Cooking at the Kasbah: Red bell pepper and garlic confit

Morocco and Andalusian culture fascinates me and I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Cooking at the Kasbah by Kitty Morse. This book reflects the beautiful culture and tradition of Al Maghreb Al Aksa (the land where the sun sets).  It starts off with the colonial history of Morocco, which influences its culture and cuisine.  

Kitty mentions that the art of making ouarka the paper thin dough for b'stila originated in Morocco. Couscous is the staple diet of Morocco and mint tea traditions also started there.  

I enjoyed the lively descriptions of the souk (market), the familiar descriptions of the wedding feast, the nations hospitality which follows the Islamic principles of treating guests with the best and many other parts of the book were interesting.

I tried a few recipes from the book already such as the caramelized carrots (hezzu m'chermel), pomegranate drink and preserved lemons (l'hamd marked).  I am looking forward to see the results of the preserved lemons in the coming weeks, which will come in handy for many recipes in the book.  

Here is a delicious red bell pepper and garlic confit (felfla hamra m'kliya) that would be perfect for this season.  Use only red peppers for this recipe.

5 red bell peppers roasted, peeled and seeded *
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced

* Grill the peppers over an open flame.  If using a broiler, place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil for 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated broiler until the skin blisters and blackens.  Watch carefully and turn the peppers using tongs.  
Transfer the peppers to a plastic bag or bowl and seal.  Leave it till it is cool to touch, peel and seed.   

Cut the roasted peppers into 1" strips and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place in a colander for the liquid to drain, and leave it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Heat oil in medium low heat sauté the garlic until golden and add the roasted pepper strips.  Fry gently for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place the peppers and garlic on a towel to drain.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve at room temperature.  

There are many easy to follow clear recipes for spice blends, soups, salad, savoury, pastries, breads, meat, fish, vegetable dishes and many more.  The author gives menu ideas and lists places where we can find ingredients.

If you enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine and culture then I will recommend this book.  It is available on AmazonChronicle and Indigo.

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38 comments:

  1. Love the bright red color of the dish.

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  2. Love the simplicity of this dish. I will be looking forward for the recipe of pomegranate drink.

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  3. nice!!!!!!!colourful and flavourful.

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  4. pictures are wonderful and motivate me to try recipes I might not .

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  5. That's truly yummy.Simple and flavorful.

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  6. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe from my book, Cooking at the Kasbah.
    I have written 4 other books on Moroccan cuisine, and a fifth, Mint Tea and Minarets, a memoir of Morocco with recipes is forthcoming. Please visit my website, www.kittymorse.com.
    Bon appetit!

    Kitty Morse

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  7. Great book! This summer I'm going to Andalusia...I'll show you my pics!
    Have a nice day

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  8. Nice flavourful bell peppers.

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  9. Loved the vibrant colour of this dish. Must have tasted wonderful as well. Great recipe :)

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  10. Super flavourful and colourful dish.

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  11. love peppers and always looking for new ways to use them. good idea.

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  12. No soy mucho de comer pimiento, normalmente lo camuflo pequeñito o lo aparto :) Ya en casa se encargan de robármelo del plato jaja este les gustaría Besos

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  13. Esalaamu aleikoum looks delicious and beautiful sister machallah!

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  14. Roasted red peppers taste and smell soooo nice!

    Btw I can’t wait to see your preserved lemon recipe. My mom made preserved lemons as well. She kept it in a jar outside. After 2 years!! they were good, but the skin is still not soft enough. Hope yours don’t take that much time.

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  15. lovely n delicious..lov d color dear!

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  16. Nice and flavorful dish.....

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  17. Delicious n flavorful bell peppers.

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  18. Delicious! And such bright colors would accent any dish! Thanks for sharing

    Dave at eRecipecards.com

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  19. Something like a new kind of recipe for me but I do use plenty of red peppers for my stir fried veges, salad and soups. A good change for the normal recipes and which I should give a try.

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  20. so simple yet so delicious, I love the flavours and the colours!~

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  21. Oh yes, this looks marvelous! Simple, yet flavorful. I'm such a huge fan of red bell peppers :)

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  22. Wow, this looks great! I love red bell peppers. They are one of the foods that I could put in just about anything.

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  23. I have red peppers in the refrigerator and nothing to do with them. Now, I have something to make, using them. I owe you.

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  24. Lovely, I often grill pepper at home, will give this a try...

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Thank you for commenting :)