A Sweet Ending For the Fast

Laila Benkirane knows Moroccan food tradition well. Four years ago, this delicate, scholarly woman and her husband, professor Mohamed Mezzine, translated a 13th century Moroccan cookbook into French for the first Festival of Fez for Culinary Arts.

Last month Mezzine directed a second Festival of Fez. In between festival activities, Benkirane sat in a shady alcove of the Dar al-Batha Museum and discussed how the people of Fez break the daytime fast of Ramadan and celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of the fasting month. (According to Muslim law, Eid al-Fitr’s exact date depends on when the new moon is visible; this year it is expected to fall on Sunday.)

During Ramadan, the orthodox way to break the fast is with dates, a tradition set by the prophet Muhammad. Dates, honey and dairy foods figure in many of the dishes to follow, but the most famous Moroccan fast-breaking dish is harira, a spicy soup which has as many versions as cooks.

Vegetables play only a small part, said Benkirane, and certain foods are avoided. One is garlic. Another, surprisingly, is fish. Moroccans believe fish makes you thirsty--something you want to avoid when you won’t be able to drink a drop of water between sunup and sundown the next day.

For Eid al-Fitr, when people can eat during the daylight hours again, a few specific dishes are traditional. One is smid bel-asal, a wheat porridge with honey.

Like everyone else in Fez, Benkirane takes pride in the ancient city’s subtle and sophisticated cuisine, which includes special Eid al-Fitr dishes. One, she said, is Djaj bel-Qera Mderbela, chicken with candied pumpkin. Its Arabic name literally means “chicken with raggedy pumpkin,” because the pumpkin has been cooked down to a delicious but untidy-looking mush.

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Chicken With Candied Pumpkin

(Djaj bel-Qera Mderbela)

Active Work Time: 35 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours

The bird is a chicken, cooked as a Moroccan stew (tajine) instead of being roasted, but this dish has a curious similarity to the Thanksgiving combination of turkey and candied yams.

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground saffron

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 cup olive oil

2 1/2 cups water, divided

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken

1 (1 those-pound) pumpkin or butternut squash

5 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the onion, ginger, saffron, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the oil and 2 cups of water in a food processor and process to a smooth liquid.

Place the liquid in a saucepan just large enough to hold the chicken, lay the chicken in it, cover and cook over medium heat until very tender and the meat is falling off the bone, 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes. From time to time, remove the lid and baste the chicken with the sauce. Add more water if the sauce is in danger of drying up.

Meanwhile, peel and seed the pumpkin or squash and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Place the pieces in a large skillet with 1/2 cup of water and the butter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Simmer over low heat until very tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the squash from the skillet, place it in the food processor with the honey and cinnamon and process to a puree.

Serve the chicken in the sauce or with it on the side. Serve the pumpkin puree on the side or mix it into the sauce.

4 servings. Each serving: 652 calories; 1,181 mg sodium; 206 mg cholesterol; 37 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 61 grams protein; 2.23 grams fiber.