Shaariya Medfouna

Or 'Buried in Vermicelli'!

This is from a cookbook by the fabulous Claudia Roden called Arabesque. She really is one of the best English speaking authorities on Middle Eastern Food.

This dish is a speciality of Fez, and it is so yummy. It is a good dish for people who aren't accustomed to much i the way of herbs or spices. It is wonderfully flavoursome, but not overpowering.

In Morocco they also cook pigeons & lamb in a similar way. This isn't the full recipe (which calls for 2 whole chickens). This is the version I made for lunch w/ my gorgeous friend Mikarla.

2 large chicken breasts
4-5 chicken thighs
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp saffron threads
60g butter
2 tsp clear honey
1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
handful chopped parsley
handful chopped coriander
100g blanched almonds
500g vermicelli nests

Put the chicken into a pan & pour in 500ml of water & bring to a boil. Skim the scum from the surface. Add the onions, half of each of the cinnamon, ginger, and saffron. Add salt & pepper & simmer, covered. Turn the chicken occasionally so they are well cooked all over.

Lift the chicken out of the pan (keep warm somewhere), and turn the heat up on the liquid mix and reduce it slightly. Add the butter, honey & orange blossom water & cook for a few minutes. Taste & season w/ S&P. Add the chopped herbs, the rest of the spices & return the chicken bits to the pan.

Dry roast some flaked almonds in a frying pan until nicely toasted - be careful, they can burn very easily.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, and cook the vermicelli until al dente.

Put the noodles on top of the chicken, scatter the almonds over the top & serve.

Wine Match
I served this with a lovely bottle of lightly oaked Chardonnay from the Bloodwood vineyard. I think the mellower flavours of a Chardonnay work better than the crispness of a Sauv Blanc or Pinot Grigio.  A semillion might also work.