Why It Works
- Delicate heat and the pure juices from the onions and hen are all you need for this simple however deeply flavored stew.
- Retaining the vessel coated all through cooking traps that moisture, creating the dish’s juices.
- Dried figs, pistachio nuts, and spices add layers of style and a combination of textures.
Most braised meat and stew recipes on Important Eats start with a meat-searing step, nevertheless not this one— reminder that there’s a couple of method to assemble unimaginable depth of style in a dish. Whereas this isn’t a traditional tagine, it makes use of the delicate cooking methodology frequent to many tagine recipes along with acquainted North African flavors, along with warmth spices, dried fruits, and nuts.
What Is a Tagine?
The phrase tagine can seek advice from every the cooking vessel—often a shallow earthenware dish with a conical lid—and the meals that’s prepared in it. On account of the earthenware is prone to cracking beneath extreme heat (or from quick temperature modifications), it is a necessity to utilize a further delicate flame, which coaxes out the juices from the aromatic greens like onion and garlic along with the hen, making a rich fat-slicked broth that bathes the meat, chickpeas, figs, and pistachios. Warmth spices like ground ginger, turmeric, and, optionally, floral saffron, add rather more depth.
Numerous Vessels and Elements
In case you should not have an exact tagine, do not be involved. This recipe may additionally work in a Dutch oven. Merely protect the lid on (moreover whilst you typically stir to forestall one thing from sticking and burning), to lure all that moisture important to kind the braising liquid.
You might also use this recipe as inspiration for irrespective of you should have in your pantry. No dried figs? Dried prunes, apricots, or raisins would possibly work too. No pistachios? Attempt blanched full almonds.
Rooster Tagine With Pistachios, Dried Figs, and Chickpeas Recipe
Prepare dinner dinner Mode
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1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
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1 large or two medium yellow onions (about 1 pound; 450g), thinly sliced
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6 medium garlic clovessmashed
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
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1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
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Pinch saffron (non-obligatory)
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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4 full hen legs (about 3 kilos; 1.3kg full), break up into drumsticks and thighs
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6 ounces (170g) dried figs (about 25 figs)
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1/2 cup shelled roasted pistachios (about 2 1/2 ounces; 70g)
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1 1/2 cups (9 ounces; 255g) cooked and drained chickpeas or one drained 15-ounce can chickpeas
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Picked leaves of current herbs like mintcilantro, and/or parsley, for garnish
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Cooked prolonged grain rice or couscous, for serving
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In a tagine or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until merely shimmering. Stir in onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and saffron (if using), and season with salt.
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Season hen all through with salt and pepper and nestle into the onions along with the figs and pistachios. Lower heat to medium-low, cowl, and put together dinner, stirring and scraping the underside of tagine or pot typically to forestall sticking and scorching, until hen is cooked through and registers 165°F (75°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour; lower heat at any stage if the onions seem like sticking and browning quickly (a bit little little bit of browning is okay, nevertheless you want each half to arrange dinner gently).
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Change hen to a serving platter, stir chickpeas into onion mixture, and proceed to arrange dinner until warmed through. Season onions and chickpeas with salt, if needed. Spoon onion and chickpea mixture along with cooking juices, figs, and pistachios on excessive of hen. Garnish with picked herbs and serve with warmth rice or couscous. (Alternatively, you might return the hen objects to the tagine and serve from there.)
Explicit gear
12-inch tagine or 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven
Make-Ahead and Storage
The finished dish could also be refrigerated in an airtight container for as a lot as 5 days.