Moroccan Brisket With Olives Tomatoes Onions And Preserved Lemons Food

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Cut the lemons into sixths, lengthwise, sprinkle with the salt and place in a non-corrosive dish (glass is good). Cover the lemons with water and cook in the oven for 3 hours. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.

MOROCCAN SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• For the quick preserved lemon: In a small saucepan, combine lemon, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until lemon is soft, approximately 15 minutes. Cool, then chop. Set aside
• For the shrimp: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, add the oil followed by onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Gently cook, stirring, until vegetables are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the ras el hanout and salt and roast in the oven 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and fold in chopped preserved lemon.
• Arrange shrimp over the tomato mixture in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven until the shrimp are cooked through and are bright coral pink, about 2 minutes. Remove, top with chopped cilantro and serve.

QUICK PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Trim the ends off the lemons. Slice each lemon into 8 wedges, removing any seeds as you go. Reserve as much of the juice as possible.
• Layer the lemon wedges in a wide-mouthed 16-ounce canning jar, covering each layer with salt. Pack the jar as tightly as possible, pressing down to release the lemons' juice as you go and leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace in the jar.
• Cover the wedges with the reserved lemon juice from the cutting board and the ends. If your lemons do not release a significant amount of juice, top off the jar with the juice of another lemon.
• Stash in the refrigerator for 4 days, then flip the jar over and age another 4 days before sampling. The peel should be nice and soft. Rinse before using.

MOROCCAN BRISKET WITH OLIVES, TOMATOES, ONIONS, AND PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• With a knife, pierce the skin of the brisket in 5 places and insert the garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy skillet or roasting pan, add the meat, sear on all sides and remove.
• Add 2 more tablespoons of the oil to the same pan and saute 3/4 of the onions (about 6 cups) until they are limp. Add the turmeric, ginger, white pepper, bay leaves, celery, 1/3 of the diced tomatoes, and water to the pan. Stir-fry a minute or 2 and let cool.
• Place the brisket in a baking pan and surround with the cooked vegetables. Roast, covered, in the oven for 3 hours or until a fork goes in and out of the meat easily. Remove, cool and refrigerate, reserving the vegetables. You can prepare this a day ahead of time.
• Tomato-Onion Sauce: Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the frying pan; add the remaining onions and saute until onions are translucent. Then add the remaining diced tomatoes and simmer, covered, for a few minutes. Set aside or refrigerate overnight or until ready to serve the meat.
• When ready to serve, remove any fat that accumulated on the brisket as it cooled. Cut, against the grain, into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Return the slices to the baking pan along with the reserved vegetables in which the meat was cooked. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and reheat the brisket, covered, for about 30 minutes.
• Add to the tomato-onion mixture, olives, preserved lemons and 2 tablespoons each of parsley and cilantro and heat in small saucepan. Remove the brisket and some, or all, of the vegetables to a serving platter and serve, covered with the tomato-onion sauce and garnished with the remaining parsley and cilantro.
• Cut 7 of the lemons lengthwise, almost into quarters, leaving them intact at one end. You can also slice them thin.
• Using your fingers, stuff as much salt as possible inside the lemons, close them, and place in sterilized wide-mouth 2 quart jar. Squeeze the juice of at least 4 lemons into the jar. Allow to stand, half covered, at least 1 week on the counter, shaking the bottle each day, or until the peels sink with the weight of the salt in the jar. Then add a few more salted lemons, lemon juice, and, if you like, olive oil to cover.
• Close the jar and leave out on the counter for at least 3 weeks before using. When using the lemons, merely rinse with water, remove the seeds, and chop up for your recipes. Refrigerate after opening.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Soak the lemons for 2 days before preparing this recipe. Change the water twice.
• Remove the nut end of the lemon (the end that attaches the lemon to the tree). Slice a cross two-thirds of the way up the lemon. Fill with rock salt, don't be shy. Place into glass jar. Repeat this process until there are enough lemons compacted into the glass jar. Make sure there is enough room (about 1/4 of the jar) left at the top to accommodate any excess juices from the lemons. Secure tightly with the lid and place in a cool dark place for at least a month.
• Some people add 1/2 cup of fresh water to encourage the process of preservation, with the addition of olive oil to act as a sealant on top of the lemons. These last two processes are not necessary. Some people also add cinnamon sticks and cloves or black peppercorns, it entirely depends on your individual taste. Simple is best.
• The lemons will then be preserved and ready to use. They last for about 4 years.
• Remember not to use a jar with a metal lid as this will affect the preserving process and the metal may erode.

MOROCCAN BRISKET WITH OLIVES, TOMATOES, ONIONS, AND PRESERVED LE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• With a knife, pierce the skin of the brisket in 5 places and insert the garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy skillet or roasting pan, add the meat, sear on all sides and remove.
• Add 2 more tablespoons of the oil to the same pan and saute 3/4 of the onions (about 6 cups) until they are limp.
• Add the turmeric, ginger, white pepper, bay leaves, celery, 1/3 of the diced tomatoes, and water to the pan. Stir-fry a minute or 2 and let cool.
• Place the brisket in a baking pan and surround with the cooked vegetables. Roast, covered, in the oven for 3 hours or until a fork goes in and out of the meat easily.
• Remove, cool and refrigerate, reserving the vegetables.
• You can prepare this a day ahead of time.
• Tomato-Onion Sauce:.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the frying pan; add the remaining onions and saute until onions are translucent.
• Then add the remaining diced tomatoes and simmer, covered, for a few minutes.
• Set aside or refrigerate overnight or until ready to serve the meat.
• When ready to serve, remove any fat that accumulated on the brisket as it cooled.
• Cut, against the grain, into slices about 1/4-inch thick.
• Return the slices to the baking pan along with the reserved vegetables in which the meat was cooked.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and reheat the brisket, covered, for about 30 minutes.
• Add to the tomato-onion mixture, olives, preserved lemons and 2 tablespoons each of parsley and cilantro and heat in small saucepan. Remove the brisket and some, or all, of the vegetables to a serving platter and serve, covered with the tomato-onion sauce and garnished with the remaining parsley and cilantro.
• Classic Moroccan Method for Preserving Lemons in Salt:.
• 12 to 15 lemons
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• Cut 7 of the lemons lengthwise, almost into quarters, leaving them intact at one end. You can also slice them thin.
• Using your fingers, stuff as much salt as possible inside the lemons, close them, and place in sterilized wide-mouth 2 quart jar. Squeeze the juice of at least 4 lemons into the jar. Allow to stand, half covered, at least 1 week on the counter, shaking the bottle each day, or until the peels sink with the weight of the salt in the jar. Then add a few more salted lemons, lemon juice, and, if you like, olive oil to cover.
• Close the jar and leave out on the counter for at least 3 weeks before using. When using the lemons, merely rinse with water, remove the seeds, and chop up for your recipes. Refrigerate after opening.
• Yield: 7 to 10 preserved lemons.

SMEN

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
• Wrap the oregano in a small piece of cheesecloth. Tie the sachet with cotton string, and set in the butter.
• Simmer until the butter separates into a clear, golden liquid and a milky sediment, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Carefully pour off the golden liquid (clarified butter), and strain through a piece of clean, fine muslin.
• Discard the milky sediment and oregano sachet.
• Transfer to a hot sterilized glass jar.
• Add the salt and mix until dissolved.
• Cover and let stand in a cool place until the mixture becomes pungent, 1 to 2 weeks.
• Drain any liquid from the jar and refrigerate the butter.
• Use within 6 months.

SLOW COOKER MOROCCAN BRISKET

Steps:

• Arrange onion wedges and parsnips in bottom of slow cooker.
• Season beef all over with salt and black pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Rub spice mixture all over beef.
• Arrange beef over onions and parsnips in slow cooker.
• Arrange apricots around beef.
• In a small bowl, whisk together wine, broth and honey. Pour mixture over beef and vegetables.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.
• Serve atop Couscous and garnish with cilantro leaves.