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Recipe Mon Jan 28 2008
Chicken Tagine
You may not own a tagine (the Moroccan cone-shaped cooking vessel pictured at left), but that doesn't mean you can't make a tagine in the comfort of your own home. Many tagine recipes can be successfully executed in a dutch oven or other large, oven-safe saucepan (i.e. no plastic handles). This tagine recipe produces richly spiced, tender pieces of chicken, which can be served over rice or couscous with the accompanying dried fruit and butternut squash, which lend a distinctly North African flavor. This mixture of sweet and savory is complimented by a variety of spices which add warmth without serious heat, perfect for the next bone-chilling cold spell that sweeps through the city.
Chicken Tagine
adapted from a recipe by Amanda Cushman
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (see this video tutorial at chow.com)
kosher salt
1 T white wine vinegar
5 T olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t saffron (if you can afford it...)
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t cumin
1 t ground ginger
1 t paprika
1 t turmeric
2 T olive oil (for cooking)
2 whole lemons, zested and juiced
2 oz. pitted prunes
2 oz. dried apricots
2-3 cups butternut squash (peeled and cut into chunks)
First, prepare the chicken: remove from wrapper and discard neck and organs (or save to make chicken stock). Rub chicken with salt and then rinse with vinegar; let sit for 10 minutes while you make the marinade.
Mix oil, cilantro, cinnamon, saffron, onions, garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, turmeric and a large pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Wash chicken thoroughly and cut up into 8 pieces, then pour marinade over pieces in a large bowl. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 T olive oil in dutch oven or large saucepan on the stove top (or place your tagine in the oven to heat up and heat the oil in a separate pan on the stove). Add the chicken (with the marinade) to the pan and saute until chicken is browned on both sides. Add lemon juice and zest, prunes, apricots and squash to the pan and stir to coat chicken. Transfer the pan to the oven (or transfer contents of pan to the heated tagine) and cook for 45 minutes.
