Rustic Moroccan Loaves Recipes

MOROCCAN-INSPIRED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and ginger; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, and black pepper and cook to release flavors, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Combine the lamb and beef in a large bowl. Add cooled vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Mix in bread crumbs, cilantro, eggs, and mint.
• Transfer meatloaf mixture to a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan and set in a baking pan. Pour water in the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm and cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the BBQ sauce, if using. Combine ketchup, onion, molasses, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat; bring to a simmer. Cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Unmold meatloaf onto a large plate. Slice and serve with the sauce.

MEATLOAF WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute or two. Add the celery, carrots and ginger, and cook for about 5 minutes, adding more olive oil as needed to make sure ingredients are well coated and softening.
• Add the spices: cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon and salt, stirring well to mix. (You can alter spices to your liking, with more or less of those recommended or adding curry powder, nutmeg, allspice, black or cayenne pepper.) Add the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring well and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to ensure the spices don't burn. Once mixture is cooked, remove pan from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine in a large bowl the fresh herbs (cilantro, mint and parsley) and the eggs and bread crumbs. Add the ground lamb and the cooled mixture. Mix well with clean hands, until all ingredients are blended.
• Place the mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil. Create a water bath by placing the loaf pan into a larger baking pan and filling the larger pan halfway with lukewarm water. (This helps keep the meatloaf moist by keeping the temperature more even during baking.)
• Put the meatloaf, in the bath, into the oven and cook for about 1 hour 30 minutes. After an hour, check the meatloaf, and remove the foil if you would like a firmer top. Bake until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. (This is a good time to toast the pine nuts if you're making the sauce.)
• Remove pans from the oven, lift the loaf pan out of the water bath, and let the meatloaf cool for at least 5 minutes. If there is excessive grease, carefully pour that out and discard it. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cooled, depending on your taste.
• If you're making the sauce, mix the yogurt, lemon juice and pine nuts together with a spoon, and serve in a small dish on the side.

EFFORTLESS RUSTIC BREAD

Steps:

• Mix water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture until well incorporated. The dough will be loose and look wet. Cover bowl loosely with a damp towel and let sit for about 5 hours.
• Shape dough into 2 loaves using damp hands. Place loaves on a cornmeal-dusted work surface and score the tops a few times with a sharp knife. Allow loaves to double in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place loaves on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, spraying the surface of the dough occasionally with water, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

KHOBZ (BASIC MOROCCAN WHITE BREAD) RECIPE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 435 F / 225 C.

RUSTIC MOROCCAN LOAVES

Steps:

• Combine the warm water, agave nectar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (not bread hook). Use a wooden spoon or whisk to mix well. Make sure the yeast is completely dissolved.
• Whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, and salt. Add to the yeast mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed, until the dough is fully combined, about 1 minute.
• Dust a baking sheet liberally with flour mix, flour your hands, and divide the dough into two balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet and shape them into two 5-inch dome-shaped loaves.
• Brush the tops with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil using a pastry brush. Cover with a light dish towel or plastic wrap (but don't wrap it tightly, or you'll inhibit the rise) and let rise in a warm place (85°F) free from drafts. I like to place it in an unheated oven with a pan of hot water placed on the bottom of the oven. If it's a warm day, this won't be necessary. The top of the fridge is good, too. Let rise for 1 hour, or until you can push a finger in to one knuckle deep and the indent remains.
• In the last 20 minutes of your rise, preheat the oven to 350°F. (Remove the bread and pan of water if the loaves are rising in the oven and let them finish their rise somewhere else.)
• Uncover the loaves and use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2-inch deep cross in the top of each loaf. Brush the loaves with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tops of the loaves with water. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the bread sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom. It will not brown, so don't use that as your judge. Let cool slightly on cooling racks. Break apart or slice with a serrated knife.

MOROCCAN MEATLOAF WITH LEMON HONEY GRAVY AND ZUCCHINI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, add the meat, 1 small onion, grated on box grater or with handheld flat grater, directly over mixing bowl. Add 2 cloves finely chopped garlic, panko, about 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil, the egg, the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Mix to combine. Add the olives, spices, a handful of parsley and a handful of mint. Combine well. Form the mixture into 4 individual rolls and bake on a parchment lined sheet pan until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. The meat loaves may be made ahead and stored; reheat in pan gravy.
• Heat a medium shallow pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and melt, then add the remaining garlic, and combine. Stir in the zucchini, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups stock to the pan and bring the mixture to a bubble. Add 1 1/2 cups of couscous and remaining handful of chopped mint. Turn off the heat and cover pan. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons butter to a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Whisk the flour into melted butter, then add the Worcestershire sauce and remaining 1 cup of chicken stock, the remaining lemon zest and juice, 1/4 cup honey, and salt and pepper, to taste. Slide the meat loaves into the sauce. (If the meat loaves are cold, tent with foil and gently reheat in low simmering sauce.) Once the meat loaves are warm, transfer them to a serving plate and raise the heat to high. As soon as the sauce becomes syrupy after 1 to 2 minutes, drizzle it over meat and serve with couscous alongside.