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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Chicken seffa medfouna

Chicken seffa medfouna is a Moroccan dish for 4 people, ready in 1h10, of medium difficulty, for €2.60 per serving. The chicken and its melted onion sauce hide under a dome of steamed vermicelli sweetened with cinnamon and almonds. Success depends on steaming the vermicelli in repeated rounds, fluffing it by hand each time, so it stays light instead of sticky.

Tonight I'm making you the hidden chicken, seffa medfouna, a treasure of melted onions buried under steamed vermicelli sweetened with cinnamon and almonds.

Chicken seffa medfouna
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.60
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Seffa medfouna plays on a contrast that always surprises at the table, sweet steamed vermicelli, scented with cinnamon and powdered sugar, piled in a dome over melted, saucy chicken. Under that golden mountain, the medfouna, the hidden treasure, waits to be uncovered spoon by spoon, mixing the savory chicken with the sweet, spiced vermicelli in every bite.

This is a dish for a Sunday, or any evening when you have a bit of time ahead, since the onions need a long simmer to melt down into a near compote. Kids usually love the sweet, cinnamon side of the vermicelli, and the toasted almonds add a little crunch that works for every age at the table.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 6

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 4

Pantry

  • Thin vermicellioften in the pantry 400 g
  • Blanched almonds 80 g
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Powdered sugaroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Ground gingeroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Raisins 50 g
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Butter 40 g

Allergens Gluten, Tree nuts, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken thighs in a pot with the oil, add the sliced onions, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper, barely cover with water and let simmer. 45 min

    The onions should almost melt into a compote, that's the heart of the sauce.

  2. Soak the vermicelli in a bit of salted water, then steam it in a colander set over simmering water. 15 min

    Rub it with a drizzle of oil before steaming so it doesn't stick.

  3. Put the vermicelli back in a dish, moisten it with a little of the chicken sauce and a knob of butter, and mix.

    Add the liquid gradually, it should stay light and fluffy, not pasty.

  4. Toast the almonds and warm the raisins in the cooking juices. 5 min

    Keep a few whole almonds aside for decoration.

  5. Pile the vermicelli in a dome over the chicken, and decorate with cinnamon, powdered sugar, almonds and raisins.

    Draw alternating stripes of cinnamon and sugar, that's the signature look of seffa.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick juicy onions and slice them thin, they need to cook down until they almost disappear into the sauce.
  • Salt the soaking water for the vermicelli lightly, it's often the only moment they pick up flavor before steaming.
  • Arrange the cinnamon and powdered sugar decoration just before serving, since the steam from the hot vermicelli will melt the stripes if you wait too long.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for shredded lamb for a more traditional version, letting it simmer a bit longer.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with root vegetables, carrots and parsnips, simmered in the same onion and spice sauce.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve the sweet vermicelli and the chicken separately, so they can build their own plate however they like.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of mint tea
  • A tomato and cucumber salad
  • A bowl of lben or buttermilk

Storage

Keep the chicken and the vermicelli separately, in sealed containers, for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. The chicken sauce freezes well for up to 2 months, but the vermicelli reheats best fresh, steamed again or microwaved with a little butter.

Questions about this dish

Can you make chicken seffa medfouna ahead of time?

You can cook the chicken and its sauce the day before, it only gets better. Steam the vermicelli just before serving so it stays light and fluffy.

What type of vermicelli should you use for seffa?

Thin wheat vermicelli, sold in packets at Middle Eastern grocers or international aisles. Avoid rice vermicelli, which has a different texture once steamed.

How do you keep the vermicelli from sticking together?

Rub the vermicelli with a little oil before each steaming round, then fluff the strands with your fingertips right after. Repeating this two or three times gives a much lighter texture than steaming just once.

Can you freeze chicken seffa medfouna?

The chicken and its onion sauce freeze well for up to 2 months. The vermicelli loses its lightness once frozen, so it's best prepared fresh right before serving.

How long does it take to make a chicken seffa medfouna?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a chicken seffa medfouna?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken seffa medfouna cost?

About €2.60 per serving, or €10.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, tree nuts, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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