Moroccan Tagine Chicken Made Easy

I was searching for a warming meal including the characteristics of fall: dried fruits and spice combinations. I found a Chicken Tagine recipe, and I simplified it for you, so you can enjoy the ancient casserole from North Africa dating back to the 8th or 9th century. The dish was mentioned in a text: One Thousand and One Nights. Also known in English as Arabian Nights, it is a collection of medieval Arab, Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Jewish folklore. We are lucky to be able to have such knowledge from the past. 

This dish was originally made in a cone-shaped tagine earthenware pot, but I cooked my dish in a HEATH 12” casserole dish with lid, and it turned out splendidly. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Ingredients: 

3 pounds of chicken thighs 

1 cups of okra

1/2 cup of pitted prunes

1/3 cup of pitted olives (optional)

Sauce:  

1/3 cup of shallots

1/3 cup of cilantro

1/3 cup of Italian parsley

2 Tbsp. of lemon juice

1 ½ Tbsp. of chopped garlic (3-5 cloves of garlic) 

1 Tbsp. of chopped ginger (1 finger)

1 Tbsp. heaping of turmeric 

1 Tbsp. heaping of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of clove

1 Tbsp. salt

½ Tbsp. black pepper

3 Tbsp. chicken broth

First, cut and prepare all your ingredients. In a mixer, combine olive oil, shallots, onion, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. 

Next, rinse and pat dry your chicken. Place the raw chicken pieces in the casserole, skin sides up.

Pour your ingredients over the tops of the chicken, smoothing out so that all pieces of chicken.

Cover the chicken with the lid and place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 1 hour.

After the hour of baking, add okra and prunes to the dish, stirring in to fit in between chicken pieces. Bake for another ½ hour.

Enjoy this delicious Chicken Tagine main course, served hot to your family or guests! I found this dish goes well with a full-bodied wine. I have tried Pinot Noir and Bordeaux, all complex enough to bring out the flavors of this dish. Cooked cranberries on the side made for a nice tart contrast to the sweet prunes.

Alternate version without okra and with olives & prunes. Cooked 1.5 hours straight through with prunes and olives. I used a Le Creuset casserole with a glass lid.

This recipe serves 4.