Msemen: Flaky Moroccan Flatbreads
Making msemen requires a bit of practice but the results, served warm with honey, are well worth it.
Moroccan tea, explains Myriem Nachaiti, requires just a few ingredients brewed in a delightful choreography.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 3-cup teapot, serves 6-8
- 2½ cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoons loose gunpowder tea leaves (TIP: you’ll find the tea in Asian grocery stores or online)
- ½ cup of packed spearmint tea leaves
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preparation
In a kettle, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Place the loose tea in the teapot and pour just enough boiling water to cover the leaves. Gently shake the teapot for 10 seconds, pour the liquid in a cup, and set aside.
Cover the tea with more boiling water and let it steep for another 10 seconds. Discard the water, as it is meant to clean the leaves of any trapped dirt. Add the remaining boiling water, mint, and sugar into the teapot and bring to a boil, uncovered, on the stovetop. Remove from heat.
Do not stir the pot with a spoon to dissolve the sugar. Instead, pour enough brewed tea into a cup and put it right back into the pot. Repeat the step 5-7 times or until most sugar is dissolved. Cover the pot with a dish cloth and let the tea steep for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the reserved tea back into the teapot before serving.
Lift the teapot higher as you pour the tea: the higher the tea is poured from, the foamier the cup. Serve immediately.
A Moroccan tea pot and cups are essential to preparing and serving Moroccan mint tea. You can find them at World Market stores and online at casablancamarket.com.
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