Monday, March 9, 2009

Phil's (and Auggie's) Gastronomic Adventure #3



We had first heard about it from my Marrakech pocket guide. In a lackluster attempt to mention cuisine options that weren't French, the author had inputted a 2'' by 2'' square listing some common Moroccan dishes. We were quickly drawn to the last entry, something called tete d'agneau, or sheep's head. There was no description past the title.

By way of pure luck, while wandering through a nearby Souk we found ourselves staring at a row of sheep's heads proudly displayed atop of a display counter outside a restaurant, much like football helmets in a trophy case or mooseheads in a hunting lodge. We ordered one tete d'agneau for 60 dirhams (US$7) and waited at a table, anxiously.



The waiter responded to our request by dropping his hand into a vat the size of a backpack and removed a whole sheep's head. With cleaver in hand, he split the head into two, removed the prized brains (that would cost us extra) and plonked the halves onto a plate, much like a chef would do with a flayed chicken breast. A sprinkle of paprika-salt later, we dove in. By Auggie's insistence, we each dug around for an eye within the socket and threw it in our mouths. Salty, chewy, and unfortunately unforgettable. Moving on through, we sampled a consortium of Sheep face bits, like rubbery skin, savory flesh and some awful, chew-then-spit pieces that lacked classification. And the aroma - I beg your pardon, the odor - resembled the smell of rotting animal carcus. The meat itself was incredibly tender, tasting similar to a lamb shank, and went well with the flavored salt. However, the remaining portions just got in the way. Money well spent? We can't complain.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow...reminds me of the joke about sheep's eyes and ram rods...but that can wait. Bon appetit!

S Fox

Kelly Hotta said...

i bet that sheep's head was weeks old. i'm so proud of you noodle. you're gonna have to try raw cow uterus when you get here

Gayle said...

And that's coming from someone who doesn't eat mushrooms because he doesn't like the texture...