Chicken Tajine with Honeyed Tomatoes and Chickpeas

Another Moroccan Shabbat (sorta)

Last week was a last-minute Shabbat special.

After picking up the Craisin challah from Jeff at What A Bagel York Mills, Meredith e-mailed me the menu for the evening:

pickle tray
beans and onions with crackers
Asian salad
chicken tajine with with honeyed tomatoes and chickpeas

After looking at the original recipe for the tajine (from Bonnie Stern's Friday Night Dinners), I switched up the method a bit (I wanted a one-pot solution, instead of going from the pot to the oven) and make things a bit more to my taste.

Chicken Tajine with Honeyed Tomatoes and Chickpeas

• 1/8 tsp saffron threads
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 3 chicken breasts, cut in half
• 10 chicken legs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can plum tomatoes, lightly mashed with a potato masher
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 can chick peas
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

1. Let the saffron steep in the boiling water and put aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, cumin (1 tbsp) and sprinkle over chicken.
3. In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-heat and brown the chicken in batches for 3-5 minute per side and set chicken aside in a separate bowl.
4. Reduce heat to low and add onions, garlic and ginger to the pot and cook gently for 10 minutes, scraping the solidified juices, spices and oil from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add remaining cumin (2 tsp), cinnamon and cayenne, and cook for 30-60 seconds.
6. Add saffron, tomatoes, stock, and chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium.
7. Let cook for 20 minutes (uncovered), add chickpeas, honey and lemon juice and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
8. If the sauce isn't think enough, remove chicken and reduce sauce on medium-high for 10-15 minutes.
9. Add back chicken and mix in sliced lemon and cilantro. Remove from heat and serve.

(adapted from Bonnie Stern's Friday Night Dinners)

Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen


Note: this post also shared with Real Food Digest Rosh Hashanah 2011