Eat Moroccan
Three recipes with an exotic flavour
Easy Chicken Tagine
Simple one-pots are perfect for the busy cook. This chicken tagine is great eaten with tabbouleh (cous cous) for something a bit more filling.
Ingredients Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil 8 skinless chicken thighs, or 4 halved if large 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 tsp grated fresh root ginger pinch Moroccan spices (ras al hanout) 1 tbsp honey 400g carrots, cut into sticks small bunch parsley, roughly chopped (optional) lemon wedges, to serve |
Method
Heat the oil in a large, wide pan with a lid, add the chicken, then fry quickly until lightly coloured. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, then fry for a further 2 mins.
Add 150ml water, the spice, honey and carrots, salt and pepper, then stir well. Bring to the boil, cover tightly, then simmer for 30 mins until the chicken is tender. Uncover and increase the heat for about 5 mins to reduce the sauce a little. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Tabbouleh (couscous)
This classic and well-loved Middle-Eastern dish is perfect to serve with fish, meat or chicken
Ingredients Serves 4
250g couscous 4 vine-ripened tomatoes half a cucumber 1 bunch spring onions, sliced 2 x 20g packs fresh parsley grated zest of a lemon 6 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 crushed garlic clove
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Method
Prepare the couscous: Put the couscous into a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water or stock to just cover the grains, and stir. Cover with a plate or cling film and leave to stand for 5 mins until all the liquid has been absorbed. Separate the grains by roughing them up with a fork.
Finely dice the vine-ripened tomatoes and the cucumber. Slice the spring onions and finely chop the parsley, then add everything to the couscous with the grated zest of a lemon.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and the garlic with plenty of seasoning and drizzle over the couscous. Toss well and serve with some grilled fish, meat or chicken.
Hummus recipe I Serves 4
Ingredients
1 can chick peas (drained)
2 tablespoons tahini paste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Half a teaspoon of salt
1 more tablespoon of olive oil (for decoration)
Method
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and combine to make a smooth paste.
- Taste. Maybe it needs more lemon juice or tahini or salt?
- Spoon onto a flat plate and sprinkle over olive oil and maybe finely chopped parsley if you like.
- Serve with warm flat bread or pitta and a salad.
Simple Fool-proof Bread Recipe
(Blame Liz Cousins)
Ingredients
| Bread flour – 6 seed or French | 1.5k |
| Warm water | 1.5 pints |
| Sachets yeast | 2 |
| Salt | 2 teaspoons |
| Sugar | 1 teaspoon |
| Vegetable oil | 1.5 tablespoons |
Method
- Mix everything together, using dough hook if you have one.
- Leave to rise in oiled bowl covered with cling film.
- Once well risen divide into 3 pieces and shape into loaves.
- Place loaves on oiled baking trays and into a hot oven 230 degrees C.
- Bake until bottom sounds hollow when struck.
- Leave to cool on a rack.
Coping with gluts: Kate’s Damson Chutney
Serve hot as an accompaniment to roast chicken, sausages or ham, or cold with a choice of meats or cheeses.
Makes enough to accompany a meal for 6-8.
Do NOT use an aluminium pan for this….
Ingredients
| Damsons | 12 oz |
| Raisins | handful |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon |
| Soft brown sugar or Shop muscovado (good rich flavour so ideal) | 1 heaped tablespoon |
| Cider or cider vinegar | 3 tablespoons |
| Ground ginger | ½ teaspoon |
| Garlic | 1 clove finely chopped |
| Allspice | ½ teaspoon |
| Paprika or pepper | ½ teaspoon |
Method
- Simmer damsons for about 5 mins in a splash of water with the raisins.
- To this mix add the remaining ingredients, stir to mix and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove stones…they usually float to the top!
- Reheat and stir to break down to a smoother texture if wished.
