Maakouda
Potato cakes dipped in beaten egg immediately before frying, which is what holds them together in the oil.
Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg.
Ingredients
- 1 kg floury potatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 750 ml flavourless oil, for frying
- salt and pepper
Method
- THEY ARE DIPPED IN BEATEN EGG IMMEDIATELY BEFORE FRYING, and that outside coat is what holds them together. Egg mixed into the potato alone makes a wet mash that falls apart in the oil; a patty shaped firm and then dipped goes in with a skin that sets on contact. Dipped and then left to stand even a few minutes, the egg soaks in and the skin is gone.
- THE POTATOES ARE DRIED OUT AFTER BOILING. Drained, returned to the hot dry pan for two minutes with the lid off, so the surface water steams away. Wet mash needs more flour, and more flour makes them heavy.
- AND THEY ARE MASHED BY HAND, never in a processor, for the same reason as any potato: ruptured starch turns to glue in seconds.
- Potatoes peeled, cut into even chunks and boiled from cold in salted water, 20 minutes, until a knife slides out freely.
- Drained and returned to the hot dry pan 2 minutes, lid off.
- Mashed by hand until smooth and left to cool to warm.
- Garlic, parsley, cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper and the flour worked through. ONE egg beaten in.
- Tasted -- it should be well seasoned, because a bland middle under a fried crust is the usual disappointment.
- Shaped into flat cakes about 7 cm across and 1.5 cm thick, and laid on a tray.
- Chilled 30 minutes. Cold cakes hold their shape in the oil.
- The remaining 2 eggs beaten in a shallow bowl.
- Oil to 175C.
- Each cake dipped in the egg and lowered STRAIGHT into the oil, four at a time. 3 minutes a side until deep gold.
- Drained on a rack and salted. Eaten hot, in bread with harissa, or alongside a tagine.
Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.
Filed under Morocco · All recipes