This is the traditional bread of every home in Algeria, hence it’s name which transaltes into English as ‘Bread of the House’. Every home has a different version & this particular recipe is from my lovely sister in law ‘Um Youcef’ 😉 Just a word of warning, if you have never made this kind of bread before, you will be shocked at how sticky & hard to work with the dough is. Unlike a regular bread, when your dough is too sticky you may add more flour – here adding more flour or semolina will make things worse…instead add a little water & knead gently with your fingertips . Water will always make the dough come together & away from your hands & the mixing bowl. You can also knead the dough in a KA or similar mixer with a sturdy dough hook.
This recipe comes from Farid Zari, who adapted his traditional way of spit roasting chicken to roasting it in his Los Angeles oven. He advises that the spices are a matter of personal taste–use what you like. He says the method does approximate the really crispy skin that he remembers from Algeria, but stresses that the quality of the chicken makes a huge difference, saying that at home in Algeria all the chickens were organic, free range and very fresh, and suggests that a soak in a salt water bath overnight would improve a run-of-the-mill supermarket chicken. Interestingly this cooking method follows the basic French method for roasting a bird — and, after all, there is some cross-cultural history there.
Borek is usually served in Algeria along side a soup (Chorba) during Ramadan. Borek has a crisp pastry on the outside and is oozing with cheese and meat inside, absolutely delicious.
This recipe is from “Extending the Table” and is meant to be eaten with couscous. If you prefer, substitute goat or lamb for the chicken.
I learned how to make this in France from some Algerian friends. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
