History

Boulfaf is the Eid al-Adha specialty: the morning after the family sheep slaughter, the liver and lungs are skewered in caul fat and grilled over an outdoor brazier as the first meal of the holiday. Outside Eid, Jemaa el-Fna evening grills run boulfaf year-round. The dish is shared from a single platter; you tear bread, dip in cumin, lift a skewer.

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500 g lamb liver, cut into 3 cm cubes
  • 200 g lamb caul fat, soaked in salted water 30 minutes
  • 2 tsp ground cumin, plus extra for serving
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt, plus extra for serving
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 8 metal or soaked wooden skewers
  • Khobz bread, for serving

Method

  1. Pat liver dry. Toss with cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
  2. Drain caul fat; cut into 10 cm squares. Wrap each cube of liver in a square of caul fat, tucking the ends under.
  3. Thread 3 to 4 caul-wrapped pieces onto each skewer, packed tight.
  4. Grill over very hot coals (or under a hot broiler) 2 to 3 minutes per side. The caul fat will melt and crackle; the liver stays just-pink inside.
  5. Pile onto a platter. Serve with bowls of cumin and coarse salt for dipping, and torn khobz bread; eat with hands.

Tip from the editors. Don't overcook; lamb liver turns chalky past medium. The caul fat is what keeps it moist, so don't skip it (caul is sold at halal butchers).

Where to eat boulfaf

Boulfaf in Marrakech

Jemaa el-Fna Boulfaf Grills ★ 4.1

Street food$jemaa-el-fnaDaily 18:00-00:00Cash only

Marrakech's boulfaf grills at Jemaa el-Fna spear lamb liver in caul fat onto skewers, charred over coals; 30 to 50 DH for four sticks with cumin and bread.

Try: Boulfaf, grilled lamb liver wrapped in caul fat

Tip: Boulfaf is best within minutes of the grill; the caul fat melts and the liver dries if it sits.

Place Jemaa el-Fna, evening grill stalls, Marrakech 40000

Chez Lamine Hadj Mustapha ★ 4.7

Moroccan$jemaa-el-fnaDaily 11:00-23:00Cash only

Chez Lamine Hadj Mustapha at Marrakech's Mechoui Alley off Jemaa el-Fna has roasted 40 lambs daily in a pit oven since 1965; tangia is the other signature.

Try: Mechoui (slow-pit lamb) and tangia

Tip: Mechoui sold by weight; 500g feeds two with khobz. Arrive before 14:00 or the good cuts are gone. Cash only.

Derb Semmarine, off Place Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech 40000

Mechoui Alley ★ 4.5

Moroccan$jemaa-el-fnaDaily 11:00-15:00; closed eveningsCash only

Marrakech's Mechoui Alley off Sidi Bouchakour at Jemaa el-Fna stacks eight to nine lamb stalls; whole-lamb pit-roast served by weight, the city's classic.

Try: Slow-pit lamb (mechoui) by the kilo

Tip: Half-kilo at 120 to 150 DH feeds two; arrive between 11:00 and 14:00, or the good shops sell out. Shoulder cut is the pick.

Derb Semmarine, off Place Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech 40000

More cities are in research. Want boulfaf covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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