The narrow streets of Marrakech's medina tangle like spaghetti leading to the heart of the city. The souq, an Arabic market, was where we were headed. Saffron yellow, burnt-red and tan spices mounded in barrels along the way. Mule carts laden with bundles of fresh mint, coriander and parsley were parked along the side of the street.
"Just look. Just look." Arabian men sat in front of endless stalls like auctioneers bidding us to enter their shops. "Ali Baba, come look." Patrick's blond beard evoked the nickname we heard called to us everywhere. It stood out as much as the red hair I tucked behind a scarf. No amount of discretion in this Muslim country would hide the fact we were two pale-skinned people among a darker race.
Our foray into the labyrinth had meaning. We had a destination. The problem was we were hopelessly lost.
"This way." Patrick led me down an alleyway and around three right turns to a dead end. We doubled back to where we started.
"Maybe we should have turned left at the hanging lantern store?" I was only guessing. We had passed four identical shops with intricate tin lanterns and candles with stretched goatskin and hennaed designs hanging from the ceiling. I had no idea which one was the right one to turn at.
Patrick sighed loudly and turned back the way we came.
"Ali Baba, where are you going?" A man asked. After an hour of trying to find the correct alley we resigned ourselves to ask for help.
"Mechoui?" Patrick hesitated not sure he was pronouncing it right.
"Yes, come," he said.
We shrugged off the anxiety of being lost like a shawl from our shoulders and gave ourselves over to the guide.
Hazzid had the soft features of a Berber man. His dark tight curls were trimmed close to the scalp, his skin a latte color. His dress of black jeans and a Western jacket told the all too familiar tale of a man who left the mountain village to work in the larger city of Marrakech. He wove us down serpentine alleyways and around corners. He walked fast, glancing back to make sure we followed close.
"Watch, Victoria. Watch here." He pointed out every misplaced stone that maimed the street, caring for me like he would his own child.
The hot, smoky smell of roasted meat alerted us that he'd found the place. A row of tables heaving with cuts of lamb spread out in front of us. Eyes stared at us from roasted sockets as we passed the first stall. The second table was identical to the first, a mountain of legs, ribs and rumps. The scent of cumin followed us from stall to stall.
Finally we stopped. "My family," Hazzid introduced us to two men in white chef's jackets, their bellies stained with grease.
"La bes," I ventured a Berber greeting. They laughed in unison.
"Hello. Big welcome." Smiles erupted on their faces.
Hazzid stepped behind his brothers and lifted a round stone from the floor. "Victoria, look." This time he wasn't cautioning me. He showed me how the lamb was cooked. Through the manhole, was a pit dug deep under the street. In the center of the chamber, embers of a long-burning fire glowed, lighting the space. A dozen lamb carcasses hung from hooks above the coals. Heavily scented smoke clouded the space, permeating the meat with its flavor. The earth-oven had cooked the lamb slowly, for hours, melting away fat and leaving moist, tender meat.
"Mechoui," Hazzid stated in way of an explanation.
"You try?" One of the men asked.
"Yes, please."
He raised a large cleaver. With one stroke he split the lamb through the backbone. Another blow sectioned off a hunk for us. Tendrils of steam rose from the chopping process. Using the knife and his free hand, he scraped and scooped the meat onto one side of a scale, on the other he stacked weights.
"One kilo. Good for you." He heaped more meat than I could imagine eating in one sitting onto a paper plate and loaded the top with two rounds of Moroccan pita bread. I reached for the plate but Hazzid quickly grabbed it from me. It was clear he was now our host. He carried the meat up the stairs to the open-air terrace above the stall.
Over the building tops the Atlas Mountains loomed clear and bright. "My home." Hazzid smiled proudly and retreated back to speak with his family.
We wasted no time. Soft pieces of meat fell from the bones. Custom dictated we eat only with our right hand; something that proved harder than mastering chopsticks. We dipped the meat into dishes of cumin salt. Succulent flavor filled my mouth and coated the inside with silk. Hot juice glistened my fingers. Patrick groaned. This was good. We devoured the whole plate and I wondered if Muslim customs would frown on a woman sucking the bones in public. It took a great deal of inner strength to resist the urge.
Hazzid returned with a tray of tea. He held the ornate silver teapot at a great height, pouring clear brown liquid in an elaborate show of service into the tiny glasses below. The high pour brought new aromas to the air. Fresh mint replaced the smell of roasted lamb, making my mouth water again.
Hazzid held his cup high. "Big welcome." And with that we were left on our own to meander the streets home, our bellies pregnant with the flavor of Morocco.
Moroccan Mechoui
• 1 whole leg of lamb (or shoulder) on the bone, 6-8 pounds
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
Trim excess fat from the leg of lamb, and make a dozen or more cuts deep into the meat with the tip of a sharp knife.
Combine the olive oil with the garlic, and spices through to paprika. Spread the mixture over the entire leg of lamb, working some into the incisions made with the knife.
Place the leg of lamb in a roasting pan. Preheat an oven to 250°F (120/130°C).
Cover the lamb with foil, sealing the edges tightly. Roast the lamb, basting hourly and resealing the foil each time, for 7 hours, or until the juices run clear and the meat is tender enough to pinch off the bone.
Transfer the lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving. If desired, the juices can be poured over and around the lamb.
Mix cumin with sea salt and serve in dishes on the side for dipping.
Victoria Allman is a columnist for Dockwalk, an international magazine for yacht crew and Marina Life Magazine. She has been a yacht chef for 12 years and traveled through the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific gathering recipes and tales for her stories. Her first book, Sea Fare: A Chef's Journey Across the Ocean was released to critical acclaim and won the prestigious Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Literary Award for Travel. To learn more, please visit: VictoriaAllman.com.
Dawn Bryant of North Platte, Nebraska writes, "My husband and I do a lot of hunting and eat more wild game that domestic meat. I came up with this recipe for wild rabbit, and the meat cooks up tender and tangy with a fresh light sauce. I like to serve it with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli." 