Berkoukes (بركوكس)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide gsaa or large shallow bowl for rolling semolina
• •Medium-holed sieve
• •Deep 5 to 6 liter soup pot

Instructions

1. 1

   Roll the pearls

   Spread the medium semolina in a wide gsaa or large shallow bowl and mix in the salt. Sprinkle in warm water by the spoonful while raking with your fingers, then rub the damp grains between your palms in circles. Dust with fine semolina or flour, roll again, and sift. Keep the pearls about the size of small peppercorns to tiny peas, larger than couscous but not so large that they stay hard inside.

   If you use dried berkoukes, use 350g and skip the rolling. Rinse quickly and drain before adding it to the pot so loose starch doesn't make the broth heavy.
2. 2

   Dry them briefly

   Spread the rolled pearls on a tray and let them air-dry for 20 to 30 minutes while you start the broth. This short rest firms the outside, so the berkoukes keeps its shape when it meets the liquid instead of turning the pot pasty.

3. 3

   Start the broth

   Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep pot. Add the lamb, grated onion, ras el hanout, ginger, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, and a good pinch of salt. Stir until the onion melts into the spices and the lamb loses its raw color. With ras el hanout, on ne triche pas, you don't cheat: use a blend from someone who'll tell you what is in it.

4. 4

   Build tomato depth

   Add the grated tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato darkens slightly and the oil begins to show at the edges. Add the bloomed saffron with its water, the celery, half the coriander, half the parsley, and 2 liters water or light broth.

5. 5

   Simmer the meat

   Bring the pot to a lively simmer, then lower the heat and cover it partly. Cook for about 1 hour, until the lamb is nearly tender and the broth tastes rounded, not raw with tomato. Skim only what looks harsh; a little fat on the surface carries the spice.

6. 6

   Add vegetables

   Stir in the chickpeas, carrots, turnip, and preserved lemon rind. Simmer 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. Taste now for salt, because the berkoukes will drink the seasoning.

7. 7

   Cook the berkoukes

   Rain the berkoukes into the simmering broth with one hand while stirring with the other, so the pearls separate as they fall. Cook uncovered for 18 to 25 minutes, stirring often at the bottom of the pot. The broth should stay loose and spoonable; add hot water by the ladle if it thickens too much before the pearls are tender.

8. 8

   Finish and rest

   When the pearls are tender through the center and the broth has a glossy body, stir in the remaining olive oil, the remaining herbs, and the smen if you're using it. Rest the pot off the heat for 10 minutes. Berkoukes keeps drinking as it sits, so loosen it with hot water if the table is slow to gather.

9. 9

   Serve wide

   Ladle into one large warm serving bowl or deep beldi bowls, making sure every serving gets lamb, chickpeas, vegetables, and pearls. Put harissa on the table for those who want fire, and keep khobz nearby for the last broth. Serve it generous, because this dish doesn't like a counted table.

Chef Tips

• •Hand-rolled berkoukes should look uneven in the human way, not careless. Aim for close sizes so they cook together.
• •Use real saffron threads bloomed in warm water, not powdered yellow. The color should spread slowly and smell floral, not dusty.
• •Preserved lemon gives the broth its deep salted brightness. Fresh lemon is sharp in a different way and doesn't stand in for it here.
• •If your vegetables are tired, change the pot. Use pumpkin in season, or leave the turnip out. No gesture rescues a sad vegetable.
• •For a meatless table, leave out the lamb and use more chickpeas, carrot, turnip, celery, and a spoon of olive oil at the end. It won't be the Mawlid meat pot, but it will still keep the door open.

Advance Preparation

• •Roll the berkoukes up to 2 days ahead and dry it fully on trays before storing it in a cloth-lined container.
• •Soak dried chickpeas overnight and cook them ahead, or use good cooked chickpeas when the day is full.
• •The broth can be made through the meat-simmering step 1 day ahead. Add the berkoukes only before serving, because it keeps swelling as it rests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 485g)