Browning your meat before braising replicates the moisture-sealing properties of an authentic chicken tagine.

Tagines are cone-shaped cooking vessels that I saw all over Morocco. Every time one of these was brought to the table, I knew I was in for a treat. As you cook in these, the contents slowly braise, infusing the meat with flavor and allowing the spices to infuse and deepen. All moisture is returned to the contents, falling down the chimney-shaped lid, ensuring meat so tender it could be cut with a spoon.

The Moroccan stew takes its name from this special pot, even though it can be easily made in a skillet or a dutch oven. For my homemade tagine, I took steps to replicate what happens if you had the time and equipment to braise all day. First, I’ve rubbed my chicken with oil and a spice blend. This ensured that the spice flavors infused into the meat and the sauce.  Next, I then browned the meat before braising, and deglazed the pan with my sauce.  With this step, I made sure that my meat would cook quickly and remain moist, instead of becoming tough and stringy, and that I’d have a rich roasted quality to my dish.

Tagines normally play off the savory, sweet, salty and spicy flavors of Morocco. Often tagines will include citrus, fruit, and nut mixtures. I soaked my dried fruit — dried prunes, raisins, and apricots — in a honey syrup.  I also lightly fried my blanched almonds. These two steps helped guarantee that my tagine would be complex, incorporating both hard and soft textures, along with sweet and savory sensations.  Fresh lemon juice at the end brightened all these flavors.

Serve your tagine with couscous and roasted vegetables. It’s filling and intensely satisfying — plus your house will smell warm and spicy for the rest of the day!

Add almonds for crunch, honey and fruit for sweetness, and lemon juice for brightness.

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Stovetop Chicken Tagine

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon caradmom

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

7 tablespoons olive oil

1 chicken (use 4 breasts or 6 pieces of dark meaty pieces, or a combination)

1 tablespoon  butter

1 onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup cilantro

1 1/2 cups water

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons honey

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup dried  apricot halves and/or prunes

1/3 cup whole or slivered blanched almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Combine ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, up to overnight.

2.) In a tagine, a deep skillet, or a dutch oven, heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Brown half of your chicken pieces, skin sides down. Cook for 8-12 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to a plate. Brown the other half of your chicken in the same way, pouring remaining marinade into the pan.

3.) Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Cook onion over low heat  for about 8 minutes in the same skillet.  Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Let these vegetables soften and brown, but not crispy. Add cilantro, 1/2 cup water, chicken, chicken juices, and tomatoes.  Add drained garbanzo beans.

4.) Simmer your mixture over low heat for 30 minutes.

5.) During this time, boil your dried fruit,  honey, 1 cup water, and cinnamon stick, and apricots. When it boils, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the fruit is soft.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until liquid becomes a glaze.

6.) While your fruit is glazing, fry your nuts. Heat  1/4 cup oil in a small pan over medium heat. Cook almonds, stirring occasionally, for only 1 to 2 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Remove from heat and place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

7.) Ten minutes before chicken is done, add honey and fruit mixture to your chicken. Discard cinnamon stick. Serve your chicken with almonds sprinkled on top.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice on the top and you’re ready to eat!