How to prepare a Moroccan Tagine

Food in Morocco plays an important role in traditional life. From weddings to baptisms of circumcisions, is the basis for social gatherings and celebrations. From couscous and tagines pads, delicate flavours are a mixture of flavors of many civilizations. Arab, Berber, Middle East, French and Jews are just some of the influences on what is now recognized as Moroccan cuisine.

Over the centuries, the chef of the royal kitchens kitchen refined to create mouth-watering dishes to tickle our taste buds. Apricots, dates, figs and raisins local foods while almonds, pine nuts and pistachios are used exte3nsively. Spices like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, saffron, mint and give a taste of exotic. And the mint tea is the favourite drink, with freshly-squeezed fruit juices to close second.

A traditional Moroccan dish really is a tagine, a stew of vegetables with chicken or beef and dried fruit. The fruit is added towards the end to give an overall sweetness to the plate ... Vegetables are arranged around the meat, which is placed in the center of the plate with the fruit. The tagine is then covered and cooked slowly on a charcoal stove (kanoun). Tagines also contain salted or preserved lemons, giving them a unique taste that cannot be replicated using fresh lemons. Traditionally, the tagine is served with couscous, rice or bread. When you eat, you start out with the vegetables, working on the road for the meat in the center of the dish. Here's a recipe to start on a traditional tagine

Chicken Tagine with prunes and almonds

1 chicken, cut into 6 pieces
Plums 170 g (6 oz) dried, chopped fine
whole almonds, blanched 60 g (2 oz)
1 white onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed
.5 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
.5 teaspoon turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

The day before, prepare the marinade for chicken. Wash the chicken in salted water and drain. Stir garlic with 1 tablespoon of salt to make a paste. Rub chicken and then rinse with water until the chicken is no longer stinks of garlic. Drain and set aside. Rub the chicken with salt, cumin and pepper and leave to stand for 1 hour.

Cover the plums with cold water, add the cinnamon and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or more-until dried plums are tender.

Arrange the pieces of chicken in a 5-quart deep saucepan on medium heat and add the chopped onion, turmeric, ginger, salt, pepper and almond. When the almonds are Brown, remove with a slotted spoon and
drain on paper towels. When the chicken is browned, cover with water, just so the chicken pieces are covered and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add some prunes and prune the saucepan of water and continue cooking until the chicken and prunes are very tender.

Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately.

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