Seffa Medfouna Recipe (Vermicelli With Saffron Chicken)
Seffa Medfouna is a Moroccan dish featuring savory saffron chicken, lamb, or beef hidden beneath a dome of steamed couscous or broken vermicelli.
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Instructions
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Start boiling salted water in a couscoussier, then steam the couscous three times (adding raisins during the final steaming) or the broken vermicelli four to five times (adding raisins during the fourth steaming).
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In a Dutch oven, brown the chicken, lamb, or beef with onions, spices, butter, oil, and cilantro over medium heat for 10 minutes.
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For chicken, do not add water; for lamb or beef, add water to just cover the meat.
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Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender (about 1 hour for chicken, longer for lamb/beef), adding small amounts of water for lamb/beef if needed.
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Once cooked, reduce the liquids to form a thick sauce. Discard the cinnamon stick, adjust seasoning, and debone chicken if desired.
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Toss the steamed vermicelli or couscous with butter and powdered sugar, then spread one-third onto a large serving dish.
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Arrange the meat in the center, cover with sauce, and then pile the remaining couscous or vermicelli over it to form a dome.
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Decorate the dome with a vertical pattern of cinnamon, ground almonds, and powdered sugar. Serve immediately with extra powdered sugar, ground almonds, and cinnamon on the side.