Family Sunday Lunch menu
Big Family Sunday Lunch Menu — A Moroccan Table for a Large Group
Friday or Sunday lunch is when many Moroccan families gather around one large dish rather than individual plates — usually a big pot of couscous or a whole tagine set in the centre of the table, eaten together with bread rather than served portion by portion. This menu scales that gathering up properly, built for eight to ten people rather than a smaller weeknight table. The full menu collection has smaller versions if your gathering is more modest.
The menu
Starter
A spread of cooked salads for the table
Zaalouk, taktouka and carrot salad, made in large batches so there is plenty for everyone to share.
Main
Large seven-vegetable couscous with lamb or chicken
The centrepiece dish, served from one large communal platter as is traditional on a Friday or Sunday.
Second main
Whole roast or braised chicken with olives and preserved lemon
A second, smaller dish for those who want more than the couscous alone.
Bread
A large basket of warm khobz
Bread this size is best bought or baked in bulk rather than one loaf at a time.
Dessert
A platter of assorted pastries
Chebakia, briouats and kaab ghazal together, enough for a large table to pick through.
Drink
A large pot of mint tea
Poured for everyone at the end, often more than once around the table.
Shopping list
- Aubergines, peppers, tomatoes and carrots for the salads, in large quantities
- Couscous, lamb or chicken, and a full set of seven vegetables (pumpkin, turnip, carrot, courgette, cabbage, chickpeas, onion)
- A whole chicken, olives and preserved lemon
- Flour or several loaves of khobz
- Ingredients for a platter of pastries, or ready-bought from a local pastry shop
- Saffron, ginger and the usual couscous spices
- Gunpowder green tea and plenty of fresh mint
- A large serving platter for the couscous
Prep timeline
-
Day before
Make the cooked salads in bulk and, if buying, order pastries from a local pastry shop for collection the next morning.
-
Morning of
Prepare all the vegetables for the couscous and start the meat simmering in its broth.
-
2 hours before
Steam the couscous in several stages, which takes longer in a larger quantity than a normal family batch.
-
1 hour before
Roast or braise the chicken with olives and preserved lemon as the second main.
-
30 minutes before
Warm all the bread and arrange the pastry platter.
-
At the table
Bring the large couscous platter to the centre of the table first, with the second main alongside for those who want it.
Host's tips
- Steam a large batch of couscous in stages rather than trying to fit it all in one pot — it needs room to fluff properly.
- Order pastries from a local pastry shop rather than making everything from scratch; even Moroccan households do this often for a large gathering.
- Serve the couscous from one large communal platter rather than individual bowls — it is the traditional and more sociable way to present it.
- Make the cooked salads a full day ahead; with this many other dishes to manage, one less thing on the day matters.
- Have more bread on hand than you think you need — a large family table gets through it quickly.
Questions about this menu
Why is couscous traditionally eaten on Fridays in Morocco?
Friday is the day of communal prayer, and couscous, being a dish that takes time and feeds many people from one large platter, became the traditional meal families gather around afterwards, though Sunday lunches follow a similar pattern for many households.
How much couscous do I need for ten people?
As a rough guide, around 100 to 120 grams of dry couscous per person is generous when served alongside meat and vegetables, so plan for roughly one kilogram for a table of ten.
Should I serve one main dish or two for a big family lunch?
Many Moroccan family tables serve both a couscous and a second dish, such as a roast chicken, so guests can choose or combine — a single dish is fine for a smaller gathering but two suits a larger one better.
Is it normal to buy pastries rather than make them for a big lunch?
Very much so — with a large meal already demanding significant kitchen time, buying pastries from a trusted local pastry shop is common practice even in Moroccan households that cook everything else from scratch.
How is a big Moroccan family lunch traditionally served?
From large shared platters set in the centre of the table, eaten together with bread rather than individually plated portions — the communal serving style is as much a part of the meal as the food itself.
Learn to cook this menu with a local in Marrakech
Every dish here is taught, hands-on, in a Marrakech cooking class — or taste them across the medina on a guided food tour.