Sellou is a unique Moroccan sweet made from sesames, fried almonds and flour that has been browned in the oven. Packed with calories and nutrients, it's traditionally served during Ramadan and after childbirth, when there's greater need to restore energy and maintain good health. It might also be served at Eid, weddings and other special occasions.
Recipes for sellou vary from family to family and by region. The recipe below is Fez style, and was taught to me by my mother-in-law. Reduce the measures by half if you don't want a traditionally large batch.
Prep Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 1 kg (1 lb. 3 oz.) unhulled golden sesame seeds
- 1 kg (1 lb. 3 oz.) almonds
- 1 kg (1lb. 3 oz.) flour
- 1/4 kg (about 2 1/4 cups) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground anise
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon gum acacia (Arabic gum or mastic), crushed to a powder
- 1 kg (1 lb. 3 oz.) butter
- vegetable oil (for frying the almonds)
Preparation:
Clean and toast the sesame. Several days before you plan to make the sellou, wash the sesame seeds to remove dirt. Drain the sesame, spread them out on a large baking pan, and leave to dry for a day or two. When dry, pick through the sesames to remove any sticks, stones or other debris that didn't wash away. In batches, spread the sesame in a single layer on a large baking sheet, and toast the sesame in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crunchy and nutty in flavor.
Brown the flour. The flour needs to be cooked before it can be used in the recipe. Place the flour in a large baking pan and put it in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until light-to-medium golden brown. Stir every five minutes to prevent burning and to help the flour color evenly.
Skin and fry the almonds. Drop the almonds in boiling water and blanch for a minute or two. Drain the water, and skin the almonds while still warm. (Pinching the almonds between your thumb and forefinger will help pop the almonds out of their skins.) Spread the almonds in a single layer on a towel, and leave them to dry thoroughly.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, and fry the almonds in batches, stirring constantly, until golden brown. (Be careful not to let the oil get so hot that the almonds brown too quickly; they should take about five minutes to color properly so that they are cooked inside as well as out.) Drain and cool the fried almonds.
Clarify the butter. The day before you plan to mix the sellou, clarify the butter. Melt the butter over low heat in a large pot until the milk solids separate to the bottom of the pot and a foam forms on top. Carefully skim off and discard all the foam. Place the pot in the refrigerator and leave overnight. In the morning, the butter will be hard and the milk solids can be poured off. Save the clarified butter in the fridge until ready to use.
Mix the sellou. Melt the clarified butter and set aside. In a very large mixing bowl, sift the browned flour, powdered sugar, spices and salt through a fine sieve. Discard any tiny balls of browned flour that remain in the sieve. Use your hands to toss and thoroughly blend the mixture.
Finely grind the toasted sesame seeds in a food processor and add them to the flour mixture. Finely grind the fried almonds and add them to the mixture as well. Next, use your hands to toss and thoroughly blend everything together. Gradually work in enough of the melted, clarified butter to form a glistening mixture that is moist enough to pack into a ball or mound. The sellou will dry a little bit as it is stored.
Store and serve. Sellou keeps well for two months or longer in an airtight plastic container; it can also be frozen for up to six months. To serve, shape a mound of sellou on a small plate. Decorate with sifted powdered sugar and/or fried almonds.
