{"id":1569,"date":"2013-11-22T14:58:25","date_gmt":"2013-11-22T14:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetestpage.co.uk\/?p=1569"},"modified":"2021-02-04T18:37:28","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T18:37:28","slug":"rock-the-kasbah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetestpage.co.uk\/index.php\/2013\/11\/22\/rock-the-kasbah\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock the Kasbah"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/header>\n
\n

Our half term break spent in Marrakech seems a lifetime away on this cold, wet November morning. The husband and I have been before, but it was the childrens\u2019 first visit and we wondered how they would take to the madness of Marrakech. Thankfully the moment they arrived they loved it, but this was in no small part thanks to\u00a0El Fenn<\/a>,\u00a0the beautiful riad<\/a>\u00a0we stayed in right in the centre of the Medina<\/a>, overlooking the\u00a0Koutoubia Mosque<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Last time\u00a0<\/span>we were\u00a0in Morocco, we stayed in the Palmeraie, just outside the city, which was peaceful and beautiful. Staying in the medina is a much more hectic and lively experience, but staying at the beautiful El Fenn was the perfect haven from the hustle and bustle of the city. Outside the riad doors you are dodging mules, carts, motorcycles and bicycles, amidst all the sounds of a busy city. Once inside the riad, it is absolute tranquility. Built around a series of courtyards filled with palm trees, flowers, birds and, bizarrely, tortoises, there were a myriad of places to sit and relax with a Moroccan mint tea. Our favourite place was the rooftop garden, with its restaurant, bar and swimming pool. <\/span>You could overlook the city streets, hear the calls to prayer, smell the smoke from the food stalls of the main square, the\u00a0Jemaa el-Fnaa<\/a>, but relax above it all with a glass of fantastic Moroccan ros\u00e9. We loved the ros\u00e9 and gris\u00a0Domaine de Sahari<\/a>\u00a0and are desperate to find a case or two here in the UK.\u00a0<\/span>We found the Moroccan food a bit mixed in quality but we ate well at the riad. Breakfast was delicious; freshly baked baguettes studded with sesame seeds, served with salty butter and home-made jam, fresh goat yogurts, eggs, coffee and hot chocolate.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The children went mad for the speciality Berber<\/a>\u00a0pancake, or Baghrir<\/a>, which was a sort of Moroccan pikelet served with honey.<\/span><\/p>\n

On our final morning in Marrakech, while the boys played golf, the girls and I did a cookery course with the riad\u2019s chef, Hassim. First we went to the <\/span>Mellah<\/a>, the Jewish district, to source our ingredients. The girls were a little shocked at the sight of the bloody Moroccan butcher counters in the souk, and even more upset when they saw the adorable\u00a0caged livestock for sale not as pets, but as dinner. They soon got over their distaste at the Berber pharmacy counter, however, enjoying the sweet <\/span>Moroccan tea<\/a>\u00a0we were offered, and badgering me for Berber lipsticks, rose petals and orange flower water. We picked up the ingredients we needed to make a chicken tagine, and I picked up some amazing <\/span>Harissa<\/a>, some <\/span>Preserved lemon<\/a>s\u00a0and some Moroccan mint and Berber tea herbs to take home with us.<\/span><\/p>\n

The chicken tagine is a lovely dish for this time of year. The spices used are warming and anti-inflammatory. The addition of heart-healthy green olives and vitamin-rich preserved lemons add a deliciously savoury tang that contrasts delightfully with the heat of the spices.<\/p>\n

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemons<\/h1>\n

Serves 2<\/em><\/p>\n