A lot of Irish people travel to Morocco and delight in the souks, the hammams and, of course, the deliciously spicy cuisine. Yet we don't tend to try to recreate the dishes we have savoured there at home. Maybe it's because we think they'll be difficult. That needn't be the case. Start with the simple dishes below and you'll want to experiment further.

Morocco could be described as the doorway between Europe and Africa but unlike the herb-based cooking of Europe, Moroccan cuisine is characterised by spices. The scent of spices such as ground coriander, cumin and saffron combine with onion and mingle with the pungency of olive oil and the sweetness of roses and fruit to delight the senses.

BLACK OLIVE AND ORANGE SALAD

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This is a typical Moroccan salad in which the vibrant colours contrast delightfully, as do the flavours. The fresh-tasting, juicy oranges and savoury olives make a refreshing salad to go with many meals. Serves 2.

You will need:

3 oranges

About 75g (3oz) black olives, pitted

1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼-½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon paprika

Freshly ground black pepper and a little salt

Using a sharp knife, cut the peel from the orange, including the white pith, to reveal the juicy flesh of the orange.

Cut out the individual segments, leaving as much of the white membrane behind -- which is discarded -- as possible. Put the orange segments and the olives into a salad bowl with the chopped herbs. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice, adding the cumin, paprika, pepper and salt.

Pour the dressing over the oranges and olives and toss together. Leave to stand for a short while, for the flavours to mingle, and then serve.

SPICED COUSCOUS

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This dish is easy to prepare as couscous requires almost no cooking. It makes a tasty accompaniment to many dishes. Simply add the couscous to boiling stock in a saucepan, take off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to soak and swell for about 10 minutes. Serves 4.

You will need:

400ml (14fl oz) light chicken or vegetable stock. See note

¼-½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

250g (9oz) couscous

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

50g (2oz) raisins

110g (4oz) cherry tomatoes, chopped

1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Note:

Half the stock can be substituted with the same amount of fresh orange juice or a good-quality orange juice from a carton.

Put the stock and spices into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the couscous, then take off the heat and cover. After 10 minutes or so, fluff up with a fork, adding the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together, seasoning with a little salt and pepper if you are using it.

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE

The word tagine means stew. This name is also given to the earthenware dish with a distinct pointed cover in which this and many other Moroccan stews are traditionally cooked.

However, any casserole or heavy saucepan is suitable to use. Most recipes suggest shoulder of lamb as it has a particularly good flavour, though leg of lamb can also be used.

The lamb is cut up into lean, bite-sized chunks. For a special finish, don't forget to stir the toasted almonds and fresh mint through the tagine at the end of the cooking time. Serve with cooked basmati rice, couscous or mashed potato. Serves 5-6.

You will need:

800-900g (1¾ -2lbs) bite-sized chunks of lean lamb cut from the shoulder

For the dry marinade:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground paprika

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1-2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ pint vegetable stock

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1-2 thin strips of orange peel

50g (2oz) ready-to-eat apricot

50g (2oz) ready-to-eat prunes, stoneless

½ -1 teaspoon fresh red chilli, chopped

To serve:

75g (3oz) whole, blanched almonds

1-2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Cooked basmati rice, 50g/2oz per serving

Put the lamb pieces into a bowl. Add the ingredients of the dry marinade and mix well. Cover and leave for at least half an hour, but preferably longer, up to three hours. If keeping overnight, put the mixture in the fridge.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Lift out, then fry the marinated lamb in small lots until lightly browned.

When all the meat is browned, put it and the onion-and-garlic mixture back into the pan. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Transfer to a casserole dish and cover with a lid -- use a layer of baking parchment between lid and casserole to ensure a good fit.

Cook in the oven at 180°C 350°F, Gas 4 for one-and-a-half hours until the meat is tender. If necessary, reduce the heat.

Before serving, fry the almonds in a little olive oil until golden, then drain and stir into the delicious stew along with the fresh mint. Discard the bits of orange peel. This can be reheated.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

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Lamb is a very popular meat in Morocco and this recipe combines an American-style cut of lamb, ideal for summer cooking, with a Moroccan-style blend of spices. Butterflied means that the bone is cut out of the leg of lamb and it is laid out flat.

The meat is spread generously with the marinade mixture before cooking; the resulting flavour is delicious and easy to carve. The butcher will remove the bone for you, though it is not too difficult a task with a sharp knife.

Place the skin side of the butterflied lamb downwards on the roasting tin, with the flesh facing upwards. The surface of the flesh will be lumpy and uneven. If any of the lumps of meat seem larger than the rest, slit them with a knife. This ensures that the meat cooks evenly, and allows the flavour of the marinade to penetrate the meat.

This recipe will cook quite quickly, especially if you like to serve the meat a little rare. This joint could also be cooked on a barbecue.

I prefer to roast it in the oven first, then, if I am in the mood I will do the final browning on the barbecue. For older lamb, the cooking time will be longer. When buying meat on the bone, allow 225-350g (8-12oz per serving). Serves 6.

You will need:

1 leg of lamb, butterflied

For the marinade:

1-2 long, thin red chillis, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Zest of half a lemon, finely grated

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

If your roasting tin is not wide enough for the butterflied leg to lie flat, simply use a baking tin. Ideally, use a pestle and mortar to blend the marinade ingredients together. If you don't have a pestle and mortar, use a wooden spoon.

Spread evenly all over the surface of the meat. Cover the tin with foil and leave for at least an hour, or longer, for flavours to mingle.

To cook the meat, make sure it is at room temperature and not chilled from the fridge. You can roast at a high temperature, 210°C, 425°F, Gas 7, and allow about 15 minutes for every 450g (1lb) meat (off the bone), plus an extra 15 minutes of cooking at the end. Or, you can roast at a lower temperature, 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4, and allow about 25 minutes per lb, plus an extra 25 minutes at the end.

Remove the foil about half way through the cooking. If you want the lamb pink, check the meat when you think it is done by making a small cut in one of the thicker sections of the meat. Cook longer if you prefer it well done.

A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking meats!

- Brenda costigan