AI-generated image
Boulfaf
Grilled lamb liver skewers
Boulfaf: first-day-of-Eid lamb's liver skewers wrapped in caul fat and grilled over coals
On the first day of Eid al-Adha, while the rest of the sheep hangs to rest, Moroccan families light the brazier on the roof or in the courtyard and make boulfaf from the fresh liver. The liver is seared whole, cut into cubes, rolled in cumin, paprika and salt, wrapped in lacy caul fat and grilled until the fat crisps and melts into it. Each bite is rich, smoky and soft, and the skewers go round with mint tea. Liver from your butcher works just as well on any day, and caul fat can be ordered. Chef's tip: wrap each cube snugly, not in a loose sheet; tight wrapping melts into a thin crisp shell instead of flaring up.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb lamb's liverin one or two large pieces, membrane removed
- 9 oz lamb caul fatsoaked in warm salted water for 10 minutes
- 2 tsp ground cuminplus extra to serve
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp hot paprika (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Light a charcoal grill and wait until the coals are glowing and covered in white ash, or heat a griddle pan over a high heat.
15 minStep 2: Grill 1 ⅓ lb lamb's liver whole for 2 minutes a side, until firm outside; this firms it so it cuts neatly into cubes.
4 minStep 3: Cut the liver into 2.5 cm cubes. Toss with 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ¼ tsp hot paprika and 1 tsp salt.
Step 4: Drain 9 oz lamb caul fat, spread it on a board and cut into 10 cm squares. Wrap each cube in a square of fat and thread 5 or 6 onto each skewer.
Step 5: Grill for 8–10 minutes, turning often, until the fat has melted to a crisp brown lace and the liver is cooked through with no pink in the centre (160°F). The common mistake is serving liver underdone: cut one open to check.
10 minStep 6: Serve hot with extra cumin and salt to dip.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boulfaf take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
BabboucheSpiced snail broth
After dark in Marrakech's great square, the babbouche stalls are recognisable by their steaming cauldrons and the toothpicks laid out by every bowl. Small land snails simmer in a dark broth of liquorice root, aniseed, thyme, caraway, bitter orange peel, chilli and a bundle of herbs that sellers say has fifteen ingredients, believed to soothe the stomach and warm you on a cold night. You pick the snails out with a toothpick, then drink the peppery, herbal, faintly sweet broth. At home, buy live snails sold for cooking, already purged by a reputable seller, discard any with broken shells or that do not move or retract when touched, and cook them through for at least 45 minutes. Chef's tip: keep the spices in a muslin bag; the broth stays clear and you avoid crunching on seeds.
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek