Mayo link in national television series scheduled for this week
How to Cook Well in Morocco presenter Rory O'Connell (L) with Irish Ambassador James McIntyre, who is from Charlestown.
In this new seven-part series, Rory O’Connell visits Morocco, one of his favourite countries. This is the first cookery series for RTÉ that has been filmed in Africa.
“Since first visiting Marrakesh in 1988, I have visited Morocco many times and have been entranced by the place, the people, the food, the sights and sounds, the exotic atmosphere and the new discoveries,” he says.
“To be able to revisit favourite places and discover new ones, and to share those experiences has long been a dream of mine.”
Rory travels from Tangier on the north coast to Essaouira on the Atlantic coast, visiting Chefchaouen, Fez, Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains along the way.
At the end of each programme, Rory cooks a dish that has been inspired by his travels, capturing a flavour of Morocco, back home in East Cork.
Essaouira on the Atlantic coast is Rory’s final destination. A trading hub for centuries, it boasts Morocco’s only formally laid out medina, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the medina, Rory admires stunning carpets and marquetry, before enjoying a cookery class in a private home with chef Khadija - a popular thing to do with visitors to Morocco. Rory cooks Sardine Meatball Tagine, which he explains is far more delicious than it sounds!
In the last seven years, Ireland has opened 27 new embassies and consulates around the world as part of the Global Ireland Programme.
James McIntyre, from Charlestown, Mayo, was appointed Ireland’s first resident Ambassador to Morocco when the embassy in Rabat was opened in 2021. Rory meets the Ambassador for a chat about the connections between Morocco and Ireland.
Rory then joins the Villa Maroc chef Hyat Rmouti on the hotel terrace, overlooking the sea, to cook Citrus Sea Bream.
Back home in East Cork, Rory cooks a classic Moroccan dish of Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives
