Ras el Hanout-Spiced Berber Lemon Chicken Tagine with Almond-Stuffed Green Olives

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This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Moroccan Tagines

by Nancy Gerlach 

 

Tagines or tajines are wonderfully aromatic North African stews that combine meats, poultry, chicken, or fish with fruits, vegetables and a large variety of spices. The centerpiece of Moroccan meals, there are literally hundreds of traditional tagines as well as many regional variations 

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin attached, or substitute chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoon ras el hanout, store-bought or see recipe here
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/3 cup green olives stuffed with almonds
2 cups cooked couscous or rice

Sliced lemon peel and chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

Rinse off the chicken, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, add the oil and when hot, place the chicken pieces, skin side down, in the skillet and fry for 5 minutes or until browned. Turn the pieces and brown on the other side. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.

Add the onion to the pan and saute until it is softened. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for an additional couple of minutes. Stir in the ras el hanout, lemon zest, and flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly to cook the flour. Whisk in the broth, raise the heat, and scrape all the bits and pieces from the bottom of the pan into the sauce. Add the lemon juice and honey.

Reduce the heat, return the chicken pieces to the pan, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is just done. Add the chickpeas and olives and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

To serve, create bed of couscous or rice on a large platter, place the chicken pieces on top, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with the parsley and lemon peel.

Thai Khaeng Keo-want Gai Mee (Green Curry with Chicken and Noodles)

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This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

 Oodles and Oodles of Asian Noodles

by Nancy Gerlach, Fiery-Foods.com Food Editor Emeritus 

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces dried or 1 pound fresh egg noodles

  • 1 boneless and skinless chicken breast, sliced

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 2-inch piece galangal or ginger, chopped

  • 1 to 3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste

  • 1 14-ounce can coconut milk

  • 2 or 3 stalks lemon grass

  • 2 to 3 Kaffir lime leaves, shredded, omit if unavailable

  • 5 to 6 green Thai chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 1 to 2 teaspoon fish sauce (nam pla)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

    • Instructions

    Heat a large pot of water to a boil, add the noodles and cook until “al dente.” Drain the noodles and keep warm.

    Trim the stalks of lemon grass to about 3-inches in length. Trim away any hard portions, discard the outer leaves, and coarsely chop.

    Heat a wok, add the oil and when hot, add the garlic, ginger, and green curry paste, and stir-fry for about one minute. Add the coconut milk, lemon grass, lime leaves, and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally to allow the milk until thickened. It may look as though it is curdling, but it cannot do this so don’t worry.

    Add the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

    Add the chiles, fish sauce, basil and cilantro and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Cut a piece of chicken to check to see that it’s done.

    Immediately add the noodles, stir, and simmer until the noodles are hot.

    Tamarind Chicken in White Curry Sauce

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    This recipe and others can be found in the 12-part illustrated series “A World of Curries”. You can read all about this unique Indian flavor here.

    Ingredients

    1/2 cup tamarind pulp
    3/4 cup water
    4 green chiles such as jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, sliced into rings 
    1 cup chopped shallots
    5 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 teaspoon ground cayenne
    1 3-pound chicken, skinned, boned, and cut into 1-inch cubes
    1 1/2 cups coconut milk, see recipe     here
    4 green New Mexican chiles, roasted and peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped

     

    Instructions

    Soak the tamarind in 3/4 cup boiling water for 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind and then strain. Discard the pulp and reserve the juice.

    In a large skillet, saute the chile rings, shallots, garlic, and ginger in the oil until soft.  Stir in the cayenne and chicken and mix well.  

    Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. 

    Add the chopped chile and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in the tamarind and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

    Chongqing La Zi Ji (Chile-Chicken Stir-Fry)

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    Hot and slightly sweet describes this recipe.  Serve it with plain white rice. Eating the red chile pod pieces is not recommended.

    Ingredients

     Chongqing La Zi Ji (Chile-Chicken Stir-Fry)

    3 cups chicken, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 tablespoon white sugar
    2 tablespoons cooking wine
    2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
    2 teaspoons scallions, chopped
    2/3 cup dried hot red chile pepper pods, coarsely chopped
    2 tablespoons Sichuan pepper, crushed
    1/4 cup plus two tablespoons red chile oil (see recipe here)
    2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, chopped
    1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
    Cilantro sprigs for garnish

    Instructions

    In a bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, salt, sugar, cooking wine, ginger, and scallion. Mix in the cubed chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

    In a wok or skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the red chile oil over high heat. When the chicken has marinated, place it into the hot oil and cook it quickly, stirring constantly. As the chicken is cooking, add the chile pepper pods and Sichuan pepper. Continue to cook until the chicken is done. Remove and place into a serving dish.

    In a small skillet or heavy saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the chile oil and lightly fry the chopped peanuts and the sesame seeds. Remove from heat and sprinkle over the chicken before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

    Huli-Huli Chicken

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    This recipe and others can be found in the article “In Hawaii, Barbecue Means a Luau” by Mike Stines, Ph.B.

    Ingredients

    1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken

    For the huli sauce:
    3/4 cup dark soy sauce (shoyu)
    1 cup pineapple juice
    1/2 cup honey
    1/3 cup brown sugar (Hawaiian cane preferred)
    3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
    1/4 cup ketchup
    2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
    1 teaspoon Asian chile paste
    Coarse kosher salt to taste
    Freshly ground black pepper to taste

     

    Instructions

    Split the chicken down the backbone, removing backbone but leaving the halves attached at the breast.


    In a medium mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ketchup, ginger, chile paste, salt and pepper. 


    Place the chicken in a large zippered storage bag and marinate, refrigerated, at least 4 hours.

    Roast the chicken over medium-high direct heat, turning and marinating often, for about 1 hour or to an internal thigh temperature of 175° F.