Chef Nargisse Benkabbou has released her second cookbook, Madaq (Appetite by Random House, 2026), which means “flavour” in Moroccan Arabic. The book features accessible, everyday Moroccan recipes including honey-buttered pancakes with orange blossom and blueberry sauce, peach and tomato salad with orange blossom and honey dressing, and sheet-pan chicken with spiced grapes, chickpeas and thyme.
Flavour as the Core of Moroccan Cooking
Benkabbou, a London-based chef born in Brussels to Moroccan parents, describes herself as a “flavour chaser.” “It’s very cheesy,” she says, “but I think flavour is important. It’s the core of my work.” She emphasizes that in Moroccan culture, even simple dishes like tomato salad or roasted eggplant should evoke a strong sensory response. “When I serve something in a restaurant, or when I cook food at home, I want to make sure that things are going on in people’s taste buds.”
From Public Policy to Moroccan Cuisine
Benkabbou moved to the U.K. over 15 years ago to study public policy, but was inspired by London’s diverse food scene. “I was really impressed and very much inspired by how organic and natural it was to have Brazilian food and Korean food. It wasn’t something that I was used to.” She eventually attended cooking school, where she found her true calling. “That’s when I really felt that this is what I want to do. I want to be around food. I want to play with food. I want to serve food to people.”
The Story Behind Madaq
Madaq began as a “small seed” in 2019, a year after her first book, Casablanca (Mitchell Beazley). “It’s my ongoing desire to talk about my country and the food of my country,” Benkabbou explains. She wanted to focus on flavour and accessibility, believing it would resonate widely. The book also showcases the diversity of Moroccan cuisine beyond tagines and couscous. “We have carrot tagine, or cardoon tagine, artichoke, broad bean tagines. We have a tagine for every single vegetable because we eat the seasons, and it’s something that I tried to show in the book.”
Recipes to Try
The three featured recipes highlight the book’s approach: honey-buttered pancakes with orange blossom and blueberry sauce for a sweet start; peach and tomato salad with orange blossom and honey dressing for a fresh, seasonal side; and sheet-pan chicken with spiced grapes, chickpeas and thyme for an easy main dish. Each recipe emphasizes bright, accessible flavours that reflect Moroccan culinary traditions.
