Chicken Tangine
Posted by Gail | Filed under Gail Cooks!
I’m a fan of putting a whole bunch of interesting spices into a pot with a couple packs of chicken pieces. I find highly seasoned chicken surrounded by its juices flavoured with the world not only delish but extremely economical and time-saving. Put the left overs in the fridge for lunch. Freeze some for a night when there’s no time to start from scratch.
A “Tangine” is a Berber dish from North Africa that’s named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya all have their own versions of what “goes in the pot.”
Whenever I come across a new recipe, I see it as a starting point, a guideline from which to improvise. If there’s an ingredient I don’t like (tarragon, dill) I find something I like more, contemplate its interaction with everything else and swap flavours.
This recipe calls for a spice combination that hails from Morocco called Ras el hanout. The name means “head or top of the shop” in Arabic and refers to the best spices a seller has to offer. There’s no definitive combination for the creation of Ras el hanout, but typical spices include allspice, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ground chili peppers, cloves, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, peppercorn and turmeric. Some of the ingredients include things I’ve never seen nor heard off like ash berries, chufa, Monk’s pepper and cubebs.
If you Google a recipe for Ras el Hanout you’ll see dozens of combinations of spices, and this “seasoning” can be used on virtually all cuts of meat as well as to flavour rice and couscous.
As a starting point for your experimentation I offer you a fairly simple combination of ingredients. Please improvise and let me know how yours turned out.
Ras el Hanout Spice Mix:
- 1 tbs caraway seeds (grind with mortar and pestle)
- 1 tbs ground cumin
- 1 tbs ground cardamom
- 3 tbs cinnamon
- 1 tsp tumeric
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
For the Tagine:
- 8 chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated
- 8 cloves of garlic chopped fine
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1 cup dried apricots chopped
- 1 cup dates, pitted
- 3 onions, sliced
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- Mix 3 tbs of Ras el hanout with garlic cloves and olive oil to a smooth paste.
- Rub chicken thighs and drumsticks thoroughly with paste and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour in the fridge.
- Place marinated chicken into a large pot*. Add remaining ingredients, except cilantro.
- Add enough water to cover, put a tight fitting lid on the pot and place over medium-high heat.
- Simmer for 2 hours, until the chicken is tender and the liquid has thickened. Adjust seasoning and add cilantro leaves just before serving.
*I use an earthenware tagine for this because I have one and cook the meal in the oven at 350 degrees. You could also use a crockpot, adjusting the cooking time. Or you can do it stove-top as described here.
January 16, 2013 at 9:47 am
Chickpeas and lentils can even swap out for the chicken, too (making it even more economical!). The sweetness of the dates and apricots, combined with all the other spices make me hungry for lunch right now!!!
I recently discovered a spice called “Sumac” which has a lemony, savoury flavor. They have it now at Loblaws or Zehrs, and it is fantastic!
Great post, Gail!
January 16, 2013 at 11:15 am
No salt???
January 16, 2013 at 11:18 am
I tried a vegetarian tangine a few weeks ago for the first time, although I do love meat too. It had chickpea patties, beets and quinoa and it also had some nuts…I think cashews and almonds if I remember correctly. Yum! I’m gonna try making this soon!
January 16, 2013 at 12:02 pm
I find chicken to be one of the most expensive meats to buy – but it sounds delish!
January 16, 2013 at 3:53 pm
The tangines were one of the things I really liked about a trip I did to Morocco a few years ago. But they certainly weren’t chicken dishes served there, they were all pigeon. Happily, in Canada we go with chicken instead.
January 16, 2013 at 5:42 pm
sounds rich and delicious. I will definately try it!
January 16, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Sounds yummy and perfect for a winter’s meal.
January 19, 2013 at 12:07 pm
To correct a minor spelling issue, it’s actually “tagine”. The recipe looks delicious, will have to try it. Thanks for sharing.
January 19, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Thanks Gail for showing how to make this receipe on the stovetop, I have been trying to make it but always worried that I might have to first fine a tagine.