Shared by The Fedida Family
Shared by The Fedida Family
Moroccan Dafina (Overnight Stew)
Yield: 6–8 servingsTime: 18-24 hours
Moroccan Dafina (Overnight Stew)
Yield: 6–8 servingsTime: 18-24 hoursFamily Journey
Spain or PortugalMeknes and Casablanca, MoroccoCasablanca, Morocco
New York City
For the Fedida family, dafina isn’t reserved only for Shabbat — it’s also what they eat after the Yom Kippur break fast, a recipe that began in Morocco with their grandmother Renee and is lovingly continued by her daughter Barbara Fedida Brill. After a long day without food, the aroma of meat, potatoes, and marrow bones that have been simmering overnight fills her home with comfort and anticipation. At their break fast table, each component of the stew is set out in its own bowl — the beef, Cornish hen, potatoes, eggs, and onions — so everyone can build a plate to their taste.
Cooking note: Using oven bags for the ground beef and Cornish game hen helps keep each element intact and prevents them from falling apart during the long cooking time.
Read more about Barbara’s family in ”A Sweet Coffee from a Moroccan Family to Break the Yom Kippur Fast” and get the recipe for Coffee with Sweet Egg Yolk Foam.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon za’atar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 Cornish game hen
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2–3 beef marrow bones
- 8 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 pinch saffron
- 4–5 cups water
- 8 large eggs, in their shells
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200F.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef with 1½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, za’atar, paprika, and chopped parsley until well combined. Shape the mixture into a log about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide, similar to a small meatloaf.
Step 3
Season the Cornish game hen with 1 teaspoon salt, place it in a second oven bag, and set aside.
Step 4
In a 6-quart slow cooker, heavy-bottomed pot, or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, layer the sliced onions on the bottom.
Step 5
Add the marrow bones, then carefully place the two oven bags into the pot — first the beef log, then the game hen. Nestle the potatoes around them.
Step 6
Add the bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and saffron. Pour in just enough water to cover the contents, about 4–5 cups.
Step 7
If using a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 18-24 hours. If using a Dutch oven, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 18-24 hours. Check once halfway through cooking to make sure it hasn’t dried out — add more water if needed to keep everything just covered.
Step 8
About 20 minutes before serving, carefully add the eggs in their shells to the pot. Cook for 20 minutes, remove, and peel once hard-boiled.
Step 9
To serve, create a build-your-own dafina bar: Slice the beef log into 1-inch pieces and cut the Cornish game hen into 8 pieces. Then arrange the beef, hen, peeled eggs, potatoes, marrow bones, and stewed onions in separate bowls.
Leftover dafina can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
