Sellou (سلو)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Two rimmed baking trays
• •Wide heavy skillet
• •Spice grinder or food processor
• •Large gsaa or very wide mixing bowl
• •Fine sieve

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the flour

   Heat the oven to 160C/325F. Spread the flour on two rimmed trays and toast it for 50 to 70 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping the corners into the center. It is ready when it is the color of toasted hazelnuts and smells nutty all the way through, not pale underneath. This is the step that decides Sellou: the flour must lose its raw taste before honey and butter ever touch it. Cool, then sift out any hard bits.

   If one tray darkens faster, swap the trays and keep stirring. Dark is good; burnt is bitter.
2. 2

   Toast the sesame

   Toast the sesame seeds in a wide dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they turn golden and smell round and nutty. The seeds will begin to jump a little in the pan. Reserve 2 tablespoons for finishing, then grind the rest until sandy and oily, but stop before it becomes a paste.

3. 3

   Fry the almonds

   Dry the blanched almonds well. Warm the oil in a skillet and fry the almonds gently until pale gold, then lift them out before they go deep brown; they keep coloring after they leave the oil. Reserve a handful whole for the top. Grind the rest mostly fine, leaving some small pieces so the spoon finds them. Strain and keep the almond oil for binding.

   If you prefer not to fry, toast the almonds until golden. The bowl will be lighter, but still honest if the almonds taste fresh.
4. 4

   Grind the spices

   Toast the anise seeds for a minute, just until their scent rises, then grind them. If using meska horra, pound it with a spoonful of the icing sugar so it breaks into a fine powder. Mix the anise, cinnamon, salt, and meska horra into the sifted sugar.

5. 5

   Build the bowl

   In a very wide bowl, combine the toasted flour, ground sesame, ground almonds, and spiced sugar. Lift the mixture with both hands and rub it through your fingers until the color is even and no pockets of flour remain. Taste it now. It should already be good before the honey arrives.

6. 6

   Warm the binding

   Melt the butter gently and skim or pour off the clear fat if you can. Warm the honey with the melted butter and about 80ml of the strained almond oil until loose and glossy, but do not boil it. Boiled honey turns harsh, and Sellou wants warmth, not a hard caramel taste.

7. 7

   Bind by hand

   Pour the warm honey mixture into the dry bowl a little at a time, rubbing and squeezing with your hands after each addition. Add more almond oil only if the mixture asks for it. Stop when a handful holds together in your fist but breaks apart under a spoon. Sellou is eaten by the spoon, not sliced like candy.

   Too dry, add a spoon of warm honey or almond oil. Too wet, add a little sifted toasted flour or ground sesame. The scale is in the eyes.
8. 8

   Press and finish

   Let the Sellou rest for 30 minutes, then mound it into a beldi bowl or deep serving dish and press it gently into shape. Scatter with the reserved sesame and whole fried almonds, then dust with a little cinnamon if you like. Serve in small spoonfuls with mint tea, dates, and enough spoons for the person who was not expected.

Chef Tips

• •Toast the flour darker than you think at first, but never leave it alone. Pale flour makes Sellou taste unfinished; scorched flour cannot be rescued.
• •Use sesame that smells fresh and sweet before it touches the pan. Old sesame turns bitter quickly, and no amount of honey will hide it.
• •Families argue texture with affection. Some make Sellou loose and sandy, some press it richer with more butter and honey. Name your family way honestly, and don't pretend every Moroccan table makes the same bowl.
• •Do not grind the sesame into tahini. You want it oily enough to perfume the flour, still granular enough to keep the spoon alive.
• •Sellou is strong food. Serve small spoons, then refill the bowl. That is better hospitality than a heavy portion no one can finish.

Advance Preparation

• •Make Sellou 2 to 7 days ahead if you can. The toasted flour, sesame, almonds, honey, and spice settle into each other overnight.
• •Store airtight in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks, or refrigerate for up to 1 month if your kitchen is warm. Bring to room temperature and loosen with a spoon before serving.
• •For longer keeping, freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, then rub through with your hands to bring back the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 110g)