From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I haven't shared many Moroccan recipes with you since we returned from our last adventure. While Moroccan food is delicious, our meals while in-country were repetitive, and in some cases, quite involved to make. Tagines were served daily, and while their contents varied, it was difficult to get precise recipes for them because they were usually eaten in the home of Moroccan families. Morocco is a fascinating country and it seemed foolish to spend undo amounts of time rummaging in kitchens, when there was so much else to learn. So, I surrendered to the limitations of the day, bought cookbooks when I could and mingled rather than mixed. I still haven't gotten to those cookbooks, so, today's recipe comes from Saveur magazine. As soon as I saw the recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. It is for an extremely simple chicken tagine that can be made without purchasing special ingredients that you'll never use again. The word tagine describes a dish and the vessel that it is made in. They are basically stews that can be made with small amounts of well-seasoned chicken, lamb or beef and extended with simple readily available vegetables. They are served with an assortment of small-plate dishes that are collectively called Moroccan salad. Tagine is usually served with couscous or bread, but only one of them will be served at the same meal. I've made a few changes to the Saveur recipe. I blanched the lemon slices to keep the sauce that forms as the tagine cooks from becoming bitter. I used six chicken thighs instead of the combination of legs and thighs suggested in the original recipe. I also used a tangine, the cooking vessel, to make my version of this tagine and baked it rather than let it simmer on a surface burner. It is nearly effortless to make and it truly is delicious. While this may be an acquired taste, I'm happy to report it had my socks going up and down. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the tagine is made.
