Shared by Amy Dell
Shared by Amy Dell
Matbucha
Yield: 15 servingsTime: 1½ hours
Matbucha
Yield: 15 servingsTime: 1½ hoursFamily Journey
Morocco and TunisiaBe’er Sheva, IsraelQueens
Omer, IsraelLong IslandManhattan
Amy Dell’s father, Haim, is a master of matbucha, a Moroccan dip he makes using his homemade harissa. He prepares it by the quart. It’s often eaten alongside schnitzel or sometimes tucked with the cutlets, pickles, and baba ganoush into a “Shabbat sandwich.” Haim also uses it as the base of his Moroccan fish and shakshuka, but it also works as a sauce for meatballs.
It inspired Amy’s Saturday Sauce, a jarred product she says is a Jewish take on Sunday sauce.
At the iconic Katz’s Deli, which is owned by her husband Jake Dell, the team uses Saturday Sauce in their chili, blending traditions from both sides of the marriage. When Amy went to pick up her son at school recently, the kids had written down their favorite foods. His, was fittingly, the chili.
Cooking note: You can make your own harissa or use a store-bought one. The recipe makes a large quantity of matbucha. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Read more of Amy’s story in “There’s Always a Mountain of Schnitzel in Amy Dell’s Family”
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 1 cup neutral oil
- 5-7 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 2 green bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- ½-1 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons chicken consomme powder, optional
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and rough chopped
- 4-5 tablespoons harissa
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Preparation
Step 1
Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and onions and sauté until translucent and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.
Step 2
Add the tomato paste, salt, cumin, paprika, chicken consommé powder, and bay leaves, and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in the tomatoes and harissa and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and the sauce has reduced significantly. Taste and add more harissa and salt if needed.
Step 4
Let cool and serve at room temperature.
