You may think I have been out in the desert just a little too long for my own good and you may well be right. North Africa and France have a long history, not always pretty, but a long history nevertheless and so it should come as no surprise that much of the food, culture and traditions of the North African countries have also found a home in the south of France. I happened to run into an old acquaintance of mine who had led, shall we say, quite a colorful life doing all sorts of interesting things in North Africa; the exact whereabouts I could not tell you as he declined to be any more specific and I always felt if was in my best interest to probe no further as I value my life. He calls himself Luc, speaks perfect French but with a strange accent. I teasingly call him “Beau” Geste as I always had this image of Luc manning the ramparts at Sidi bel Abbes. Anyway, he recounted that when he was posted deep in the North African desert, one of the dishes that he learned to make with the help of some friendly locals was a chicken dish cooked in the familiar tagine (Berber: tajin). He made it for me one night while his wife and I looked on and drank wine and I asked remarkably stupid questions. I marvelled how he handled working the kitchen with his right hand missing a finger. A finger, he told me, that had been bitten off. By whom or by what he always remained silent other than to tell me he lost a bet. He roared with laughter until he was almost crying.
Tagine de Poulet aux Olives et Citrons / Chicken with Olives and Lemons North African Style
Note: Hold your panic if you don’t happen to have a tagine or if you have no idea what it is or what one looks like. Either way you can use a heavy pan, dutch oven type, to make this meal and its will turn out just fine. Trust me, there will be no Saracen’s sword to exact revenge for your foolishness nor will Luc show up looking for a finger, nor will any secret paramilitary group, past or present, come looking for you to correct your faux pas. Just cook and enjoy and…ooops gotta run they’re at the door. À bientôt.
Ingredients
1 chicken cut up, or 6 to 8 pieces of chicken, skinned
salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 cup green or purple olives
2 preserved lemons (if you have none, may I suggest just slicing the whole lemon very thinly it will break down during cooking and will just as suitable.)
Directions
Season the raw chicken with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook the onions in the olive oil on medium heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the garlic, ginger, cinnamon and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.
Pour in the stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate the onion and spices. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on low to medium heat for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is done as you like it.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in the tagine. Reduce the sauce by boiling it on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
Cut the preserved lemon in 1/4 inch pieces, removing the seeds. Mix the cilantro, parsley, olives and lemons into the sauce and than pour it onto the chicken.
Cover the tagine with its lid and place in a hot oven (450°) for 10 minutes.
Serve over rice or couscous. Makes 6 servings.
Comme Vin je Vous Propose
2008 Chateau Miraval
2008 Jerome Quiot Côtes de Provence Rosé
2008 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Château de la Bougerelle