Moroccan Cuisine with Khalid Kamal of Shokran
Hello everyone! This was my favorite episode of the season so far! The restaurants could not be more different. Each has something very unique to offer and they are located quite literally all over town. And as always, I had wonderful guests at the table to chat about them! This week we visited Shokran in Irving Park, Chef Shangri-La in North Riverside, and El Ideas in University Village.
I spoke with Khalid Kamal, the incredibly knowledgeable and affable owner of Shokran, about Moroccan cuisine and how to get the most authentic experience when visiting Shokran. Here’s what he had to say:
Q: Moroccan cuisine is a blend of so many different cultures – Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. Can you talk about some of the main influences diners will see in Moroccan cuisine?
Khalid Kamal: Because if its location at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, Morocco’s unique identity has been influenced by the many cultures and civilizations that have flourished around the Mediterranean Sea. As such, Moroccan cuisine is a great indicator of the diversity of the many components of Moroccan culture. It makes for a diverse palette of flavors – blending oriental spices brought by Arabic caravans; local produce such as mint, citrus, and olive oil; and the delicate and elaborate flavor combinations from the cosmopolitan and refined Andalusia. The natives of Morocco (Berbers) created the tagine and couscous dishes. The Arabs from the Middle East brought the dry fruit that got incorporated in Moroccan cuisine; the Jewish people brought the pickling methods to Moroccan cooking; and the Moroccans, who lived in Spain for eight centuries, introduced the sweet and savory dishes.
Meatballs Appetizer, Shokran
Q: Shokran is BYOB. What do you recommend diners bring to pair with their dinner?
Khalid Kamal: For the lamb dishes, I’d recommend a Cabernet, Syrah, or Bordeaux. For chicken or fish dishes, choose Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
Q: The Bastila is a can't-miss dish at Shokran. What are the origins of this dish, and how you serve it a Shokran?
Khalid Kamal: The Bastila, from the Spanish word for cake or pastry, was developed in the courts of the Muslim kings of Spain. After the Reconquista, the reconquering of Spain by Christian forces, most Muslims and Jews, under threat from the Spanish inquisition, left for Morocco. The influx of the Andalusians enriched Moroccan culture tremendously on every level. The Bastila remains a reminder of that seminal event that influenced much of what took place in the western Mediterranean and beyond for the next centuries.
The Bastila is a dish that is served in Morocco on special occasions. The complexity of it makes it a hard dish to cook at home on a daily basis.
Here’s how we serve it as Shokran. First, we make the phyllo dough from scratch. Second, we cook a whole chicken with olive oil, diced onions, ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. When the chicken is cooked, it should be taken out and then we pull the meat. Then, cook scrambled eggs in the sauce and strain. Then make an almond paste by roasting fresh almonds in the oven; and ground them with sugar, cinnamon, and orange blossom water.
Finally, put the mixture of the chicken, scrambled eggs, and almond paste in the phyllo. Bake it and drizzle powder sugar and cinnamon on top before serving.
Chicken Bastila, Shokran
Q: So many people go to Moroccan restaurants and order kebab. What do you suggest newbie Moroccan diners try at Shokran to give them an authentic Moroccan dining experience?
Khalid Kamal: While kebabs are a familiar item to most people, and as such might be a go-to item for first time diners at Shokran, to have a true taste of Moroccan cuisine, the tagines and couscous are the way to go. They are the main staples of the Moroccan diet. At Shokran, we have a wide variety of both, aiming at reflecting the many flavors of Morocco, from sweet and savory combinations of meats fruits and nuts, to the spicy and fragrant fish in charmoula and the classic 7 vegetable Couscous.
I’ll see you tonight and stay tuned next week for three more great restaurants and some more inside dish right here!
Cheers,
Catherine
