The tharīd (ثريد) is one of the oldest dishes in Arab cuisine and was imported from the East to North Africa and al-Andalus, where it gained a new lease of life, with the cookery books containing many recipes and new variants, such as this one, made with milk, from The Exile’s Cookbook.
The meat is cut up into large chunks and then cooked with pepper, salt, coriander, and onion. Once the meat is done, it is set aside and finely crumbled unleavened bread is added to the broth, to which milk is gradually added until the bread is saturated with it. The tharīd is transferred to a serving dish, after which freshly made butter (home-made is best of course!). The final touch comes in the guise of a dusting of sugar. The cakey texture of the bread is an ideal complement to the meat, whereas the butter and sugar provide a subtle sweet counterpoint. A delight!
The 12th-century Andalusian physician Ibn Zuhr stated that if the milk is boiled, the tharida is tastier and milder, but very harmful! I guess everything in life comes at a price!
