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Charmoula sfaxienne
Sweet-sour onion and raisin sauce
Charmoula: Sfax's dark sweet-sour onion and raisin sauce made for the morning of Eid al-Fitr
The first meal after Ramadan in Sfax is unlike anywhere else: on the morning of Eid al-Fitr, families eat salted dried fish with charmoula, a thick, almost black sauce of onions and raisins cooked for hours in olive oil with black pepper, cinnamon and cloves. It is sweet, sour and spicy at once, glossy like a chutney, and its strong flavour is meant to wake up a stomach that has fasted for a month. Fish lovers serve it with salted fish; this vegetarian version is lovely with roast vegetables, hard-boiled eggs or simply bread. It keeps for weeks. Chef's tip: cook the onions down slowly until they collapse and caramelise before adding the raisins; hurrying gives a sharp, raw-tasting sauce.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb dark raisins
- 2 cups hot waterfor soaking
- 2 ¼ lb onionsfinely chopped
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp dried rosebuds (optional)ground
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups wateras needed
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅛ lb dark raisins in 2 cups hot water for 1 hour, then blend them with their soaking water into a smooth, thick purée.
60 minStep 3: Add the raisin purée, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp dried rosebuds and 1 tsp salt and stir well.
Step 4: Simmer uncovered over a very low heat for 1½–2 hours, stirring often and adding splashes of 1 ¼ cups water if it catches, until the sauce is very thick, glossy and nearly black, and the oil rises to the top. A common mistake is turning the heat up to finish faster: the sugars burn on the base and the sauce tastes bitter.
110 minStep 5: Taste for salt and pepper; it should be strongly peppery. Cool and store in clean jars in the fridge, covered with a film of its oil, for up to 3 weeks. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does charmoula sfaxienne take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 160 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red wine vinegar?
- Sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar, same amount.
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