Tagine in a Tagine!

We picked up a clay pot tagine on our recent travels to Morocco, and I couldn't wait to use it. Tagine refers to both the cooking pot (featured below) and the stew cooked in it. It is a North African speciality. Last night, I made a Chicken Tagine with Olives & Preserved Lemon.

Serves 2

Ingredients

· Chicken thighs - 2 - I used boneless meat because that's what I had at home. The version I had in Morocco was made with bone-in dark meat - tasted better for sure!

· Shallots/ Red Onions - 2 cups - thinly sliced

· Garlic - 2 tsp - finely minced

· Bay leaf - dry - 1

· Cinnamon stick - 1

· Olives - 1/2 cup - I used a combination of Kalamata (Greek Black Olives) and Manzanilla (Spanish Green Olives)

· Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans from a can - 1/2 cup washed

· Bell Peppers - Tri colored frozen from Trader Joes - 1/2 cup

· Harissa - 2 tbs - I used a brand called Korba (Tunisian) which is available locally in Fresh Farms. Spice levels differ by brand, so taste first before using!

· Preserved Lemon - 1/4th thinly sliced. I smuggled my preserved lemons in from Morocco, but have a batch of lemons ready to preserve using the technique in the link. Traditionally, you use only the rind discarding the pulp and any seeds. I used the rind & the pulp.

· Chicken Stock - 2 cups

· Salt to taste

· EVOO - 1 tbs 

Line the bottom & the sides of the tagine with EVOO (I had to cure my tagine before first use).

Add all the ingredients together, and mix well. Ensure that the chicken has been coated very well with the ingredients (especially the harissa).
Cook in the oven at 350F for about 2 hours.

Serve hot with Couscous and enjoy the unbelievably moist chicken, and the explosion of flavors in your mouth!

 Notes-

• You can make this dish in a covered oven safe dish or in a slow cooker too
• Although I didn't feel the need for additional spices, you can add cumin/coriander powder to this dish.
• Also, I have seen recipes where the chicken is marinated in garlic, oil and harissa. I didn't have the time/patience to marinate.
• Substitute for Preserved Lemon - If you don't have preserved lemons readily available, you can quickly make an acceptable substitute by thinly slicing a fresh lemon and sautéing it slowly in olive oil, a little sugar and salt until very tender. Chop into small pieces and use the same as preserved lemons. If you are interested in making Moroccan food often, I would highly recommend making a batch though.They keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Puttanesca sauce with gnocchi

This is a personal favorite because of the story behind the name and that it combines three of my all time highly desirable ingredients: Anchovies, olives and capers. Puttanesca sauce was cooked in bordellos to attract clientele. The idea being - the more pungent the sauce the stronger the smell as it wafts down the stairs, out the red door into the streets. At the end of the night, customers were fed this salty and tasty sauce to encourage thirst for more drink more. It's all about the entire experience.

Serves 4

4-5 fillets of anchovies, diced

1/2 onion

1 red pepper, diced - I also added 1/4 leftover green pepper

3 cloves of garlic, diced

1 1/2 cans of diced tomatoes

1-2 tbsp water

1/2 cups halved kalamata olives

1 1/2 tbsp capers

Salt and pepper to taste

1 packet frozen gnocchi

1. Heat 1-2 tbsps olive oil in pan and cook anchovies over medium high heat until it completely dissipates. Use a screen if necessary, the sputtering can make a mess. Now add garlic, onions and diced peppers. Saute until onions are lightly browned. You might want to add a bit of water here to avoid excessive browning. Add tomatoes and salt (if necessary - don't forget anchovies add quite a bit of salt to begin with. So taste before you add more salt). Simmer for 10 mins until tomatoes are cooked. Add olives and capers 5 mins after adding the tomatoes.
2. While tomatoes are simmering, dunk the frozen gnocchi in salted boiling water for 4-5mins. This will start the cooking process. Take it out of the water and add it to the simmering sauce to complete the cooking process. This will ensure that the gnocchi absorbs the sauce and is evenly coated with it.
3. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.