Moroccan Delights
FIONA MCGARRY
Moroccan gastronomy developed from a combination of Berber, Andalusi, Mediterranean and Arab cuisines. It’s all about big flavours and is more heavily spiced than Middle Eastern food; for example, the ras el hanout spice mix originated in Morocco and contains 27 different spices. Typical ingredients in Moroccan dishes include turmeric, mint, saffron, rose petals, lemon pickle and dried fruits.
Hastings has quite a few Middle Eastern and North African restaurants, but St Leonards is lucky enough to have its own Moroccan café: Tagine Moroccan Delights. It serves coffee, cakes, pastries and snacks as well as having a larger brunch and lunch menu.
The owner, Nadia, prides herself on creating “authentic” Moroccan dishes. Everything is home-cooked, and portions are large – it’s excellent value. It’s somewhere you can pop into for a quick brunch or to while away the afternoon with a mint tea and a piece of cake, but also a good venue for a special lunch.
There are a plenty of loyal customers. Having been there once, it’s the sort of place you might return to again and again and work your way through the menu. The highlights include lamb or chickpea and vegetable tagines, chicken shashlik wrap, delicate but tasty stuffed vine leaves (vegan) and their unique falafels. The mezze was probably the best I’ve ever tasted, complete with salads of slow-cooked vegetables: carrots, tomatoes and roasted peppers.
Nadia and her family create a real warmth and hospitality – and it’s worth taking a selection of their baklava and macaroons home with you.
Tagine: 5 Norman Rd, Saint Leonards-on-sea TN37 6NH
Open Tuesday – Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm and Sunday 10.00am-5.00pm
Follow them on [Instagram] taginemoroccandelights
Moroccan cooking: Taktouka:
You will need:
- 2 large red peppers
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus more for garnish
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
- 5 ripe tomatoes
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
Method:
- Grill the peppers until charred for about 8-10 minutes, turning them halfway to ensure even cooking. Then put them in a Ziplock bag or a bowl covered with cling film and leave for 10 mins.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-low heat and fry the onions and garlic for 5 mins.
- Dice or grate the tomatoes and then add to the onions and garlic with the cumin, paprika and salt.
- Cook for 5 mins and then add the tomato paste.
- Peel the charred skin from the peppers and remove the seeds. Cut them into strips and add to the sauce. Cook for another 3-5 minutes and then turn off the heat.
- Garnish with some freshly chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Other Moroccan dishes to try:
Tagine: Morocco’s most popular export after couscous. It’s a slow-cooked stew of lamb, chicken or vegetables named after the distinctive claypot with a conical earthenware lid that it’s prepared in.
Harira: served almost every day for iftar (the evening meal that breaks the fast) in most Moroccan households during the month of Ramadan. Harira is a filling soup/stew of tomatoes, chickpeas and lentils – sometimes with lamb.
Zaalouk: Moroccans do cooked salads really well, and this one is made from aubergines and tomatoes seasoned with paprika, cumin, garlic, and herbs.
Shakshouka: make some Taktouka and top with a poached egg. Perfect for a healthy brunch.
Stuffed sardines: Morocco is famous for its sardines (it exports more canned sardines than anywhere else in the world) and these are a classic example of Moroccan street food. Sandwich two sardine fillets together with a generous layer of chermoula, dip them in flour and pan fry them.
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