Moroccan cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Msemen bel Khlii wa Bayd

Paper-thin stretched butter flatbreads filled with khlii and egg, folded into a square and fried until crisp.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g flour
• 100 g fine semolina
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 220 ml lukewarm water
• 200 g khlii (preserved beef, or substitute cooked braised beef)
• 4 eggs
• 1 onion
• 80 g soft butter
• 80 ml olive oil
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, 50 g semolina, salt and sugar, gradually work in the water, and knead the dough vigorously for 10 min. until smooth, soft and elastic; let rest covered for 30 min.
2. Pull the khlii into small shreds, finely dice the onion, and fry both in a pan with no added fat for 5 min. until the onion is soft; chop in the parsley.
3. Divide the dough into eight balls with oiled hands and stretch each one paper-thin into a sheet about 40 cm across on a generously oiled work surface.
4. Brush each sheet thinly with soft butter, dust with the remaining semolina, spread a little of the khlii mixture in the center and top with a beaten egg; then fold in all four sides into a square.
5. Fry the parcels in a heavy pan with a little olive oil over medium heat for 3–4 min. per side, turning once, until golden and crisp and the egg has set inside.
6. Halve immediately and serve hot so the layers stay crisp.