Authentic Moroccan Khlea made   traditionally Fez way : خليع فاسي بشحم بقري 

 

Khlii (or khlea) is a confit of Moroccan preserved meat. It’s traditionally prepared by the long, slow simmering of a cured, dried meat called gueddid in olive oil and suet. The resulting confit will store safely for months on end, if not for a year or two, at room temperature.

The tradition of making khlii seems to have started in Fes before spreading across Morocco and North Africa. This is probably the reason why Fes is still referred to as “the Capital of Khlii” in Morocco. It’s hard to imagine a Fassi (from Fes) house without this delicacy or at least its sediments, called agriss,

 

agriche or agreish. 

 

Both khlii and agriss find their way into many dishes over the course of a year, from breakfast to dinner. You will find it in morning fried eggs or in laminated flatbread, or perhaps in cooked starters and salads. Maybe it will be an ingredient in the main dish of the day but it could also be in tonight’s soup.

Marrakesh is the second Moroccan city which counts khlii among its culinary traditions. While khlii used to be a frugal element in the Moroccan diet, especially in those cities, in modern times it has become a sort of delicacy which is appreciated throughout the kingdom, with domestic tourism helping to elevate khlii’s status.