themselves and their families and provides a certain amount of independence in a traditionally male-dominated society.

What makes it so great?

Argan oil has three uses: for skin, for hair, and to eat. As a food, in Morocco it is traditionally used as a dip for bread or a drizzle on couscous or in salads. It has a slightly nutty flavor and it’s very healthy: it helps prevent heart disease, obesity, and possibly even cancer. As a cosmetic, it’s extremely rich in vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and many other nutrients. It’s great for soothing dry or irritated skin, and it helps regulate sebum to even out oily skin. It brightens skin and helps to get rid of scars. It does the same for hair, providing deep moisture, smoothing frizz, and giving volume to thin hair.

Argan oil is a treasure of Morocco, rare and highly prized. But with all its benefits, it easily lives up to the nickname “Moroccan gold.” Come to Morocco yourself to experience an argan oil massage in our beautiful hammam, and then take a trip to the souk to buy a bottle of the lovely golden oil, made only in Morocco.

Have you ever seen a more gorgeous wedding cake?

I am always amazed when someone you know for a while reveals a hidden talent.  All the more so when it is someone you see week after week and the talent proves to be completely awe-inspiring.  Thus it was when I saw that friend and fellow Marrakech resident and riad owner Emma Joystonbechal is a serious baker.  And by serious, I mean really serious.  The cakes that are pictures are some of her many confections, wrought with such fantasy and professionalism it is hard to imagine that they could even be made.

She makes these incredible wedding and special occasion cakes on a fully bespoke basis, and requires a month of advance notice to ensure she has access to all of the ingredients, many of which are brought in from London.  The cakes are true works of art as you can see.

Incredibly creative cake design

I asked her for some of her baking tips and she provided these helpful thoughts: she uses a slightly wetter batter than is called for so that the cakes have more lift to them, and to get a lighter consistency without upping the water content, she uses a few spoonfuls of hot water.  When making individual cupcakes or fairy cakes, she suggests using an ice cream scoop, which she says is the ideal quantity for the papers.  For cakes that you plan to ice, she suggests wrapping strips of soaked towels or clothes around the outside of the cake tin, which will ensure a moister cake, but more importantly ensure even baking–the cake will not peak in the middle, and all parts will rise together and not crack.  Lastly, as an aside she says that you must whisk your meringue over a bain-marie for best results.

These cakes are true works of art

You can contact Emma about her incredible confections by writing to her at Riad ZamZam,zamzamriad@gmail.com

Ottolenghi filmed his latest show with Dar Les Cigognes and Riad Kaiss

We were very delighted to be involved in the wonderful new series from London-based chef Yotam Ottolenghi, one of the most interesting and innovative chefs working with Mediterranean food today.  Ottolenghi presides over a growing collection of London eateries, all known for their fresh and clean style.

Ottolenghi has already authored a number of cookbooks.  Jerusalem, the latest, has met with great critical acclaim.  Previous books, Plenty and Ottolenghi, the Cookbook are both characterised by their emphasis on quality ingredients and preparation without fuss, that plays to the best strengths of fresh, seasonal food.

It was a great honour to have Yotam shoot segments of his show at both Dar Les Cigognes and at Riad Kaiss, but to also use our team as sources of inspiration.  He has featured two of the recipes he prepared on his show on his own website:

Sweet Pastry Cigars with Almond Filling and Saffron

Barbecued Leg of Lamb with Almonds and Orange Flower Water

It was a wonderful show, airing on Channel More 4 last night at 9 pm, but now available on the channel 4 website as catch-up TV for UK residents.  The show used Marrakech as a base and explored the delicious and varied food on offer in town, up in the mountains, and all the way out to the coast in Essaouira.  What was refreshing about the show was that it took an off-the-beaten track approach to the food–so the recipes and stories were new and refreshing, and his recipes are too.

Dar Les Cigognes has been at the forefront of presenting authentic Moroccan cuisine, fresh, seasonal, as it is, since we opened our doors in 2001.  Voted most “gourmet” riad by the Telegraph and awarded “Best Moroccan Cooking School” last year, Dar Les Cigognes has always been all about Moroccan food.  Since joining the Sanssouci Collection, Riad Kaiss has continued in the same vein.  We were delighted to have been able to contribute to and participate in Yotam’s creative approach to Moroccan cuisine.  In his own words it was said best, “Moroccan cuisine is about bringing people together.”  We can think of no better endorsement for the culture and country.  Thank you Yotam for spreading the word about this amazing place.

Balboula is the original Berber version of couscous.  Made from cracked barley, it is a delicious dish which is as good as it is hard to find on a restaurant menu.  In a world where we are concerned with eating so many carbohydrates, and regular couscous is just like pasta in this regard, balboula offers a healthy alternative…it also happens to have more flavour—a slightly nutty flavour which lends itself to great variation as described below.

Balboula differs from regular couscous in that it is steamed three times instead of two.

For the couscous

2-3 tbps of butter for after the second steaming2 tablespoons of olive oil1 cup of cold water, about, to start, plus more for each steaming

Vegetables and broth

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tomatoes

1 heaping tablespoon of concentrated tomato paste4 carrots1 half head of cabbage

200 g courgettes, about 6 small ones

2 turnips

250 g of pumpkin, a piece about the size of a hand

2 small aubergines

1 cup of dried fava beans

1. Start by preparing your ingredients for cooking.  Soak the dried fava (broad) beans in water for several hours to rehydrate.  Peel the onions, cut them in half from top to bottom (root end), then laying the flat on a board, cut them into thin “moon-shaped” slices.  Chop the tomatoes into quarters from top to bottom.  Peel the carrots by scraping them with the flat of a knife.  Peel and trim the ends off of the turnips.

2. Prepare the couscous for its first steaming.  Spread the balboula out in a large, shallow dish, add the salt, the olive oil, stirring each time to blend, then pour in the water.  The amount of water should be felt—it should be only as much as the balboula can absorb without leaving any excess water.  Blend well with your hands to separate the grains, and set aside to swell.

Balboula Couscous of 7 Vegetables at Dar Les Cigognes

3. Prepare the vegetables for the final dish.  Fill a large bowl with water and set aside.  Place each vegetable once prepared in this water.  Scrape the carrots to peel them, then half lengthwise.  Cut or pop out the hard inner core of the carrot.  Split the courgettes lengthwise.  Cut a small piece out of the skin side for decoration, at even intervals along the back of the courgette.  Peel, top and tail the turnips and then quarter lengthwise.  Cut the ½ cabbage into 4 wedges.  Slice the pumpkin into large chunks, about the size of walnuts, leaving the skin on.  Scrape the stem end of the aubergines to remove any spines and fuzze and trim the stems of any brown spots.  Cut up through the length of the aubergines in quarters, taking a piece of the stem with each cut.

4. Start the broth.  Peel and chop the onions, leaving them in half moons.  Toss along with the spices and the quartered tomatoes into the bottom of a couscoussier.  Sauté on medium heat until cooked, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Cover completely with water and bring to the boil.  When the broth is just boiling, toss in the carrots and the cabbage that are soaking in the water.  Cook thus for 10 minutes.

5. Prepare the couscous.  Start by wrapping the bottom of the couscoussier with folds of tin foil around the edges to help create a tighter seal between top and bottom (this prevents the steam from escaping).  Pour the resting balboula into the top half of the couscoussier and gently fit it into the bottom with the steaming broth.  Steam, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Pour out the balboula into the large flat dish, add a cup of cold water, poured over your hands, as you fork your fingers through the balboula to break it up and prevent it from clumping.

Add the remaining vegetables that have been soaking in the water, as well as the fava beans to the broth, and add water to the broth to just cover the new additions.

Return the balboula to the top of the couscoussier for its second steaming and fix the top on the bottom above the broth.  Steam thus for 20 minutes.  Again pour out the balboula into the large flat dish.  Add the pat of butter and stir to melt.  Again add cold water and mix with your fingers to prevent clumping.

Add the heaping tablespoon of concentrated tomato paste to the broth and stir in gently to mix.  Add water to keep the level in the liquid now to half the height of the vegetables.

Return the balboula to the top of the couscoussier for its third and final steaming.  After 20 minutes it is ready.

6. Serve.  Pour out the balboula into the dish you would like to serve it in, mounding it up like a mountain then hollowing out the centre like a volcano.  Place the vegetables in an ordered way inside and around the mound, taking care to lay them out in an attractive way.  Pour over a good amount of the sauce.  Reserve the remaining sauce and serve in a bowl for those who wish to eat more.  Serve it forth.  Serves 8 as a main course.

Marrakech medina and Koutoubia by Winston Churchill

The sun is brilliant but not scorching; the air crisp, bracing but without being chilly; the days bright, the nights cool and fresh.” During his visits he often stayed in the luxurious La Mamounia, and was inspired to paint quite a few scenes from the city.

During World War II, after the Casablanca conference, Churchill talked President Roosevelt into visiting Marrakech with him, saying, “You cannot come all this way to North Africa without seeing Marrakech. Let us spend two days there. I must be with you when you see the sun set on the Atlas Mountains.”  While here, the two great men stayed in the Villa Taylor; the legend goes that the owner, Mrs. Taylor, was such a stalwart Republican that she sold the villa after the war because she couldn’t bear the thought that a Democratic president had slept in her bed.

Churchill insisted they admire the view from the tower of the villa, so two of Roosevelt’s staffers carried the crippled president up the winding stairs to join the prime minister.

Marrakech medina with the Atlas Mountains in the background

Lounging on the roof Roosevelt said he felt like a sultan. Churchill’s doctor, who was there with them, wrote of the evening in his diary: “As we stood gazing at the purple hills, where the light was changing every minute, the PM murmured, ‘it’s the most lovely spot in the world’.”

This trip was the one and only time during World War II that Churchill – an avid painter – took up his brushes: to paint the view from the villa that he had shared with Roosevelt that night.

Churchills love affair with Marrakech seen through his paintings

Churchill’s granddaughter, Celia Sandys, writes about her travels in her grandfather’s footsteps in her book Chasing Churchill, from which most of the information in this post was gleaned.

Click on this link to watch this short video to see her braid the strands into various shapes.

The bread ovens of Morocco, however, are slowly dying out as lifestyles change and people just cook at home.  In the mellah, where we were, the bread ovens are mostly still all active, in part because it is one of the poorer areas of the medina, so many families rely on them.  Many of the old bread ovens have now started to employ bakers of their own and are doing a brisk trade selling bread.  You see them selling their bread out of enormous baskets on the back of mopeds.

The mellah is the old Jewish quarter.  The word mellah is derived from the arabic for salt, as it was the Jews who were granted a monopoly on salt in exchange for taking care of the grim business of salting the severed heads of the enemies of the king.  These heads were then put on spikes and put on display at the Djema el Fna or Square of the Dead.

When we poked our heads into one of our local bread ovens, the most beautiful loaf of freshly baked challah was there waiting to be re-united with its maker.  I was very curious about that bread, not only because challah is so delicious and because nobody makes it commercially in Marrakech, but also because there are so few Jewish families left in the mellah that it was to me an object of poignant beauty.

A few weeks later I went back with someone who could speak with the baker and found out the name of the baker and her address.  A few minutes later we were knocking on her door.  I told her I had seen her bread and that I wanted to learn how to make it.

Delicious traditional Jewish challah bread

“Only on Fridays,” she said, meaning the next day.  I asked if I could come.  She told me to come at “12:30 for the braiding,” or 11:30 if I wanted to learn how to make the dough.  I was there for 11:30.  I was welcomed into their house and enjoyed being there just watching their daily lives unfold…there was a Moroccan attendant who was decorating the feet of the daughter, granddaughter, and aunt of my new baker-friend with henna.  I was offered a plate of delicious pastries.  We make our own pastries at the hotel, and though many that I was served had the same names, these were completely different–lighter, more perfumed (I will learn these another time).

The lady of the house measured out all of the ingredients and passed them to a young Moroccan woman who mixed and kneaded the dough.  It was only when the dough had risen and was ready for shaping and finishing did the baker step in and work her magic.  She was incredibly dexterous and proceeded to make at least 10 different varieties of braided rolls, flowers, and several versions of the braided challah.  When she had finished and the rolls and breads had been set aside to rise for a bit, an elderly man came from the bakery to collect their breads for cooking.  They headed off brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

I asked her what she called this bread that she made only on Fridays, expecting her to say challah or some other magic word.

Her reply, “Pain de maison,” or just homemade bread.  The recipe for it will follow.  Until then you will just have to come to one of our riads where we are busy learning how to make it.

Subsequent to posting this message I have had some requests to include her recipe which I do here as I observed it.  Caveat is as follows: I haven’t tried to repeat it yet, which I plan to do and take it back to her and see how she feels about me as a student!  If you try it please give me your feedback on the recipe so I can adjust it accordingly.

Make the dough.  In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Mound it, hollow the middle to make a volcano and add the yeast.  Add a small amount of warm water and use it to break up the yeast and to create a paste, adding water and bringing in a little flour to ensure all of the yeast is completely dissolved.

Place the oil and the eggs together in a bowl with the sugar, add a little warm water and mix together lightly before pouring this into the flour and yeast mix.  Work this together as best you can, adding water as you go to get a firm dough.

Knead.  Work the dough hard on clean surface for 15-20 minutes.  Work the dough by gathering all into a ball then pushing with the heel of your hands out twice the diameter of the ball until the dough is stretched thin and begins to rip.  Fold it back onto itself, reshape the ball, turn a half turn, and repeat.  Do this over and over again until you have a firm, highly elastic, slightly tacky dough.  Dust with flour as needed.  The dough should come up easily from the kneading surface and should not stick to your hands.

Place the ball of dough into a well-oiled bowl and turn well to coat.  Cover with a cloth and let rise until increased in volume by half.  In Morocco, in the heat, this takes about 15-20 minutes.  Elsewhere, this could take 30 minutes to an hour.  What matters is for the dough to increase in size by 50%.

Shaping, Braiding, and Proofing.  Once the dough has risen, empty it out onto your work surface.  There are many different shapes that can be created.  Here are just some of them.  You can do many at once.  After shaping them, lay them on a baking tray to proof lined with baking parchment.

Logs: this is the most simple form.  Take a piece of dough a bit larger than a golf ball and roll it into a small log, about 10 cm long.

Small rolls: using dough as for logs, roll out into long strands about 1 cm in diameter.  Rolling around the end of a finger from the middle to create a loop, wind the two strands around the circle to create a tight decorative twist.  The number of twists and the manner of where to tuck the ends will create different shapes.

Double braid.  Take a piece of dough a bit smaller than a tennis ball and roll out into a long log.  Roll a second piece of the same width and length.  The logs should be about 1cm in diameter and about 30 cm long.  Lay them just next to each other, extending away from you.  Take the ends next to you and braid them over one another until you get to the end.  Tuck the ends together and squeeze to close.  Turn the dough and repeat with the unfinished length.  Create a loop from the middle, and braid the two strands together, pinching together the ends to close.

Double braid flower.  Proceed as for the double braid as far as creating the interwoven double strand.  Starting at one end, roll into a tight circle, then continue to roll togther with a little pressure to push up the middle.  Pinch to close at the end.

Triple Braid.  Create three strands of about 20 cm in length and 1½ cm thickness (this should be an equivalent amount of dough as for each strand of the double braid).  Place the three strands together and as with the two strand loaf, braid together, with alternating strands to the end, pinch together, rotate, complete, pinch and tuck the ends.

Other forms: you can also make a round loaf, just setting a ball of dough in the desired shape on the baking sheet to proof.  You can also using loaf pans.

Whichever forms you create, set them aside, covered, and let rise for 20-30 minutes.

Brushing with egg wash.  Beat together the egg and egg yolk until thoroughly blended.  Brush the part risen rolls with egg wash, gently, but taking care to cover the upper surface.  Sprinkle as desired with seeds or not.  Leave to finish proofing, until doubled in size.  Perhaps another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the ambient temperature.

Bake.  While you are waiting for the final proof to finish, preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F/Gas Mark XXX.

Bake your bread in batches of similar sizes and shapes and cook until golden, about 25-30 minutes for rolls and 35-40 minutes for the long braids.

Set aside to cool completely on a rack.  The cooled down loaves freeze well.

Choumicha cooks traditional Ramadan recipes with Dar Les Cigognes

Enjoy this video of Choumicha with one of our dadas describing a series of recipes for the important Ramadan holiday.

It is always so nice to meet someone who is both a big deal and really down to earth.  That is the case with Choumicha, probably the biggest culinary star in Morocco, with two current TV shows running each week, and over 8 cookbooks published…she is an inspiration to many Moroccans in the same way that Delia is to so many Brits.

For those of you who don’t know her, Choumicha does something wonderful in the world of Moroccan cuisine: she travels all over Morocco in search of Authentic Moroccan dishes, traditional cooking methods, and the old way of doing things, and each week she airs an episode with someone she has found.  We recently had the great honour to be a part of one of her shows as one of our Dadas was chosen to prepare a series of dishes for the important feast at the end of Ramadan, the Eid.

Dishes we prepared included pumpkin soup, courgettes stuffed with lamb and peas, a delicious chicken served with honey laced caramelized pumpkin, and delicious batbot bread stuffed with a tomato confit and with spinach.  All of us and the people on set were really excited about how delicious these dishes were.  Amazingly, and by complete coincidence, someone on one of our cooking classes asked to make the batbot!

Some of the Ramadan dishes prepared by Dada Fouzia at Dar Les Cigognes

Choumicha’s team were so professional and the whole show worked without a hitch.  I later had a chance to talk to the producer about it and was amazed by what he told me.  They travel with a portable kitchen, which you can see here, and can set up pretty much anywhere.  They also have a studio for other episodes, but the roadshow follows this format.  They can set up, shoot, and take down an entire show in 3 hours!  We had another film crew doing a 30 minute show that took 10 days to shoot.  It really is incredible to watch–everyone knows exactly what they are doing, is quietly efficient.

We all were so honoured to have Choumicha with us, and it was great to be a part of her show.