The Art of Moroccan Cuisine (Part V)

A Culture of Eating, Drinking, and Being Hospitable

  Dried Fruits and Nuts – Dates are a Moroccan national speciality. They are best grown in the South, from the area of Goulmima to Zagora and the Draa Valley. They are essential during the month of Ramadan, when they accompany harira as the breaker of the fast. They are also widely used in tagines. See Lahcen’s recipe for lamb tagine with prunes and dates. Figs, dried apricots and prunes are some other dried fruits which are served in tagines. Almonds and walnuts are the most commonly used nuts in Morocco. Both are used in pastilla. Almonds are used in tagines alongside dried apricots.

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Moroccan Dish 'Pastilla'

   Pastilla (pronounced "bastila"; Moroccan Language: Bestila), also transliterated bastilla, bisteeya, b'stilla or bstilla, is a traditional Moroccan dish, an elaborate meat pie traditionally made of squab (fledgling pigeons). As squabs are often hard to get, shredded chicken is more often used today; pastilla can also use fish or offal as a filling. Pastilla is generally served as a starter at the beginning of special meals.

   It is a pie which combines sweet and salty flavours; a combination of crisp layers of the crêpe-like werqa dough (a thinner cousin of the phyllo dough), savory meat slow-cooked in broth and spices and shredded, and a crunchy layer of toasted and ground almonds, cinnamon, and sugar

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