Ingredients
Paste
- 300 gwhole blanched almonds
- 180 mlculinary argan oil
- 120 grunny honey, mild
- ¼ tspsalt
Directions
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, shaking often, until they are golden throughout and smell strongly nutty. Cut one open to check the centre has coloured, not just the skin.
- Cool them completely. Grinding warm nuts makes a loose oily paste that separates later.
- Grind the almonds alone, in a blender or on a stone, for several minutes. They will go from crumbs to a stiff paste to a slack butter as their own oil releases. Be patient through the crumb stage rather than adding oil early.
- With the motor running, pour in the argan oil in a thin steady stream until the paste is smooth and pourable.
- Stir in the honey and salt by hand rather than machine. Blending honey at speed can make it stringy.
- Pack into a jar. It keeps a month at room temperature and separates naturally — stir it back together before use.
Technique
- Culinary argan oil, not cosmetic. The culinary kind is pressed from roasted kernels, is darker and smells nutty; cosmetic argan is unroasted and tastes of nothing.
- Argan oil is expensive and the point of the whole thing, so amlou made with olive or sunflower oil is simply almond butter with honey.
- Taste before the salt goes in. Some argan is already faintly salty.
Substitutions
- Hazelnuts or a mixture of almond and hazelnut, used in some Souss households.
- Where argan is unavailable, say so rather than substituting — the oil is the dish.
Variations
- A coarser version left slightly grainy, spread thickly on msemen.
- A version with a pinch of cinnamon and orange-flower water.
History
Made in the Souss from stone-ground almonds, honey and argan oil pressed by Amazigh women; it long served shepherds and travellers as concentrated food.
Frequently asked questions
What is Amlou?
Amlou is a sauce & condiment from Morocco: thick dip of argan oil, roasted almonds and honey, spread on bread. Made in the Souss from stone-ground almonds, honey and argan oil pressed by Amazigh women; it long served shepherds and travellers as concentrated food.
How long does Amlou take to make?
Amlou takes 20 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 500 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Amlou?
Yes, within limits. Hazelnuts or a mixture of almond and hazelnut, used in some Souss households. Where argan is unavailable, say so rather than substituting — the oil is the dish.
What is the most important thing to get right in Amlou?
Grind the almonds alone, in a blender or on a stone, for several minutes. They will go from crumbs to a stiff paste to a slack butter as their own oil releases. Be patient through the crumb stage rather than adding oil early.
