Rfissa with Fenugreek

Name: Rfissa with Fenugreek
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 2 tbsp fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight and drained; 1 cup/200 g brown lentils; 1 whole chicken, 3 1/2-4 lb/1.6-1.8 kg, cut up; 3 onions, thinly sliced; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp smen or butter; 2 tsp ginger; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp ras el hanout or m’sakhen blend; Pinch saffron; 2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup chopped parsley and cilantro; 7 cups/1.65 L water; 10-12 plain msemen or trid sheets, cooked and torn into strips

Morocco; postpartum and celebratory dish of chicken, lentils, fenugreek, and fragrant broth served over shredded trid or msemen.

3 hours, plus soakingYield · 8 servingsRegion · Rabat

Ingredients

What you’ll need

2 tbsp fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup/200 g brown lentils
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2-4 lb/1.6-1.8 kg, cut up
3 onions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp smen or butter
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ras el hanout or m’sakhen blend
Pinch saffron
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped parsley and cilantro
7 cups/1.65 L water
10-12 plain msemen or trid sheets, cooked and torn into strips

Method

How it comes together

1
Put chicken, onions, oil, smen, spices, salt, herbs, and water in a large pot. Simmer covered 30 minutes.
2
Add lentils and drained fenugreek. Continue gently until chicken is cooked and legumes are tender, 35-50 minutes. Remove chicken and reduce broth slightly; it should remain plentiful.
3
Steam torn msemen or trid briefly over the broth, or warm in a covered pan with a few spoonfuls of broth.
4
Mound bread strips on a platter, moisten thoroughly with broth, and top with lentils, onions, fenugreek, and chicken. Serve extra broth alongside.

Accuracy note

Fenugreek should perfume rather than dominate. Soaking reduces bitterness, and trid is the canonical base; torn msemen is a common practical substitute.