Last year, we spent a couple of weeks in Morocco and I have to say that I was looking forward to the food. With its French colonial past mixed with the spices for which the country is famous, it promised to be an interesting experience.

We had wonderful fresh fish in the coastal resort of Eassaouira (think Le Touquet in Africa!), with the dishes there enough to rival even the freshest of Greek recipes using fish. The fishermen bring their catch in each day and you can have it cooked for you at the port at little stalls. I have to admit to wimping out of actually eating at these stalls. Although the fish is as fresh as can be the standards of hygiene looked a little dubious and so we opted instead to eat at some of the numerous restaurants along the sea front.

In the Atlas Mountains, staying at a magnificent Kasbah perched on a hill top and eating on the terrace by candlelight, we had the most creative cooking of our holiday: pastillas of scallops, calf’s feet and pigeon to name but a few of the dishes we enjoyed.

My favourite meal, however, had to be in Marrakech when we had a traditional tagine. I often make a tagine at home but this dish took tagines to another level. The lamb was melt in the mouth tender, the sauce unctuous, and the preserved lemons tangy, which provided an excellent contrast with the sweetness of the dates and apricots. Certainly, however, not a meal for fans of vegetarian recipes!

Had it not been for the airline’s restrictions on hand luggage, I would have been highly tempted to bring back an authentic Moroccan tagine (the pot rather than the cooked dish!). They were available in the souk: some natural clay and others painted and glazed. What I did bring back, however, was a selection of spices from the spice market and some harissa paste. Being unable to take the paste through security I did of course have to risk packing it in my checked luggage, a disaster waiting to happen, but happily it emerged unscathed when I unpacked!