NARGISSE BENKABBOU’S MOROCCAN HARIRA

Nargisse Benkabbou would like to clarify something: ‘We do not have hummus in Morocco.’ Morocco is not known for its baba ganoush, either. Or any of the Levantine dishes which, when Nargisse first arrived in London to study, enthusiastic fans of ‘Moroccan food’ would tell her they loved. ‘In the UK, Moroccan is very mixed with Middle Eastern food. Beirut is a six-hour flight from Casablanca. We’re really far apart. We have some similarities, mostly in desserts, but I’m proud of my culture and, for me, it’s important to say, “Hey, Moroccan food is very different”.’

For the last eight years, after and her role as executive chef at L’Mida in Marrakech.