Celebrated for bringing a modern, personal touch to the cuisine of her Moroccan heritage, Nargisse Benkabbou reinvents bakoula, a fragrant cooked salad. Here she encloses cooked greens in a flaky, free-form galette and tops it with creamy burrata for an unusual take on a traditional dish.
Often served as part of kemia, a selection of small dishes served at the beginning of a meal, bakoula is a warm or room temperature cooked salad of greens, spices and lemon. It has a distinctive earthy, fragrant and tangy taste thanks to the preserved lemon. Bakoula is traditionally made with mallow, a prolific leafy green found throughout Morocco. Because it’s difficult to find elsewhere, you can substitute other hearty greens such as, Swiss chard, collard greens, kale or even spinach. Enjoy this superfood salad as a stand alone dish without the pastry and burrata. Serve warm or at room temperate with bread, as a sandwich filling or alongside cooked meats and other vegetables.
Common in Moroccan cuisine, this radish salad is the perfect complement to the richness of this tart.
Bakoula Greens Galette With Burrata
Ingredients
Crust
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 to 6 tbsp ice water
Bakoula Greens
- ¼ cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 900 g Swiss chard or collard greens thick stalks removed and leaves cut crosswise into strips 3-inches (7½ cm) wide
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems chopped
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1¼ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp fine sea salt or more to taste
- 1 to 2 tbsp seeded and finely chopped preserved lemons
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice or more to taste
Galette
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 ball burrata (113 g to 170 g), drained, at room temperature
- salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
Instructions
Crust
- Mix together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Using large-holed side of box grater, grate cold butter into bowl. (If you don't have a box grater, cut butter in ½-inch (1¼ cm) pieces and add to bowl.) Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add lemon juice and ¼ cup ice water and use your hands to bring the dough together. If dough is too dry, add up to 2 tbsp more ice water, ½ tbsp at a time. Transfer dough to piece of parchment paper large enough to line baking sheet, wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours or for up to 3 days. If you're in a hurry, chill the dough in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bakoula Greens
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or another large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add Swiss chard or collard greens and toss to coat with olive oil, then cover pot and cook until the greens are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Uncover pot and stir in parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp of the preserved lemon and lemon juice, then taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and/or preserved lemon if desired. Remove pot from heat, transfer greens to bowl. and let cool. You can make the bakoula ahead and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Galette
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Unwrap dough and line baking sheet with the parchment paper. On floured surface, using floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 14- to 15-inch (35 to 38 cm) round, starting from the centre and rolling outward and rotating dough frequently. If necessary, trim edges to even them. Lightly flour dough, roll it up around the rolling pin and carefully transfer to lined baking sheet.
- Spread greens evenly over dough, leaving 2-inch (5 cm) border all around; reserve any juices left in bowl. Fold edges of dough over greens, pleating dough as necessary, the press pleasts together to seal. Pour any reserved juices over centre of greens, making sure to avoid dough border.
- Brush pastry with beaten egg. Bake galette until edges are golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Remove galette from oven. Place burrata on top, cut it open, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.
Tip from the ELLE Gourmet Editors
All about burrata
Burrata is a fresh Italian cow’s milk cheese with an smooth, white exterior resembling a ball of fresh mozzarella. The joy of burrata lies in the contrast between the tender, curd-like exterior and the smooth, buttery centre. Buratta is often the star of dish, allowing diners to appreciate the drama of cutting and revealing the creamy centre. Serve alongside bright and acidic flavours to let the decadent richness shine. Think olive oil, sea salt, ripe tomatoes, lemon and arugula.
Here for the preserved lemons
Preserved lemons are a Moroccan condiment. Historically used to preserve fresh lemons long after the growing season, now beloved for their umami-bomb flavour. Preserved lemons are pickled lemons, made in a salt and lemon juice brine. You can make your own or find them in specialty grocery stores. When using preserved lemons in a recipe, be sure to rinse the pieces well to remove some of the saltiness.
