Memory meets imagination in Mourad Lahlou’s ‘New Moroccan’

By Bob Townsend

For the AJC

Though Mourad Lahlou was born in Casablanca and grew up in Marrakesh, the acclaimed chef of Aziza in San Francisco taught himself how to cook Moroccan food in America.

While studying economics at San Francisco State University, Lahlou became so homesick for the flavors of his childhood that he began trying to channel favorite dishes from his family’s kitchen.

“I learned to cook from memory,” Lahlou writes, by way of introducing his first cookbook, “Mourad: New Moroccan” (Artisan, $40).

Blending a richly detailed memoir of his life in Morocco and his journey as a chef, with 170 recipes, introductions and techniques, the narrative shows Lahlou as a man on a mission to re-imagine traditional Moroccan cuisine from a modern perspective.

In December, Lahlou traveled to Atlanta to prepare a special dinner at Woodfire Grill, where he presented dishes like beef cheek, couscous, carrot jam and harissa emulsion and talked about his vision of “New Moroccan.”

“From the outside, Moroccan cuisine looks very familiar,” Lahlou said. “But it’s not based on a lot of technique or a lot of precision. It relies heavily on spices, and the artistry and mastery of cooking becomes how you use those spices.”

After opening his first restaurant, Kasbah, in 1996, Lahlou slowly developed a style that fused the earthy flavors of his native land with the fresh local and seasonal ingredients of Northern California.

“There was no way I could really call what I was making Moroccan food,” Lahlou said. “What makes Moroccan food is Morocco. I was making food that was the best possible interpretation, and it became more about my food than Moroccan food.”

Lahlou said that the idea of Moroccan cuisine not evolving became a huge dilemma for him. And in 2001, Aziza (named for his mother) became the showcase for an even more sophisticated approach.

“I realized that it was the time to move forward,” Lahlou said. “Let’s understand the food first and then embrace new techniques and new ingredients and try to take Moroccan food to a place that it hasn’t been before.”

Some people have been upset by his turn from tradition, Lahlou admitted, but added that he’s just fine with that.

“As long as we make steps forward, that’s what’s important. It has been a huge evolution from 1996 until now. It makes me really proud to hear that Aziza has become a place that people look to when it comes to the evolution of food. One of the biggest reason I wanted to do the book was to document that evolution.”

Recipes

These recipes adapted from “Mourad: New Moroccan” by Mourad Lahlou (Artisan, $40) capture the earthy flavors of traditional Moroccan cuisine re-imagined from a fresh, modern perspective.

Photos by Deborah Jones from “Mourad: New Moroccan” by Mourad Lahlou (Artisan, $40)

Lamb Shanks With Prunes and Brown Butter Farro

Serves 6

Hands on time: 1 hour Total time: 12 hours including 8 hours for salting

Spiced lamb shanks are served with a rustic sauce made from the braising liquid. The dish gets a touch of sweetness from prunes and nutty richness from brown butter farro. Shop for the meatier foreshanks, rather than the rear shanks, and for an elegant touch, ask the butcher to “French” the shanks, removing the fat and tendons that surround the bone.

Lamb

6 lamb foreshanks (1 pound each), trimmed and “Frenched”

kosher salt

8 cups coarsely chopped onions

1/4 cup sliced garlic

3/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil, plus more for browning the lamb

1/4 cup ground coriander

1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon saffron threads

8 to 10 cups chicken stock or water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the braising-liquid sauce

1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley, for the braising-liquid sauce

6 dried, stewed or spiced prunes

About 3 tablespoons clarified butter, melted, or extra virgin olive oil, for brushing the shanks

crunchy sea salt to taste

Farro

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 1/4 cups farro, picked over and rinsed

1 cup finely diced red onion

1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the brown butter

For the lamb shanks:

Put a cooling rack on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Salt the lamb shanks with kosher salt on all sides and put on the rack. Cover with a damp towel and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, toss the onions and garlic with the oil.

Place a large heavy roasting pan over medium heat for several minutes. Add a film of oil then add the shanks in a single layer. Brown the lamb evenly on all sides for about 12 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary.

Transfer the shanks to the baking sheet and pour off any fat remaining in the pan. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, until the onions are an even golden brown; adjust the heat as necessary. Increase the heat to high, add 2 tablespoons salt and the ground coriander, ginger, cumin, black pepper and turmeric and saffron threads and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to bring out the flavors of the spices.

Nestle the shanks, smoother side down, in the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the shanks over. The side with the most connective tissue should be facing down; the meat will be more tender cooked this way. Add enough stock to come three-quarters of the way up the shanks and bring to a simmer. Cover stock with a piece of parchment paper, brushed with water to keep the edges from curling up, and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Put it in the oven and cook for 2 hours and 45 minutes, or until the meat is completely tender.

Meanwhile, for the farro:

Into a small stockpot, pour 5 quarts water, add the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the farro, reduce the heat, and boil gently for about 30 minutes, until the farro is tender but not mushy. Drain the farro in a large strainer, shaking the strainer to remove the excess water.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the onions and oil. When the onions begin to sizzle, decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the onions have softened and are slightly caramelized. Set aside.

To finish the lamb:

Preheat oven to 200.

Carefully remove the shanks from the braising liquid, place them meaty side up on a baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil and transfer the shanks to the oven to keep them warm.

In a large saucepan, pour the braising liquid with the onions. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then ladle off the fat that has risen to the top and discard. Bring to a boil and boil gently for about 15 minutes to reduce the sauce to 5 to 6 cups. If the flavor seems weak, continue to reduce it to intensify the flavor. Blend in the butter, preferably with an immersion blender, and stir in the parsley.

Stir the prunes into the sauce.

Turn on the broiler. Brush the shanks with the clarified butter or olive oil and put under the broiler for a few minutes to brown.

To make the brown butter: In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Continue to heat until it browns, about 3 minutes.

To serve: Reheat the onions over medium heat, and stir in the farro. Add the brown butter, stirring to coat the farro.

Spoon some farro and sauce onto each serving plate. Set the lamb shanks over them. Garnish each plate with a prune, and sprinkle the shanks with crunchy sea salt.

Per serving, entire recipe: 1,250 calories (percent of calories from fat, 58), 55 grams protein, 83 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams fiber, 86 grams fat (28 grams saturated), 172 milligrams cholesterol, 1,178 milligrams sodium.

Adapted from “Mourad: New Moroccan”by Mourad Lahlou (Artisan, $40)

Carrot Soup With Citrus Salad

Serves 6

Hands on time: 20 minutes Total time: 70 minutes

One of the more ubiquitous Moroccan salads is carrots (cooked in the winter and fall, shredded raw in the summer), orange juice, cumin and rose or orange blossom water, with a few torn mint leaves on top. This is that, reinvented as a smooth curried carrot soup with the fresh, cooling effect of citrus and mint. Fresh carrot juice is best for this soup, so if you don’t have a juicer, look for a good, fresh-squeezed brand or buy it at a juice bar.

Soup

12 garlic cloves

6 mint sprigs

6 thyme sprigs

small piece of cheesecloth

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups sliced yellow onions

1 cup Riesling

1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

8 cups fresh carrot juice

1/2 vanilla bean

8 cups thinly sliced carrots

Citrus Salad

1 grapefruit

1 blood orange

1 lemon, preferably a Meyer lemon

2 drops orange blossom water

36 small mint leaves

For the soup: Wrap the garlic, mint and thyme in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie to make a sachet. In a small stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, stir them to coat with the butter, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until translucent. Add the sachet and cook for another 10 minutes to infuse the flavors and color the onions lightly. Add the wine, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated. Lower the heat to medium, add the curry, salt, and white pepper, and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add the carrot juice and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use a paring knife to scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and pod to the pot. When the liquid is simmering, add the carrots and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the carrots are tender, adjusting the heat if necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove and discard the sachet and vanilla pod.

Use a regular blender or immersion blender to puree the soup. If using a regular blender, puree the soup in small batches, never filling the blender more than half-full; pour the pureed soup into a saucepan. Check the thickness of the soup. If it seems too thick, stir in up to a cup of cold water, adding a little at a time until you’re happy with the consistency. If there are still some small bits of carrot, you may want to re-blend the soup, and for a very silkier texture, you may want to strain it through a fine-mesh strainer.

For the citrus salad: Cut away the peel and white pith from the grapefruit, orange and lemon, then cut between the membranes to release the segments. Cut the grapefruit segments in half. Cut lemon segments into 1/4-inch dice. Put all the fruit segments in a bowl, sprinkle with the orange blossom water and toss gently.

To serve:

Re-warm the soup. Arrange a small mound of the fruit salad and 6 mint leaves in one side of each bowl. Ladle the soup around the fruit so that a bit of the fruit and mint remains visible.

Per serving, Carrot Soup only: 396 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 6 grams protein, 54 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 41 milligrams cholesterol, 469 milligrams sodium.

Citrus Salad

Per serving: 33 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 3 milligrams sodium.

Adapted from “Mourad: New Moroccan” by Mourad Lahlou (Artisan, $40)

Almond Cookies

Hands on time: 20 minutes Total time: 40 minutes

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

These one-bite cookies are easy to make in the food processor. They’re soft and light, like a chewy version of an amaretto cookie, and just right with after-dinner coffee or dessert wine. Best eaten the day they are made.

1 tablespoon egg white

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 ounces almond paste

3/4 cup skin-on whole almonds

3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of kosher salt

About 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the egg white, almond extract and vanilla extract in a small spouted measuring cup.

Combine the almond paste, almonds, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and process for about 1 minute, or until finely ground. With the processor running, add the egg white mixture and process until the mixture comes together.

Using a scant tablespoon of dough, form the dough into balls. (The shaped cookies can be refrigerated on baking sheets for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month.) Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar and arrange them on the baking sheets. Flatten them just a tiny bit as you go to keep them from rolling all over the baking sheets.

Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the pans after 6 minutes, until the surface of the cookies begins to crack and they take on some color. If you like softer cookies, bake for about 1 minute less. Cool on racks; the cookies will firm as they cool.

Per cookie: 93 calories (percent of calories from fat, 49), 2 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 28 milligrams sodium.

Adapted from “Mourad: New Moroccan” by Mourad Lahlou (Artisan, $40).