Discovering

Passport & Plate - Chicken Tagine

Morocco | Saturday, March 7, 2015 | 1 photos

Ingredients
3 tablespoons stem ginger in syrup
1 stick soften butter

2 teaspoons Velvet salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and/or drumsticks)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions cut into wedges
6 large cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
5 saffron threads, crushed
1/2 pound butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 pound sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 pound parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup fresh herbs of choice

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Combine stem ginger and butter in a small bowl and mix. Loosen skin on chicken and rub ginger butter mixture underneath skin.
2. In a small bowl combine salt, crushed red pepper, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture evenly over chicken; rub in with your fingers.
3. In a 4-quart Pressure Cooker heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until brown, turning occasionally. Remove chicken. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to PC. Add onions, garlic, and saffron; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add squash, parsnip and sweet potato. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture; toss gently to coat.
4. Return chicken to PC; add broth. Seal and simmer, covered, for 20. Add raisins and dried cranberries; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F for breasts, 180 degrees for thighs and drumsticks) and vegetables are tender.
5. Mound Saffron Jollof Rice in bowl. Using a slotted spoon, top rice with vegetables first and then chicken; drizzle with honey. Spoon desired amount of pan juices over chicken. Sprinkle with cornbread, and top with okra fries. Serve.

 

The story behind this recipe
My birth name is Jumoke. It's Nigerian and means "Everyone loves this child". Though I was born in America and my parents as well; I've always felt connected to Africa. After all, it is where my ancestors are from. Those ancestral ties have always pulled at my soul.

I have many passions in life. One of the most profound passions is my love affair with food. It is what I breath. One of my other passions is culture. Because I have not been able to travel the world and visit every culture on the planet; I often have a "stay-cation" there by connecting with the food. My efforts to connect with Africa have driven me to the foods and recipes of the massive continent.

Morocco is known for many things. One of the first things I found was the connection between Morocco and tagines. Discovering tagines was like finding a long lost relative. There was an immediate connection. All of those rich robust flavors latched to my taste buds like a familiar hug from your grandmother. Not only that it brought me closer to the culture and why tagines were created in the first place.

Over the years I have recreated tagines over and over in many flavorful and powerful ways. My favorite creation is the one I am sharing here. This recipe is a capsule of me and Africa all in one. The intense ginger, the warm spices and the lovely textures just scream JUMOKE! Whenever I want to feel "home" I make this dish. I hope you too can connect with it the way I have.