Chicken Tajine with Apples

Running out of new ideas for a Friday dinner, I found a recipe for Moroccan chicken on a Foodland Ontario website. The point of the recipe was mostly to pitch the benefits of Ontario-farmed chicken, apples and onions to unsuspecting consumers.

But really, what does this guy know about Moroccan food? (Running a province, yes, Moroccan food: not so much.)

So I ran with the recipe as a base and fixed it from there - eliminating the cornstarch, adding saffron and swapping out the boneless, skinless chicken for recognizable pieces. My friend Simon called it "de-Martha-Stewartifying - making the dish much more my style, and specifically less... umm... this guy.

Chicken Tajine with Apples


2 apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced and tossed in 2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
dash salt
1 to 1 1/2 kilos chicken legs and/or thighs
1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 cups chicken broth
pinch saffron, infused in 1-2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp cup raisins
1/4 cup blanched almonds
4 dates, pitted and chopped
7 dried apricots, chopped

1. Core, peel and slice apples into thin wedges, toss in lemon juice and set aside.
2. Combine cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper and sprinkle onto chicken.
3. Heat oil on medium in a large pot, brown chicken on both sides. Set chicken aside.
4. Saute onions in the same pot for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Place chicken back in the pan and add broth and saffron. Bring to a boil and let simmer on medium for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.
6. Add apples (with lemon juice), dried fruit and nuts, reduce to medium-low and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with cous cous or rice (for gluten-free)

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

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.

print recipe

Chicken Tajine with Honeyed Tomatoes and Chickpeas

by Daniel Saraga June-3-2009

This recipe was adapted from Bonnie Stern's Friday Night Dinners.

Ingredients

• 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 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 can tomatoes (not drained), lightly mashed with a potato masher
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• to taste pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions

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.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.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 20 mins Yield: 10 servings

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

Sweet and Hot Moroccan Soup

Photo taken by Bertrand Devouard

The colours of Morocco are just beautiful.

As fall approaches, I'm gearing up for soup season (I love soup season). My sweet and hot Moroccan soup is a great start using vegetables that are in season: carrots, zucchini and tomatoes.

print recipe

Sweet and Hot Moroccan Soup

by Daniel Saraga May-6-2009

My sweet and hot Moroccan soup uses vegetables that are in season: carrots, zucchini and tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 5 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 cups water
• pinch saffron threads

Instructions

1. Heat onions, salt and cinnamon in oil for 3-5 minutes, then add garlic and heat for another 3-5 minutes.2. Add carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, raisins, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft.3. Add water and saffron, bring to a boil and heat on low for 30-40 minutes.4. Puree and serve with couscous (or rice for gluten-free).

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 4 servings

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

Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives

There's something about tajine dishes that have such a wonderful flavour. I've made tajines with tomato bases and others with olives, herbs and onions. Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives is the latter, and also the first tajine dish I ever made on my own.

print recipe

Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives

by Daniel Saraga April 24, 2009

This gluten-free Moroccan tajine uses sliced lemons, olives and saffron for a unique flavour that won't be forgotten.

Ingredients

1/2 tsp ground ginger1/4 tsp ground cumin1/4 tsp paprika1 tsp cinnamon1 pinch saffron, infused in 1-2 tbsp waterto taste sea saltto taste black pepper1 whole chicken, cut up and skin removed1/4 cup olive oil2 medium onions, thinly sliced1 garlic clove, minced1 bunch parsley, minced (approx 3/4 cup)1 bunch cilantro, minced (approx 3/4 cup)3-1/2 cups chicken broth1/2 lemon, thinly sliced1 cup green or black pitted olives

Instructions

1. Cover the chicken in a mixture of ginger, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper.2. Brown chicken in a deep pan with olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.3. Fry onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add parsley and cilantro. Add chicken and stock and bring to a boil.4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer (covered) for 30-45 minutes.5. Remove chicken and set aside, then reduce the remaining sauce for 10 minutes.6. Add lemon and olives and simmer sauce for another 10 minutes.7. Add chicken and simmer for five minutes.Serve with couscous or rice (for gluten-free).

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 4 servings

Adapted from a USENET news post from rec.food.recipes available via http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.food.recipes/browse_thread/thread/83cf1cd9c695e316

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