On Jul 15, 1:39*pm, Tracy > wrote:
> kilikini wrote:
> > Tracy wrote:
> >> I made an old fashioned Moroccan dinner last night. It is the kid's
> >> favorite Moroccan meal. It's called R'fissa (that's how I spell it!)
> >> and it consists of chicken, onions and fenugreek simmered until done
> >> and served over a sort of shredded fried bread called msimmen (also,
> >> how I spell it!).
>
> > (snip)
>
> > Wow, that really looks good. *Do you have a recipe you follow that you'd
> > care to share?
>
> > kili
>
> I do, but it is really long.....
>
> Here it is.
>
> Chicken with Lentils and Fenugreek (R'fissa)
>
> 8 Chicken Legs or 2 small Chickens cut up
> 2 or 3 onions sliced
> Olive oil
> 1 small bunch each cilantro and parsley tied with string (5 sprigs each
> approx.)
> ½ cup Lentils, washed
> 2 tbls whole fenugreek
> ¼ tsp. ginger
> ¼ tsp. turmeric
> Pinch saffron (optional)
> ¼ tsp. smen*(see note)
> Salt and pepper (this recipe requires a lot of salt—probably at least a
> tablespoon-if not more
> Water
>
> Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large dutch oven. *Add chicken and onions and
> cook for a few minutes. It is not really necessary to brown the chicken.
> * Add salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, and saffron if using. *Cook on low
> with a cover for about 20 minutes. *Add the lentils, fenugreek and
> enough water to barely cover the chicken. *Cover and simmer till chicken
> is done and lentils are cooked through—about 45 minutes to an hour.
> While the chicken is simmering you can start the m’simmen.
>
> *Smen is aged butter that has a very strong flavor. *You either like it
> or you don’t. *Not all Moroccans like to use it in this dish – I don’t
> often have any – so I don’t use it.
>
> M’simmen
>
> These pancakes are very labor intensive but the ingredients are few.
>
> Warm Water
> 4 cups durum flour
> 1 cup all purpose flour
> Salt
> Vegetable oil (some use a combination of butter and oil – but I just use
> oil)
>
> Combine the flours with 1 Tablespoon of salt. *Sprinkle with warm water
> until you can form a dough. *It all depends on the weather how much
> water you will need-probably about a cup or so. *Knead the dough till it
> is not too sticky any more and then sprinkle more water on it and
> incorporate it into the dough. *Do this a couple of times until the
> dough is soft. *By hand this takes a long time but with a mixer it is
> very quick.
>
> Place the ball of dough on a large greased platter and oil the dough as
> well. *It might help to let it rest for a few minutes.
>
> Next, have an oiled platter ready. *Oil your hands and tear away chunks
> of dough about the size of a tangerine - and as if you were making a
> roll pull the sides under to make a nice smooth ball. *You can also push
> the dough between your connected index finger and thumb. *Everything
> should be nicely coated with oil. *Repeat with remaining dough.
>
> Make sure your counter is nice and clean – or you can use a very large
> flat platter. *Moroccans use something called a g’sra – it looks like
> the bottom of a traditional Moroccan tagine (the one with the cone
> shaped top) but much bigger in diameter.
>
> Oil your clean counter and your hands and take the first formed ball and
> spread it out as thin as you can, starting from the middle of the ball.
> * They should spread very easily; if they don’t *then you did not knead
> the dough enough. *Tears in the dough are ok. *They should spread to
> about 12 x 12 or even bigger – it should be as thin as you can get
> without tearing lots of holes in the dough. * Fold it in thirds like a
> letter (using a “C” fold) turn and fold into thirds again. *Set aside.
> You should have something maybe 3 or 4 inches square. *Repeat with
> remaining balls of dough. Once you have folded 2 or three you can begin
> frying them. *You can continue to fold as you wait for the ones that are
> frying.
>
> * *You should be sprinkling the dough with oil as you go as well.
>
> To cook the breads:
>
> * *Heat a large flat heavy pan (I use a cast iron griddle) and sprinkle
> with a bit of oil. *Take one of your folded “packets” and spread it out
> to about 6 x 6 inches square (the dough should spread very easily) Place
> on the hot pan. And let it brown on both sides. *A little bit of black
> is ok. *They take about 5 minutes a side. *Set the finished ones aside
> in a large platter with a lip that will serve as your serving dish. *I
> use a large pasta style platter. * After you have a couple finished, you
> need to shred them. *When you folded them you created a bunch of layers..
> * Now each layer needs to be separated. *Just pull them apart and tear
> the layers into 2 inch pieces. The outside is crisp and the inside is
> soft and elastic. *Just tear everything up and keep them covered with a
> towel.
>
> To serve: *ladle some of the liquid from the chicken onto the shredded
> bread. Place the chicken pieces around the middle in a pile then top
> with the sauce making sure you get the lentils from the pot. Like most
> Moroccan dishes this is a communal dish. Give each person a fork and dig
> in. Some would eat this with their hands –but I don’t recall ever seeing
> a Moroccan eat THIS DISH with their hands.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thank you. I'm going have to give that a try. The bread looks like a
challenge.

John Kane Kingston ON Canada