A Taste of North Africa and the Middle East

Morocco in North Africa is the closest Arab country to Europe, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The traditions found here spread right through the Arab world and form links with the West - in culinary terms. Egypt, for instance, was the end of the spice route from what used to be known as the East Indies, and from here the sweet spices such as cinnamon and cloves were marketed throughout Europe. These and others are used extensively in the region's cooking, along with lamb, poultry, dried peas, beans and lentils, glorious dried fruits and the fresh vegetables you would associate with the Mediterranean - aubergines (eggplants), peppers, courgettes (zucchini) and so on. Staples are wheat, usually in the form of couscous or burghal (which we call bulghar) and many types of flat bread; rice, too, is used extensively. Slow cooking is traditional. The tajin (or tagine), for instance, is a stew, cooked slowly in a special sealed earthenware pot of the same name, traditionally over charcoal but it cooks very well in the crock pot.

In this chapter you will find my favourite slow-cooked recipes from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia and, of course, Morocco.

Moroccan Three-bean Soup with Lamb and Saffron

Known as harira, this is the national soup of Morocco, traditionally served during the thirty days of Ramadan to break the fast at sundown. Almost every household will be preparing its own version, filling the streets with its sweet, spicy fragrance. It must be very welcome indeed at the end of a long, hungry day.

Serves 4-6
Cooking time 8-10 hrs low + 1 hr high
Serve with pitta bread

25 g/1 oz/3 tbsp chick peas (garbanzos)
25 g/1 oz/3 tbsp dried broad (lima) or butter (fava) beans
25 g/1 oz/3 tbsp brown lentils
175 g/6 oz diced stewing lamb
1 large onion, chopped
A pinch of saffron strands
15 ml/1 tbsp paprika
5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
5 ml/1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
400 g/14 oz/large can of chopped tomatoes
1 litre/1¾ pts/4¼ cups boiling lamb stock, made with 2 stock cubes
30 ml/2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
30 ml/2 tbsp water
50 g/2 oz vermicelli, broken into short lengths
A handful of fresh chopped coriander (cilantro) and 1 lemon, thinly sliced, to garnish

Soak the chick peas, beans and lentils overnight in cold water. Drain, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Drain and tip into the crock pot.
Add all the remaining ingredients except the flour, water and vermicelli. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours.
One hour before you are ready to serve, blend together the flour and water and stir into the soup with the broken vermicelli. Cover and cook for a further 1 hour on High or 2 hours on Low until everything is tender.
Taste and re-season, if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls, sprinkle with the coriander and add a slice or two of lemon to each bowl. Serve with pitta bread.

Rice-stuffed Vine Leaves with Pine Nuts and Currants

These delicate parcels are called dolmades in Greece, from where they originate, and warak enab bi-zayt in the Middle East. Although they are a bit fiddly to make, they are well worth it because the flavour is superb. Serve them as part of a mezze selection or salad plate, as finger food at parties - or just enjoy them as a tasty snack.

Serves 4-6
Cooking time 6-8 hrs low
Serve with a mixed salad and pitta breads

50 g/2 oz/½ cup pine nuts
50 g/2 oz/1/3 cup currants
100 g/4 oz/½ cup round grain (pudding) rice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small onion, finely chopped
60 ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
60 ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
225 g/8 oz/small can of chopped tomatoes
2.5 ml/½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 vacuum pack of vine leaves, rinsed and dried
75 ml/5 tbsp olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
600 ml/1 pt/2½ cups boiling vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden, then tip into a bowl. Mix in the currants, uncooked rice, garlic, onion, herbs, tomatoes, salt, lots of pepper and the cinnamon.
Put a little of the filling on each vine leaf, fold in the sides and roll up. Pack them tightly into the crock pot (this will take a while).
Add the oil and lemon juice, then pour the boiling stock over. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or until the rice is cooked.
Transfer the rolls to a serving platter with a draining spoon. Leave until cold, then chill before serving with salad and pitta breads.

Beef and Aubergine Layer with Minted Yoghurt

This dish from Iran is a bit like a Greek moussaka but without the creamy cheese and egg topping and is called tepsi beytinjohn. I like it with the minted yoghurt sauce spooned over, but this isn't traditional. The preparation is more time-consuming than most of the recipes in this book - but when you sit down to eat you will consider it time well spent!

Serves 4
Cooking time 4-6 hrs low + 30 mins high
Serve with couscous

3 aubergines (eggplants), sliced
Salt
Olive oil
700 g/1½ lb minced (ground) beef
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tomatoes, sliced
450 ml/¾ pt/2 cups passata (sieved tomatoes)
Juice of 1 small lemon
10 ml/2 tsp clear honey

For the Minted Yoghurt:
300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups thick plain yoghurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt in a colander. Leave to stand for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry on kitchen paper (paper towels).
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine slices in batches until brown on both sides, adding more oil as you go.
Heat 30 ml/2 tbsp more oil in the pan, add the beef and onions and fry, stirring, until the meat is browned and all the grains are separate. Stir in the garlic and cinnamon and season well.
Put a layer of aubergines in the crock pot, then add the beef mixture, then cover with the rest of the aubergines, then top with the tomato slices.
Pour the passata into the frying pan with the lemon juice and honey. Bring to the boil, then pour over the tomatoes. Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours, then remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes on High to remove excess moisture.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, mix the yoghurt with the garlic, mint and a little salt and pepper.
Serve the aubergine casserole on small plates with a little minted yoghurt spooned over. Serve with couscous.

Barley Pilaff with Chicken and Feta

This is a Cypriot version, called kiuvetsi, of a dish popular throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East. It is named after the cooking pot in which it is made. It is traditionally cooked with kritharaki, a barley-like macaroni, though pearl barley works well in a slow cooker. You could use leftover cooked meat, but add it for the last hour of cooking.

Serves 4
Cooking time 4-6 hrs low
Serve with flat breads and a mixed salad

30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
350 g/12 oz chicken or turkey stir-fry meat
2 courgettes (zucchini), cut into chunks
225 g/8 oz/generous 1 cup pearl barley
600 ml/1 pt/2½ cups chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
150 ml/¼ pt/2/3 cup passata (sieved tomatoes)
A good pinch of ground cloves
5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 g/4 oz/½ cup Feta cheese, cubed
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and chicken or turkey and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the courgettes, then stir in the barley until glistening. Tip into the crock pot.
Add the stock and passata to the pan, bring to the boil, then pour into the crock pot. Stir and add the cloves, cinnamon and a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours.
Stir in the Feta, then cover and leave for 5 minutes. Spoon on to warm plates and sprinkle with the coriander. Serve with flat breads and a mixed salad.

Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Sweet Spices

A tagine is an earthenware pot used to cook stews over charcoal. Tagines are shaped like an upside-down funnel and are often very colourful and lavishly decorated. The crock pot makes a good alternative, though, as it keeps moisture locked in during cooking and makes sure the meat is meltingly tender.

Serves 4
Cooking time 6-8 hrs low
Serve with couscous or flat breads

700 g/1½ lb diced stewing lamb
12 button (pearl) onions, peeled but left whole
2 courgettes (zucchini), diced
2 carrots, diced
1 green (bell) pepper, diced
100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup ready-to-eat dried apricots, halved
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 green chilli, seeded and chopped
1.5 ml/¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 ml/¼ tsp ground ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
450 ml/¾ pts/2 cups boiling lamb stock, made with 1 stock cube
225 g/8 oz/11/3 cups couscous
30 ml/2 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Put the lamb and prepared vegetables in the crock pot with the apricots, garlic, chilli, spices and a little salt and pepper. Add the boiling stock, cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
Shortly before you are ready to eat, put the couscous in a bowl and just cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then steam over boiling water for 15 minutes or prepare according to packet instructions.
Stir the tomato purée and half the herbs into the tagine. Taste and re-season, if necessary.
Spoon the couscous on to serving plates. Spoon the lamb mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining herbs before serving with couscous or flat breads.

Cod Loin with Harissa and Black Olives

This Tunisian speciality is very simple to make. Fish is so easy to overcook but using a crock pot ensures it does not dry out and spoil. Harissa is an orangey-red coloured paste - a fiery mix of chillies, garlic, tomato, spices and olive oil. It can be also be used as a condiment as well as a cooking ingredient. You could use other white fish fillet, but I like cod loin.

Serves 4
Cooking time 1½-2 hrs low
Serve with plain boiled potatoes

4 thick pieces of cod loin
45 ml/3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red (bell) pepper, chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup passata (sieved tomatoes)
10 ml/2 tsp harissa paste
A good pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
1 bay leaf
100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup stoned (pitted) black olives
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander (cilantro) and wedges of lime or lemon to garnish

Wipe the fish. Mix the flour with some salt and pepper and use to coat the fish.
Heat 30 ml/2 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan, add the fish and brown quickly on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the onion, chopped pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Tip into the crock pot and lay the fish on top.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Tip over the fish. Cover and cook on Low for 1½-2 hours until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Transfer to warm plates, sprinkle with parsley or coriander, garnish with wedges of lime or lemon and serve with potatoes.

Moroccan Couscous with Chicken, Lamb and Vegetables

There are numerous versions of this traditional one-pot meal throughout North Africa and the Middle East. In Morocco it would be cooked in a couscoussier - a stew pot with a steamer over the top to cook the couscous. To use the slow cooker, you will need to cook the couscous grains separately. If you like lots of couscous, cook 450 g/1 lb/22/3 cups.

Serves 4
Cooking time 8-10 hrs low

2 large carrots
2 large courgettes (zucchini)
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 small chicken portions
4 lamb chops
2 turnips, cut into quarters
4 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
100 g/4 oz French (green) beans, topped, tailed and halved
½ small white cabbage, cut into wedges
5 ml/1 tsp ground ginger
1.5 ml/¼ tsp cayenne
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cumin
5 ml/1 tsp clear honey
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
350 g/12 oz/2 cups couscous
Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) to garnish

Cut each carrot and courgette in half, then each half into quarters to make eight sticks.
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and fry, stirring, for 2 minutes. Transfer to the crock pot with a draining spoon. Brown the chicken and lamb in the pan, then add to the pot. Add the carrot and courgette sticks, the turnips, tomatoes, beans and cabbage.
Add the ginger, cayenne, cumin, honey, tomato purée and plenty of salt and pepper to the pan. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil.
Pour the boiling stock over the meat and vegetables, cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours.
Shortly before you are ready to eat, cook the couscous according to the packet directions. Fluff up with a fork.
Taste the casserole and re-season, if necessary. Pile the couscous on to warm serving plates and make a well in the centre. Lift out the chicken, lamb and vegetables with a draining spoon and pile in the centre. Garnish with coriander and hand the juices separately.

Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Honey

This popular casserole is good served with bulghar as a change from couscous. I like to cook the grains, then mix in a handful each of fresh chopped parsley, coriander (cilantro) and mint, some seasoning and a drizzle of olive oil. Make sure you have the crisp green salad with the dish to offset its richness.

Serves 4
Cooking time 6-8 hrs low
Serve with a crisp green salad

4 chicken portions
1 small lemon, halved
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 green (bell) pepper, thinly sliced
5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried oregano
100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup ready-to-eat stoned (pitted) prunes, halved
30 ml/2 tbsp thick honey
300 ml/½ pt /1¼ cups boiling chicken stock, made with ½ stock cube
30 ml/2 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50 g/2 oz/½ cup blanched (slivered) almonds
30 ml/2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Trim off all excess fat from the chicken and rub all over with the lemon.
Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the chicken and quickly brown all over. Transfer to the crock pot.
Add the onions and sliced pepper to the pan and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Tip into the crock pot. Add all the remaining ingredients except the almonds and sesame seeds. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
Taste and re-season, if necessary. Sprinkle with the almonds and sesame seeds and serve with a green salad.

Roasted Spiced Peppers with Bulghar Wheat

These two salads - takshouka b'tabbouleh - make a great combination, but they are also good when served separately. Try the roasted peppers with plain grilled meats, chicken or fish. The tabbouleh makes an exciting and unusual starter when spooned into lettuce leaves and wrapped up for eating with the fingers.

Serves 4
Cooking time 2-4 hrs low
Serve with grilled meat or fish

For the peppers:
3 green (bell) peppers, cut into sixths
3 red peppers, cut into sixths
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5 ml/½ tsp cumin seeds
2.5 ml/½ tsp paprika
1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
90 ml/6 tbsp olive oil

For the tabbouleh:
225 g/8 oz/2 cups bulghar
600 ml/1 pt/2½ cups boiling water
4 spring onions (scallions), chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
60 ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
60 ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
60 ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
30 ml/2 tbsp lemon juice
60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wedges of lime and a few stalks of parsley or coriander to garnish

Lay the pepper pieces in the crock pot. Scatter the tomatoes, garlic, cumin, paprika and chilli, if using, over the top. Season well, then trickle the oil all over.
Cover and cook on Low for 2-4 hours, quickly stirring half-way through cooking, until just soft but still with some texture.
Meanwhile, to make the tabbouleh, put the bulghar in a bowl and add the boiling water. Stir thoroughly and stand for 30 minutes.
Stir the bulghar with a fork to fluff it up, then mix in the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste. Transfer the crock pot to a trivet to allow it to cool quickly.
When ready to serve, spoon the tabbouleh on to plates and top with the pepper salad. Garnish with lime wedges and stalks of parsley or coriander and serve warm or cold with grilled meat or fish.

Tunisian Ratatouille with Chick Peas and Eggs

This lively mixture of spiced vegetables, shakshsuka, is perfect cooked in the slow cooker. Because the vegetables don't take that long to cook, I have used canned chick peas in this instance. You could use dried and soak and cook them before adding to the stew. This makes a really satisfying vegetarian dish. If you prefer, poach the eggs separately.

Serves 4
Cooking time 4-6 hrs low + 10-15 mins high
Serve with flat breads

30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 aubergine (eggplant), sliced
1 red (bell) pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 courgettes (zucchini), sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 beefsteak tomatoes, skinned and chopped
425 g/15 oz/large can of chick peas (garbanzos), drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
150 ml/¼ pt/2/3 cup vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube
30 ml/2 tbsp mango chutney
50 g/2 oz/1/3 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
5 ml/1 tsp clear honey
4 eggs
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
30 ml/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the spices and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Add the aubergine, sliced peppers, courgettes, garlic and tomatoes and stir to coat in the spices and oil. Tip into the crock pot. Add the chick peas and some salt and pepper.
Blend the tomato purée with the stock, chutney, sultanas and honey in the saucepan. Bring to the boil and add to the pot. Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours, stirring once, until the vegetables are cooked but still have some 'bite'.
Taste and re-season, if necessary. Make four wells in the mixture and break an egg into each. Cover and cook on High for a further 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Carefully spoon on to plates, sprinkle with the herbs and sesame seeds and serve with flat breads.

Caramel Cream

This dish is often known just as 'flan' and is popular all over the Middle East and Europe - in fact it's probably served all over the world! It is so easy to make in the slow cooker, and you will get perfect results every time. I've made one big one, but you could make individual creams, in which case the cooking time will be halved.

Serves 6
Cooking time 5-6 hrs low

175 g/6 oz/¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar
600 ml/1 pt/2½ cup milk
4 eggs
1.5 ml/¼ tsp natural vanilla extract

Put 100 g/4 oz/½ cup of the sugar in a small heavy-based pan. Heat it gently until it dissolves, then boil rapidly for a few minutes until it turns a deep golden-brown.
Immediately pour the caramel into the base of a 1 litre/1¾ pt/4¼ cup soufflé dish or pudding basin. Quickly swirl the dish so the caramel almost coats the base before it starts to set.
Whisk the milk, eggs and remaining sugar with the vanilla extract. Strain into the soufflé dish, cover with foil and stand the dish in the crock pot. Add enough boiling water to come half-way up the sides of the dish. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours until just set.
Leave to cool, then chill. Loosen the edge before turning out into a serving dish.