Spring Break
Recipe: North African-style chicken
Laura Katzer
Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Culture
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As the temperature fell to the range of teens and low 20s, I craved a hearty, warming stew.
North Africa, especially Morocco, is famous for braised meat and vegetable stews called tagines. These stews are cooked in a special vessel also called a tagine.
The stew I created is tagine-like and cooked in a large saucepan. It uses chicken thighs, a cheap and easy-to-cook meat that is good for braising. It is redolent with cumin, coriander, green olives and sharp-tasting preserved lemons. It is gently simmered with onions and chickpeas. But the star ingredient is spicy harrisa.
Harrisa is paste of puréed hot peppers, sweet peppers, tomatoes and spices. It can be burning or medium hot. It is a popular condiment and flavoring agent all over North Africa.
Harrisa adds soft warmth to the stew and ties the sharp and mellow flavors together. It is sold at specialty shops, such as World Market, and well-stocked or upscale groceries.
Try some harrisa, it is lovely in the stew but it also may usurp ketchup and salsa as the favorite condiment.
lkatzer@unews.com
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (skinless, with bone or without)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin (ground)
1/4 teaspoon coriander (ground)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (ground)
2 teaspoons paprika (ground)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoon harissa paste
1 18-oz. can of peeled whole tomatoes
1/2 cup whole cracked green olives (with pits removed)
1/2 of a preserved whole lemon, roughly chopped (may be omitted)
Pepper and salt to taste
12 oz. box of instant couscous
Essential materials:
Large skillet or wide shallow saucepan
Tall 5-quart saucepan
Chop the onion into coarse pieces and the garlic into thin slices. Set them aside.
In a small bowl combine the cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika. Use half the spice mixture to season the chicken thighs, along with a little salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Put the skillet on the stove at medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and warm for about a minute. Add the chicken thighs to the warmed oil and sear on each side for two minutes.
Then take the chicken thighs, move them to a plate and cover them.
Add the onions and garlic, reduce the heat slightly and add the remaining spice mixture. When the onions are starting to soften, add the can of drained chickpeas and stir once. When the onions barely start to caramelize, clear a space in the center of the pan and add the harissa. Warm and thicken the harissa for one minute. Then pour the sauce that surrounds the whole tomatoes into the pan. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them. Add the olives and preserved lemon. Cover the skillet. When the stew is softly bubbling, add the seared chicken thighs. Cook while covered for 10 more minutes.
Cook the couscous according to the box instructions to serve four people. When the couscous is cooked, stir to fluff it and add seasonings.
Serve the stew on top of the couscous with one piece of chicken per serving.
Four portions.
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