Chicken Tagine

Morocco's food is full of gorgeous spices, fragrant lemons and healthy olives, all representative of the riches of the land.  A wonderful dish that has been popularized is Chicken Tagine.  The tagine is a cooking utensil made of earthenware into which are placed chicken pieces, along with other condiments, and cooked slowly over an open fire.  Here in the States, we use the tagines either on top of the stove or in the oven.  The domed portion traps the flavors, and imbues the dish with a wonderful aroma.  Here is my version of Chicken Tagine.



 

Ingredients:

Whole chicken cut into quarters or eighths

Two whole lemons, cut into quarters

Three cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Whole Spanish onion, sliced

Two large carrots, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

A few large olives

A few pitted prunes or pitted dates

A few dried apricots

1/2 c. orange juice

1/2 c. red wine

Salt & pepper to taste

Cinnamon

 

Preparation:
Wash the chicken, put salt and pepper on one side, then spread the pieces evenly at the bottom of the tagine, salted side down, then repeat the salt and pepper on the top side.  Sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the chicken.  Sprinkle the sliced garlic and sliced onion on top of the chicken pieces.  Add the olives and the carrots.  Spread the dried fruit over the onion, then spread the cut up lemons on top of the fruit.  Add the orange juice and red wine, and cook on low heat for about 1-1/2 hours.  Check for tenderness, and return to cook a bit longer, until the chicken falls off the bone.  Serve.