Edible Lit: Maraq (from Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour)
BLACK BUCK follows the journey of Darren from unmotivated midtown Starbucks manager to tech startup all-star. There's plenty of consumption in the book, much of it problematic, but only a few moments where food appears in a truly fortifying, caring way. Darren's Ma's burgers, which she cooks deeply charred but serves with love, are one instance. Another is at the home of Mr. Aziz's — the father of Darren's girlfriend Soraya — where he prepares an intimate meal of Yemeni dishes, and tries to share some wisdom and steer Darren back on course.
He laughed. "Well, I wasn't sure what you'd like, but Soraya said you eat everything, so there's maraq, which is a delicious soup made from goat meat broth; mandi, which is spiced rice and slow-cooked lamb made in a traditional tandoor; shafoot, which is a spiced yogurt; and, of course, salad and different types of pita. Please, dig in. I hope you like it."
One of the dishes mentioned here - maraq - is a Yemeni soup that happens to be one of my favorite dishes at one of my favorite restaurants, Yemen Cafe. Yemen Cafe has been in operation on Atlantic Avenue since 1986, and is the first place I recommend to friends who come to the neighborhood. I stopped by the other night to pick up takeout (order directly from the restaurant and tip well, people!) and asked for advice on recreating their maraq at home. My guy Mahmoud took me to the spice shop next door to the restaurant to get me provisioned, and shared their process for maraq both the easy way and the "hard" way (reader: it is not that hard!) I swung by the butcher to pick up some goat shank and let this simmer away for hours on Saturday, filling my apartment with its aroma and warmth. I won't say it's as good as the version at Yemen Cafe (let's be honest, it never could be) but I was surprised how close it ended up — Mahmoud clearly guided me well.
Maraq Recipe
(serves 6-8)
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves of garlic finely minced
2 small or 1 large onion finely minced
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp + 1tsp hawaj (Yemeni curry powder)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
2 lbs lamb or goat meat *I like using bone-in shank or shoulder; you can also use just bones or even boneless stew meat)
4 quarts water
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (can use stems, too)
Lemon or lime slices on the side to serve with the soup
There are two ways to prepare this soup, according to Mahmoud, my guy at Yemen Cafe who took me to the spice shop next door to the restaurant to get provisions. He shared some guidelines for preparing their version of maraq both the easy way and the hard way (fret not: the hard way is not that hard).
The easy way is this: bring the water to a boil, add the lamb or goat and the spices, then simmer for 40-60 minutes until the meat is tender. Cover and let the soup sit for 30 minutes to an hour to allow everything to even out, then re-heat for 3-4 minutes and serve.
The “hard” way doesn’t require that much more, and it’s the way I made this soup, as I like having a chance to saute the onion, garlic, and spices to bring out the fullness of the spices’ flavor. It’s just important, Mahmoud says, to make sure you don’t burn the spices, so keep a close eye on the pot for this one.
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add your spices (reserving 1 tsp hawaj) and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add 4 quarts of water, a large pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
Add the meat and return to a boil, skimming the foam that collects on the surface. Turn down to a simmer, cover, and let simmer until the meat is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your pieces. I used bone-in shank, cut by my butcher into 2” thick pieces, and found that it took about 2 hours of simmering to get as tender as I wanted it.
If you want to add vegetables such as carrots, turnips, or greens, do so in the last 15 minutes of cooking and simmer until tender. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning (at this point I like adding the extra 1 tsp hawaj to amplify and brighten the flavor of those spices...you can “bloom” the spice by heating in a small bit of oil before adding if desired). Turn the heat off and let the soup sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and the residual heat continue to soften the meat. Reheat over a medium flame for a couple minutes before serving. As with most broths and braises, the soup is going to be twice as good the next day.
If you want to just serve this as a pre-meal broth (as they do at Yemen Cafe), you can reserve the meat for another use. Cooling it overnight, then quickly roasting it in a hot oven the next day as its own meal with rice and hummus is a great idea.
And, if you want a thicker broth, you can make a simple flour paste to thicken the soup. In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup flour with 3 tbsp water until totally smooth, then whisk into the broth and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
Serve with Yemeni hot sauce and flatbread.
