moro top ten: fried marrow with caramelised butter, mint and yoghurt

“whenever the challenge of making something with marrow presents itself, perhaps you, like us, tend to shudder – however, please consider this dish that is delicious with roast chicken or lamb”

having made hot and sour marrow soup, the rest of my marrow was used up in this recipe from moro east. it’s a simple recipe – the marrow pieces are fried in caramelised butter and then topped with a yoghurt dressing that has been spiked with garlic, cumin and a little mint.

so, how did i get on?

everything was quick and easy to do but i made the wrong decision about whether or not to peel my marrow – the guidance is that if you can scratch through the skin with your nail it’s fine to eat. i managed this easily enough but found the skin a bit tough to eat so my advice would be to peel your marrow, regardless.

the final verdict:
would i have tried this recipe if it hadn't been part of the moro top ten? no – marrow has never seemed particularly exciting in its own right so i tend not to choose recipes where its own flavour is the dominant one.
would i try this recipe again in the future? yes – the marrow has a very subtle flavour but i loved the yoghurt dressing so, if you choose the rest of your dishes carefully, this works really well. we had our with spicy pork meatballs and kosheri (this rice, lentil and noodle dish is my new obsession) .

moro's fried marrow with caramelised butter, mint and yoghurt (serves 4)

1 small young marrow, about 1kg

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

75g unsalted butter

¼ garlic clove

¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds, toasted then ground to a fine powder

150g greek yoghurt, thinned with 3-4 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon shredded fresh mint

a pinch of dried turkish (mild) chilli flakes (i used sumac)

top and tail your marrow, then peel it unless the skin if very tender (see above). cut the marrow in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and pulpy flesh with a metal spoon. slice the marrow into half-moon shapes, the width of your index finger. toss them with the salt and put them in a colander and leave to stand for ten minutes. pat dry with kitchen paper.

heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat until it caramelises, the solids should be turning a light brown. fry the marrow in two batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly coloured. when the marrow is cooked it should be soft but not limp.

crush the garlic with a pinch of salt until smooth then mix with the cumin, yoghurt and half the mint then season with salt and pepper.

serve the marrow with the yoghurt spooned on top, scattered with the chilli flakes and remaining mint.