Bing Crosby and Bob Hope rode a (stuffed!) camel on “The Road to Morocco” in the 1942 movie. A colorful, but really bumpy, ride indeed. For a smoother – and tastier – adventure, we suggest you do some culinary exploration of Morocco instead! Sadly, there probably won’t meet Dorothy Lamour, but we imagine you’ll be happy with your Moroccan discoveries nonetheless:
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INGREDIENTS
6 Chicken thighs, breasts, or a combination
1 medium red onion, finely-diced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, minced
2 Tbsp Chermoula Blend
Zest from 2 lemons
Juice from 2 lemons, divided (two lemons will yield about 4 Tbsp juice in total)
3 Tbsp Citrusy Fused Olive Oil such as Eureka Lemon or Blood Orange
Kosher Salt and freshly-ground Black Pepper to taste
STEPS
Combine the red onion, garlic, 2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, Chermoula Blend and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the mixture, and stir until it a paste forms.
Liberally season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper. Brush the Chermoula paste over each chicken piece and put the seasoned chicken in a non-reactive container. Cover the container and allow the chicken to marinate for at least an hour (or up to overnight) in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange chicken pieces on a lightly-oiled baking sheet. Roast chicken in the oven for about 40 – 50 min, until pieces are browned and thoroughly cooked.
Remove from oven and transfer chicken pieces to a serving platter, garnishing with remaining cilantro leaves and lemon juice.
INGREDIENTS
Filling
2 medium eggplant
Olive Oil
salt and pepper
Minced garlic
2 oz green olives, pitted and finely diced
2 oz raisins
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1-1/2 tsp Chermoula Blend
1/4 tsp Aleppo Chile (optional)
1 Tbsp, Single-Varietal Virgin Olive Oil
8 x (6 inch) prepared egg roll wrappers
1 egg white, beaten with 1 Tbsp water
Corn meal for dusting
STEPS
Prepare the filling:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch-thick slices. Whisk together 2 Tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Brush each eggplant slice with oil mixture and arrange evenly across a lightly-oiled rimmed baking sheet. Bake eggplant for about 15 minutes before turning over slices. Continue baking until eggplant slices are all lightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove baking sheet from oven and allow to cool.
Combine parsley, Chermoula Blend, Aleppo chile (if using) and 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium bowl, whisking ingredients together thoroughly. Add green olives, cheese and raisins to the spices. When the baked eggplant is cool enough to handle, coarsely dice them and add to Chermoula sauce. Toss together so that eggplant is evenly coated.
Prepare the pastries:
Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly dust a baking sheet with corn meal. Lay one egg roll wrapper on a work surface, and brush the edges of the wrapper with the egg wash. Spoon 3 Tbsp of the eggplant filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold one corner of the wrapper to meet the opposite corner, making a triangle shape, leaving a half-inch border along the wrapper’s edge. Use your fingers (or a fork) to press all along the wrapper’s edge to seal and place on baking sheet.
Working quickly, repeat with remaining wrappers. Bake for about 15 minutes, until pastries are golden brown. Transfer cooked pastries to a serving plate.
These are delicious to eat fresh out of the oven, or make them ahead and enjoy them later once they’ve cooled.
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 lb Tuna Steaks, cut into 1-1/4″ cubes
2 Tbsp Single Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
Zest from 1 lemon
Chermoula Sauce
2 Tbsp Chermoula Blend
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
1/2 Cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 Cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons’ worth)
1/2 Cup Single-Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil
STEPS
Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes (or use 8 metal skewers).
To prepare sauce, whisk together Chermoula spice blend, fresh garlic, parsley, and cilantro, the lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl.
Combine the tuna, cumin, lemon zest, and olive oil in a large, non-reactive bowl and toss to combine. Allow tuna to marinate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, before sliding marinated cubes of tuna onto the skewers.
Lightly oil grill grate. Grill marinated tuna skewers for 1 minute on each side for rare, 2 minutes on each side for medium rare. Serve immediately.
To serve, drizzle with the prepared Chermoula sauce, and serve remaining sauce on the side.
INGREDIENTS
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tbsp Chermoula Blend
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 Cup Single Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Smoked Sea Salt
STEPS
Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together the oil, spices, garlic and salt in a small bowl.
Place the sweet potato cubes in a baking dish large enough that they fit in a single layer. Toss the cubes with the seasoned oil in the pan until the potatoes are evenly coated. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until pieces are fork-tender, stirring one or twice to ensure it cooks evenly.
Remove from oven and transfer to a serving dish or individual plates, and serve immediately.
