Moroccan · Main course

Dafina (Moroccan-Jewish Sabbath Stew)

Dafina — also called skhina — is the great slow-cooked Shabbat stew of Moroccan Jews, assembled on Friday and left overnight on a low flame so it is ready to eat on Saturday when cooking is forbidden. Beef, marrow bones, chickpeas, whole eggs, potatoes, wheat and sweet dates meld over twelve hours into a dark, rich, deeply comforting pot, with the eggs turning creamy and brown.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 720 min
Total: 760 min
Serves: 8
Level: Medium

Ingredients

1 kg beef shin or brisket, in large pieces
2 marrow bones
250 g chickpeas, soaked overnight
6 eggs, in the shell
6 potatoes, peeled and whole
150 g wheat berries or rice (in a cloth bag)
8 dates, pitted
2 onions, sliced, and 4 garlic cloves
1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp paprika, 1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp oil, salt, pepper and honey

Method

1

Build the layers

In a large heavy pot, spread the onions and garlic, sit the beef and marrow bones on top, and tuck the drained chickpeas, whole potatoes and dates around them.
2

Add grain and eggs

Add the wheat berries in a loose cloth bag (or nestle rice in), and bury the whole eggs among the ingredients.
3

Season

Scatter turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, salt, pepper, a spoon of honey and the oil, then pour in enough water to just cover everything.
4

Cook overnight

Bring to a boil, then set on the lowest possible flame (or in a very low oven) and leave, covered, for 10–12 hours.
5

Serve

Unpack the pot at the table — sliced beef, browned eggs, soft potatoes, chickpeas and sweet dates — spooning the rich juices over each plate.

Chef's tips

Keep the liquid just covering everything and the heat extremely low; dafina should barely tremble, never boil dry.
The whole eggs (huevos haminados) turn creamy and brown over the long cook — don't skip them, they are a highlight.
A blech, heat diffuser or low oven is the safe traditional way to hold it overnight without scorching.

Frequently asked questions

Why is dafina cooked overnight?

Jewish law forbids lighting a fire or cooking on the Sabbath, so the stew is started before sundown on Friday and kept warm on a low flame to be eaten hot at Saturday lunch.

What is the difference between dafina and skhina?

They are the same dish under two names used across Moroccan-Jewish communities; recipes vary from house to house in the mix of grains, meat and sweet elements.