Chicken Tajine Made Easy

I was searching for a warming meal that had the characteristics of fall, dried fruits and spice combinations. Finding a Chicken Tajine recipe, I simplified it, so that ordinary folks could enjoy the ancient casserole from North African 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This dish was originally made in a cone shaped tajine earthenware pot, but I cooked my dish in a HEATH 12” casserole dish with lid and it turned out splendidly.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 cup of olive oil

2 cups of okra

1 cup of prunes 

1/3 cup of shallots

2/3 cup of onion

1 cup of cilantro

1 cup of Italian parsley

2 Tbsp. of lemon juice

1 ½ Tbsp. of chopped garlic (5 large cloves of garlic) 

1 Tbsp. of chopped ginger

1 Tbsp. heaping of turmeric 

1 Tbsp. heaping of cinnamon

1 Tbsp. salt

½ Tbsp. black pepper

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

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

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

Cover the chicken with lid and place in oven on 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 Tajine 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.

This recipe serves 4.