Post-pandemic, it was difficult to get things fully up and running again; restaurants are about momentum. “But then we’d have customers coming up to the pass and literally crying, they were so happy we were open again,” says Sam. “That’s what all the hard work is for.” But what about their relationship? If running a celebrated restaurant for 25 years is a huge achievement – restaurants in London change more often than the weather – it is surely a miracle that they’ve done so without winding up in the divorce courts (they met when they were both working at the Eagle, just down the road from Moro, in Clerkenwell). “Well, I got told off the other day, didn’t I?” says Sam. Samuel takes up the story. “She was late, and I had a new chef to settle in, and I was doing a hot section myself, and we had a lot of people booked.” Another beautiful Moro book, full of mouth-watering, beautiful recipes to pull us greedily into the kitchen. What a treat!” – Thomasina Miers Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and lightly sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt. Recipes we love: Labneh, Carrots, Carraway and Pistachio. Fried Aubergines, Pomegranates and Pistachios. Monkfish Stew with Green, Beans, Potatoes and Alioli. Lemon Crème Brûlée. What happened? Was there an explosive row? Apparently not. “I just worked twice as hard,” says Sam. For the team, some of whom have been at Moro for a long time, this kind of thing usually passes – according to Samuel – as light entertainment: “There can be a slightly comical hissing at one another.” In the end, though, they tend not to let things simmer. Marital stew, it seems, is one dish best removed from the heat as soon as possible. Fish tagine with potatoes, peas and coriander (pictured above)

Moro Easy by Samantha Clark | Goodreads

My friend Sara Fanelli baked this gluten-free cake for us. We love it, especially with a little sea salt sprinkled on top.roasting potatoes 1kg, such as maris piper, peeled and cut into quarters or sixths, depending on size Once the chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the egg yolks. Using a metal spoon, stir in one heaped spoonful of the whisked egg whites. Once this spoonful is fully incorporated, gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Samuel and Sam Clark, chef-owners of the Moro and Morito restaurants, in their garden in north London. Photograph: Pål Hansen/The Observer This will stay by my cooker. It’s brimful of great uncomplicated ideas, intense flavours and loads of colour. And the recipes really are easy.”– Diana Henry

Moro Easy - Penguin Books UK Moro Easy - Penguin Books UK

In the end, they measure themselves only by their own standards, in the restaurant as well as when it comes to writing: “Within the first two years of Moro opening, we were approached to sell the brand. We just said: no, no, no, we’re here to stay. We’re the cooks, and we like doing that, and it’s what we’re here for – and we’ve stayed true to it. We’re still in the kitchen now. We’re in it for the long haul.” Another beautiful Moro book, full of mouth-watering, beautiful recipes to pull us greedily into the kitchen. What a treat! Thomasina Miers Add the peas and fish, replace the lid and cook for 5-8 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove from the heat, turn the fish and leave to rest for 5 minutes. The subtle use of mixed spices and preserved lemon gives a distinctive flavour to this Moroccan fish stew.Everyone loves toast. But there is toast and… toast. In Moro Easy, a new cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark, there are no fewer than 10 recipes for things on toast. Some are straightforward, almost austere: I can’t imagine the person who wouldn’t be able to rustle up a few slices of their tomato and jamon toast (the secret lies with a grater and just the right amount of garlic). Others are luxuriant: imagine a crisp oval of sourdough topped with a thin tortilla and aioli – a breakfast treat they first ate in Barcelona’s Boqueria market – or with crab warmed in butter and Oloroso sherry and lightly seasoned with fresh chilli and thyme. years of delicious Moorish cuisine. For fans of Moro: The Cookbook (135k TCM), Persiana (205k TCM) and Ottolenghi SIMPLE (335k TCM). The Clarks’ first book – Moro, the Cookbook – came out in 2001, four years after their influential restaurant, its menu inspired by their travels in north Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, opened in 1997; instantly hailed as a classic by Nigella Lawson and Claudia Roden, it remains much loved (though they’ve since published several more). Is it hard to write in its shadow? “It’s good having a bit of distance between the books,” says Sam. “But, though we’re proud of the first one, we’ve never quite been able to understand its success. The other books have recipes that are just as good. It kind of became part of the culture for a while, didn’t it?”

Moro Easy | Brand-new Spanish, North African Cookbook, 2022

This will stay by my cooker. It's brimful of great uncomplicated ideas, intense flavours and loads of colour. And the recipes really are easy. Diana Henry Using a hand blender or food processor, blitz everything except the potatoes, peas and fish. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a wide, deep pan with a tight-fitting lid, add the potatoes and put over a medium to high heat. Bring to a simmer, pop the lid on and cook for 5 minutes. Another beautiful Moro book, full of mouth-watering, beautiful recipes to pull us greedily into the kitchen. What a treat!" - Thomasina Miers What I made:Labneh, Carrots, Caraway and Pistachios and Roasted Aubergines with Tomatoes and Tahini. Put the chunks of chocolate into a bain-marie (a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water). Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the butter to melt. Stir in the caster sugar, ground almonds and a small pinch of sea salt.Place a large (30cm) heavy ovenproof casserole pan with a tight-fitting lid over a medium heat, and add the oil and butter. When the butter begins to foam, add the leeks and bay leaves and a good pinch of salt, and fry for 10 minutes or until the leeks are soft and sweet, stirring occasionally. This is a beautiful book, its inspiring, greed-inducing recipes full of big flavour but requiring little effort. Just gorgeous!" - Nigella Lawson This is a beautiful book, its inspiring, greed-inducing recipes full of big flavour but requiring little effort. Just gorgeous!”– Nigella Lawson