Preserved lemon is a fundamental ingredient in

Moroccan cooking,it's sold everywhere in the markets

in Morocco, it's used in tagines. The unique pickled

taste of the preserved lemon and special texture

cannot be duplicated with fresh lemon.

I invite you to watch the video at the end of the article

You will find a lot of recipes that are

posted and which ask for preserved lemon.

  La vidéo  

Smen is a kind of preserved aged butter used in Arab and

Maghreb cooking. It is described as the most popular

cooking butter in Morocco and the Middle East,

it's similar to Eastern Ghee,

it's left to ferment in a cool dry place.
With its deep, pungent aroma and distinctive flavor,

it enhances many of Morocco's savory dishes,

especially couscous and tagines. 

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Here are some of my recipes

that I prepared with Smen.
 

Moroccan soup called Harira 
 

Beef tongue 

Rfissa or Madhoussa



Couscous with vegetables 




Chicken Moroccan style 




Tangia



Couscous teffaya


Now that you have an idea about Smen, take a look

at the video to see how to prepare it.
 

Black olives the Moroccan way is a different than regular olives that you find in stores, this method

is  exclusively from Morocco,

A recipe from my mother.


I invite you to watch the video

at the end of the article

Since I was little my mother prepares olives 
at home. Here is everything from A to Z.

She buys ripe olives.

She puts them in a closed bag and places it
under a large and heavy stone,letting 
the bitter juice of the olives escape.

 The olives stay a few days in this position.
(I will ask my mother to prepare them

for me when I go to Morocco in order

to share this method with you on video.)

After a few days, she removes the pits. 

        Add some spices to them such as cumin,

        garlic, harissa (spicy sauce)

   and olive oil.

   The video  

Making your own sun-dried tomatoes is very simple and certainly is much less expensive than purchasing them at the grocery store.
Many enjoy eating them as a snack or with pasta, you'll enjoy using sun-dried tomatoes with many other foods, including vegetables, meats, and breads.
I will use them in some of my next recipes, but before that let me show you how to make your sun dried tomatoes at home.
 



 

Simply slice tomatoes in half, place on a raised screen,leaving enough place between the pieces for the air to circulate. Lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, or other optional herbs, and place in the hot sun until dry. 
 


Depending on your weather conditions, this could take anywhere from four days to two weeks. You'll want to cover them with a cheesecloth, raised so it does not touch the tomatoes. You will also need to bring them in during the night.
You can bake them, place tomatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and set in the oven at 400 F, turn them occasionally. In the oven about 400 F, they will need 6 hours to dry, don't forget to keep your eye on them.
Baking them faster and at higher temperature, will ruin the consistency and the flavor.
 

During the drying process, tomatoes will shrink to about 1/4 of their original size.
The end product must be perfectly dry but not crispy, with no inner moisture in order to avoid bacteria growth. 

Place dried tomatoes in a sealable food storage bag. Squeeze out air and seal.
Place bags in the freezer, they should keep for 6-12 months. 
 

You can also store sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, put the dried tomatoes in a clean jar, add olive oil, rosemary, garlic cloves, cover with lid.  


They can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place in the kitchen cabinets. They will keep well for about 1 year.
 


Make sure that those left in the jar are completely covered with oil. 

The flavor of sun-dried tomatoes is quite intense,

you only need to use a little bit. 

When the tomatoes are gone, you still can use the oil that they were in for many recipes that ask for olive oil, it will add a great flavor to any dish.
 

Making sun-dried tomatoes is very easy. The most difficult part is waiting for them to dry.