Caxton magazines staffWhen Kundra Bowley entertains, she gathers her friends around a decorative Moroccan table to eat slow-cooked tagine with home-baked bread. What else would you expect from the owner of the decor shop Moroccan Warehouse (021 461 8318)?
INGREDIENTS
- 2T olive oil (or half olive oil and half sunflower oil)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 12 chicken pieces, including the skin (I normally do two pieces per person)
- handful whole green beans, ends trimmed
- 2–3 carrots, cut into chunks
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- lemon preserve (about ½ a lemon’s worth)
- a few strands saffron
- ½t turmeric
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2–3T fresh parsley, chopped
- pinch ginger
- scattering of olives
- chicken stock (optional)
- rustic bread and Moroccan salad, to serve
METHOD
1. Put the olive oil, onion and garlic into the base of the tagine* (traditional Moroccan cooking pot).
2. Pack the chicken pieces tightly together on top of the onion. Place the green beans and carrots on top.
3. Add the salt, black pepper, lemon preserve, saffron and turmeric and pour the lemon juice over the whole lot.
4. Sprinkle with the parsley, add the ginger and top with the olives.
5. Place the tagine on top of hot coals on the braai. Cook for about 1½ hours until the chicken is tender. Check every 30 minutes to see if it is getting dry; if so add a few spoons of chicken stock or warm water. If there’s lots of liquid, place a spoon between the base and the lid of the tagine so the moisture can escape.
6. Serve in the tagine with the rustic bread and salad.
*Cook’s notes: You can use any slow cooker or even make the tagine in a potjie. Soak the base of the tagine in water before cooking; the clay will absorb the water helping to retain moisture. Protect your table when serving from the tagine as the base will be very hot.
This recipe serves 6.
