mechoui

mechoui is a whole sheep cooked in a spit over a charcoal fire. Entirely spread with butter, it should cook very slowly and be hasted all over from time to time wi:h a mixture of salt water and butter. It takes 2 112 to 3 1/2 hours to cook the sheep, depending on how tender it is. When cooked the meat Should

break easily in the fingers. The charcoal embers are placed under and all around the sheep which is fixed to the spit and held fast at each end by sticks, or big stones, about 50 cm (20’) from the ground. This is to prevent the sheep becoming burnt on the outside before it is cooked right through.
This a a highly esteemed national dish which is generally prepared by a “chouaye, a professional cook, who delivers it piping hot in time for the meal. One then only has to season the pieces chosen with a little cumin and salt and enjoy the result.