A TROWBRIDGE family is set to cast eye on the exotic flavours of Moroccan cuisine as they will feature in BBC’s Nigel Slater Eating Together series on Monday.

The Boutarfas, of Bradley Road, were first approached by producers to take part last year after being recommended by the community.

Over three filming days, Mr Slater was allowed to submerse himself into the world of Moroccan flavours which will form part of the episode Sharing Plates that takes a tour of modern British home cooking looking at iconic dishes that bring people together.

Halima Boutarfas, 46, featured in the show along with her mother Zoubida who is well-known in the Moroccan community in Trowbridge – the largest outside London.

Ms Boutarfas said: “My mother did all the cooking with Nigel and I was translating for her. She is a brilliant cook and she does a lot of cooking for the Moroccan community in Trowbridge where is quite well known.

“Nigel was really nice and they initially filmed in my house because I have a Moroccan room and they wanted to see the layout of it all. We made lamb tagine and then we went to Bristol shopping and showed him where we bought our halal meat from. We even showed him how to make cous cous from the grains.

“I think he was inspired by some of our ideas and he took our recipes and made it his own way like making duck tagine rather than lamb.”

The family moved to Trowbridge in the 1960s in response to a need for workers at mattress maker Airsprung and food producer Bowyers and over the years they have substantially contributed to the Moroccan Community Association.

Ms Boutarfas added: “The show approached us and someone recommended us to producers. He wanted to experience the way we cook, the way we eat as a family as well as find out about our Moroccan history.

“I hope it goes down well with people and I am looking forward to watching it as I think it will be positive to show Moroccan cuisine in Trowbridge.”

The Nigel Slater: Eating Together series is shown on BBC1 on Mondays at 7.30pm.