Tuareg Moukfé with millet and broth

A proposed millet version: cooked millet paste served with mutton broth, inspired by a Tuareg dish described in connection with ceremonies.

Ingredients

• 350 g millet flour
• 500 g bone-in mutton shoulder, in pieces
• 1 onion (150 g), peeled and quartered
• 1.5 l drinking water for broth
• 1.2 l water for the paste, added gradually
• 5 g salt, to adjust
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, optional

Preparation

Place mutton, onion and 1.5 l water in a pot. Bring to a boil, skim, lightly salt, cover and simmer 60–75 min until tender. Add hot water if needed.

Sift millet flour. Bring 800 ml water to a simmer in another pot. Mix the remaining cold water with a little flour to make a smooth slurry.

Stir the slurry into simmering water, then add the remaining flour in batches. Cook 15–20 min over low heat, stirring firmly. Add reserved water gradually if too stiff.

Check that the paste is cooked and smooth, with no raw-flour taste. Adjust broth seasoning and remove accessible bones. Keep paste and broth separate until serving.

Serve a portion of paste with hot meat and broth alongside or poured around it. Optional oil may be mixed in, but is not essential.