Skipping the apps in Morocco just may be your biggest travel mistake in North Africa.

In Morocco, food choices are vast and truly unique.  Visiting the country offers an exciting opportunity to taste its many culinary wonders.   Think tagines packed with stewed meat and fruit, flaky filo style pastries filled with pigeon and fluffy couscous perfumed with spices.  Hungry?  Same.  But before you ever get to sample one of the aforementioned delights, you’ll likely be presented with a mezze course – a selection of Moroccan salads designed to wet your appetite before the main event.

Get the image of iceberg lettuce, kale, spinach and other leafy greens out of your mind.  Instead, imagine stewed vegetables, slaws and purées that are perfectly seasoned and always delicious.  In most Moroccan restaurants, the mezze plates are generally small and the options are plentiful. 

These salads are such an important part of the Moroccan table that you’ll find a gallery dedicated to them at the Moroccan Museum of Culinary Arts in Marrakech.  Personal favorites have always included Moroccan carrot salads, beet salads and zalouk, a wonderful eggplant and tomato melange with spices.

Recently, a new favorite emerged during a culinary awakening on my last trip to Morocco. After a long morning of power shopping in the souks, I returned to my riad for a break and a snack. I sat poolside and ordered a mezze plate – something light that would hold me over until dinner at L’Mida later that evening.

As the server carefully placed the beautiful tray next to me, I realized it contained a salad that I had never seen before.  When it comes to Moroccan cuisine, I always have an eagle eye out and can usually spot a traditional dish from 100 yards away.  So, you can imagine my skepticism when what appeared to be overcooked fennel was placed in front of me.  It is important to note I’ve never been fan of fennel.  Growing up in an Italian American family, there was always raw fennel on the table at Christmas and New Years for “good luck.” It was a plate I largely left untouched.

That sentiment quickly changed as I took a reluctant bite of Moroccan fennel. My skepticism melted into bliss, the “overcooked” fennel was perfectly caramelized.  There were plump golden raisins and lightly toasted fennel seeds adding the smallest pops of sweetness and crunch.  Did I just become a fennel fan?

Upon my return to The States I scoured my Moroccan cookbook collection to see if I could find something similar. How could this not be in The Food of Morocco cookbook?  Is this a traditional dish that I’m unaware of?  Is this something that the dada (cook) created in her kitchen?  Well, I’m still not sure – but what I do know is that it was delicious.

I took to the kitchen to create my own version. I hope you love my take on this Moroccan inspired recipe:  Caramelized Fennel and Golden Raisin Salad. Enjoy it with fluffy pita alongside other Moroccan mezze dishes – or on its own! It is sure to wet your appetite.

Love with the idea of serving a mezze course of small Moroccan dishes at your next dinner party?  Presentation is key.  Here’s some traditional Moroccan dish ware to make those salads shine.

Interested in learning more about Morocco?  Check out my Marrakech Travel Guide:  A Journey to Morocco’s Red City.

Bon Appétit!

Moroccan Fennel Salad With Golden Raisins

Recipe by dinnerswithdaveCourse: AppetizersCuisine: MoroccanDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

35

minutes

Enjoy this Moroccan inspired recipe as part of a mezze course alongside other traditional Moroccan starters or on its own! The key to success is making sure your pan is quite hot.  The results will leave you with perfectly caramelized fennel.   Serve with warm fluffy pita.

Ingredients

• 1 large fennel bulb (1lb), thinly sliced

• 2T olive oil

• 3T golden raisins, soaked for 15 mins in hot water

• 1/2t fennel seed
  

• Sea Salt

Directions

• Prepare the fennel bulb by removing the stems and thinly slicing off any blemishes the bulb may have. Reserve a few fennel fronds for garnish. Remove the core (which is edible but can be tough), by slicing the bulb in half lengthwise and carving out the tough core with your knife. See photo. Slice thinly.
• Heat a large dry cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat for about 30 seconds. You want the pan to be quite hot. Add fennel, stir once to coat, and leave it to cook over medium high heat untouched until the fennel starts to gently brown but not burn, approx. 3-5 minutes. As tempting as it may be, don’t stir! It won’t get that wonderful brown sear.
• Once fennel is nicely browned, sprinkle with 1/4t sea salt, reduce heat to medium low. Let the fennel cook until it is reduced and beautifully tender, approx. 20 mins. If the fennel becomes dry and starts to stick to the pan at any point, add a tablespoon or two of water. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add drained raisins and fennel seed.
• Remove from heat, adjust seasoning and let cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with reserved fronds.
  Tip: Make it ahead! Flavors are best the next day after they’ve had a chance to meld.