Moroccan herbed smen

Ingredients and directions :


Boil a small handful of salt and the oregano leaves in 1 quart of water. Strain into a shallow bowl; allow to cool. When the blackened "oregano water" has cooled to the point where it will no longer melt butter, add the butter, cut up into pieces, and knead until it has the consistency of mashed potatoes, pressing the mixture again and again against the bottom of the bowl so that every bit has been thoroughly washed. Drain the butter and then squeeze to extract excess water. Knead into a ball, place in a sterile, airtight glass container, and cover tightly. Keep the container in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for at least 30 days before using. Once it has been opened store in the refrigerator, where it will keep 1 to 2 months longer. The author also writes: "In Safi ( moroccan city ) I have tasted smen made by washing the butter with water containing cinnamon, ground coriander seeds, and other pickling spices. Of course in the bled, or countryside, one finds some extremely potent smens. Some Berbers cook it, salt it, and bury it in the ground in earthen jugs for a year, after which it comes up tasting something like Gorgonzola cheese. The rich people of Fez (the Fassis) are the keepers of legendary quantities of smen, stored away for years in secret caches in the cellars of their magnificent homes, and brought out on rare occasions in all its pungent, dark-brown glory to be sniffed by honored guests." From "Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco" by Paula Wolfert
bon appetit

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