Bouzelouf

Ingredients

The head

• 1sheep’s head, split by the butcher, brains removed and reserved
• 2sheep’s trotters (optional, cooked alongside)
• 3 tbspcoarse salt
• 2 tbspplain flour, for scrubbing
• 1lemon, halved

Steaming spices

• 2 tbspground cumin
• 1 tbspsweet paprika
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1cinnamon stick
• 6garlic cloves, peeled
• 2bay leaves
• 2 tspsalt

To serve

• extra ground cumin
• coarse salt
• 1lemon, in wedges
• kesra or khobz dar

Directions

1. Singe the head directly over a strong gas flame or a charcoal brazier, turning constantly for 10 to 15 minutes, until every hair is burnt off and the skin is blackened and blistered; this smoky scorching is the whole point of the dish.
2. Scrape the burnt skin back to pale gold with a knife, paying attention to the ears, lips and around the eye sockets, then scrub with coarse salt and flour and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
3. Soak the head in cold water with the lemon halves for 30 minutes, changing the water twice, then drain and rub all over with the cumin, paprika, pepper and salt.
4. Set the head in the top of a couscoussier or a large steamer over vigorously boiling water, tuck in the garlic, cinnamon and bay leaves, cover tightly and steam for 2 hr 30 min to 3 hr.
5. Top the water up with boiling water every 40 minutes so the pan never runs dry, and check at 2 hr 30 min: the cheek meat should pull from the bone with light finger pressure and the tongue skin should peel away easily.
6. Lift the tongue out, peel off its rough outer skin while still hot, and slice it thickly.
7. Poach the brains separately for 10 minutes in salted water with a squeeze of lemon, then slice; they are served alongside, never steamed with the head.
8. Pull the cheeks, tongue and the meat around the jaw onto a warm platter, dust generously with cumin and coarse salt, and serve with lemon and bread for everyone to pick at by hand.

Technique

• The cleaning is not optional and cannot be rushed: any unburnt hair or unrinsed grit will make the whole dish inedible. Ask the butcher to split the head and remove the brains for you.
• Bouzelouf is an Aid el-Kebir dish, cooked from the sacrificed sheep, so it is seasonal and communal rather than everyday food.
• Eyes and ears are eaten in many households and refused in others; there is no single correct version. The cheek and tongue are the prized parts everywhere.
• Cook the head the day it is butchered or keep it refrigerated below 4°C (40°F); offal spoils faster than muscle meat.

Substitutions

• If a whole head is impossible to source, steam 1 kg lamb neck and 2 lamb tongues with the same spice rub for 2 hours for a similar flavour, though you lose the singed-skin character.
• No couscoussier: a stockpot with a raised trivet and a tight lid works, as long as the head sits clear of the water.

Variations

• In parts of the east the head is boiled rather than steamed and the broth becomes a cumin-heavy soup served first.
• Bouzelouf mchermel finishes the picked meat in a pan with dersa, tomato and chilli.

History

Prepared after Eid al-Adha so that nothing of the sacrificial sheep is wasted; the head is blowtorched, scraped, split and steamed for hours.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bouzelouf?

Bouzelouf is a main from Algeria: singed sheep’s head steamed with cumin, eaten for the cheek and tongue. Prepared after Eid al-Adha so that nothing of the sacrificial sheep is wasted; the head is blowtorched, scraped, split and steamed for hours.

How long does Bouzelouf take to make?

Bouzelouf takes 1 hr including cleaning of preparation and 3 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Bouzelouf?

Yes, within limits. If a whole head is impossible to source, steam 1 kg lamb neck and 2 lamb tongues with the same spice rub for 2 hours for a similar flavour, though you lose the singed-skin character. No couscoussier: a stockpot with a raised trivet and a tight lid works, as long as the head sits clear of the water.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bouzelouf?

Singe the head directly over a strong gas flame or a charcoal brazier, turning constantly for 10 to 15 minutes, until every hair is burnt off and the skin is blackened and blistered; this smoky scorching is the whole point of the dish.