A Moroccan Cooking Class at La Maison Arabe, Marrakech, Morocco

An absolutely perfect way for me to end my hectic travels in the fabulous country of Morocco was by taking a cooking class in traditional Moroccan cuisine.

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La Maison Arabe was one of the cities most legendary restaurants, which later became one of the first Riads to open its doors to guests in Marrakech.

They now have a cooking school where visitors can participate in a hands-on session conducted by the Dada (a traditional Moroccan cook).

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The workshop is designed such that the participants learn to prepare an appetizer and a main dish and then dine alfresco on the meal prepared – paired with wonderful wines. 

Our session began with a brief introduction to the customs of traditional Moroccan cuisine and ingredients. Our hosts were the wonderful Wafa and our fabulous Dada, Fatima.

 

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We then participated in a tea ceremony where we were served delicious mint tea along with the traditional bread called such khübz.

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Our group chose to learn how to make Chicken Pastilla/ Bastilla which is which is basically a meat pie wrapped in a phyllo type dough called (werqa) and is filled with chicken, pigeon, seafood or vegetables. It is really delicious – the combination of savory, sweet, soft and crisp works beautifully.

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We also learned how to make my favorite of the Moroccan’s vast array of salads – the Zaalouk salad which is a tangy eggplant dip.

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Once the meal was completed we settled in to dine alfresco, under the beautiful trees and amidst the fresh herb gardens of La Maison Arabe’s cooking school.

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The day ended with each of us receiving our very own miniature tagine dish and an unforgettable experience that was filled with warmth and delicious food.

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