Cooking the North Africa

Recipes One: Chicken Tagine with Couscous/Tagine Mseer Zaytoon

This classic Moroccan stew is simmered slowly to produce a rich broth with a subtle lemon flavor. It is served over couscous.Almost all the couscous sold in the United States is precooked. Even in Morocco and other North African countries, cooks used precooked couscous because it saves so much time.

Chicken tagine:

2 chicken breast halves (about 1/2      1. Sprinkle chicken pieces with 

         lbs.), skinned*                                   salt and pepper.

                                                                     2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven

                                                                     or stockpot over high heat.

2 chicken leg quarters (leg and            3.Add chicken, cooking 3 minutes on . 

thigh), skinned**                               each side, or until browned Remove chicken

1/4 tsp. salt                                                4. Add onion and garlic to the pan andcook   

1/4 tsp. black pepper                                30 seconds, stirring constantly.

1 tsp. olive oil                                             5. Add chicken, chicken broth, olives,

1 c. chopped onion (about 1 large          cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil.

onion)                                                         6. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.

2 garlic cloves, minced                             7. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous. Measure 

3/4 c. chicken broth                                   water into a medium saucepan. Add salt and couscous.

3/4 c. pitted whole green olives              8. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon                             until water is absorbed.

1/2 tsp. ground ginger                               9. Mix in olive oil and fluff the couscous with a 

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind                      fork to break up any lumps.

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice                            10. While couscous is cooking, turn chicken over  

1 tbsp. minced cilantro                             and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.

1 tbsp. minced parsley                              11. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon     

Couscous:                                               and arrange on aserving plate around couscous.***

2 c. water                                                12. Add lemon rind, lemon juice,cilantro, and parsley  

1 tsp. salt                                                  to pan.Cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

2 c. couscous                                         13. Spoon sauce over chicken and couscous

3 tbsp. olive oil                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                             Preparation time: 2 min

                                                                                                 Cooking time: 75 min

                                                                                                        Serves 3 to 4

                (*) Carefully remove skin from chicken with a sharp knife. Insert knife at edge of chicken piece between skin and meat, slit and remove skin.You can also purchase chicken with the skin already removed.

              (** ) After handling raw chicken or other poultry, always remember to thoroughly wash your hands, utensils, and preparation area with soapy hot water. Also, when checking chicken for doneness, it’s a good idea to cut it open gently to make sure that the meat is white (not pink) all the way through.

             (***) Traditionally, 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil would be stirred into the couscous just before serving, but this oil is optional.

                Recipes two: Chickpea and Carrot Stew/Tagine Bil Hummus

This is a country-style stew that might be served when a family cannot afford lamb or poultry.Chickpeas are a staple of North Africa.

1/4 c olive oil                                   1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven 

                                                            over medium-high heat.  add onion and cook                 

1 large onion, finely diced             6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

3 garlic cloves, minced                   2. Add the garlicgarlic, cilantro, turmeric,    

                                                             cinnamon,cayenne pepper,carrots, and the            

12 fresh cilantro sprigs,                   reserved liquid from the chickpeas.

minced                                                Reduce heat to medium, cover,

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric                 and cook 20 minutes, Or

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon               until carrots are tender. 

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper                    3. Add the chickpeas, pepper,

                                                                  and salt. Heat through.

3 carrots, peeled and cut into           4. Sprinkle with cilantro 

diagonal slices, 1/4-inch thick           before serving over cousco

2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained 

 liquid reserved

1/2 tsp. black pepper                                                   Preparation time: 25 minutes                                       

1 tsp. salt                                                                        Cooking time: 30 minutes  

minced fresh cilantro for garnish                                            Serves 4