Now I’m not entirely sure whether a tagine originates from Morocco or not*, but I know that it’s from vaguely that area and for that reason making this dish reminded me of the little trip into Morocco that I once took with a group of friends. I say ‘little trip’ because it was just that –one tiny ‘day-trip zip’ across the water from southern Spain and down to a city called Tétouan via mad death-defying taxi ride. (*OK, so I just checked and it does, so we’re good here so far with this story).
This place was really a bit too far away to travel there and back to in just a day, but, intrepid 20-year-old travellers that we were, we did it anyway … and ended up being sort of glad that we had and sort of not. At first we had nothing at all to be unhappy about as we explored this beautiful Moroccan city complete with white-washed houses, decorative mosques and UNESCO-listed medina or old town teeming with craftsman such as jewellers and leather workers.
The medina was also teeming with carpet shops. Oh yes, plenty of carpet shops, which leads me onto the reason we might have been ‘not glad’ about our decision to go to Tétouan. While moseying along the labyrinth of interesting alleys, we let ourselves fall victim to that common-in-this-area-of-the-world-and-others fate of being drawn into the carpet shop of the ‘uncle’ (hmmm …) of a local young man. At first it was all smiles and cups of mint tea and at one point I even remember there being some dressing up in traditional costumes and hats and taking photos on the roof looking out over the beautiful city. It was all very convivial.
And then, of course, began the hard sell. Separated and backed into different corners of the shop, a furious attempt was made to harangue us into buying a carpet … one each, I presume! After many protestations that we were poor students with no spare cash or need for such luxuries, we managed to escape the shop. But there was a catch. ‘Nephew’ was still in tow. We walked around and around the twists and turns of the medina and were soon totally lost, but ‘Nephew’ would neither show us the way out nor leave us alone.
He finally did show us the way back to a main street, but then proceeded to ask us for money. We hailed a taxi and jumped in for our ride back to the port and, would you believe it, ‘Nephew’ jumped in, too. Refusing to leave the taxi, he continued to pester us for ‘his money’ as our taxi set off, threatening to tell the border police that we were drug smugglers when we got there! The cheek! Finally, the angry taxi driver stopped the car by the side of a busy motorway and literally pulled Nephew out of his car. We then got a bit of a telling off from the taxi driver. Oh dear. I have to admit that I was rather relieved to get back onto Spanish soil that day.
If I still had any kind of bad taste in my mouth about this little adventure, then this easy chicken tagine has definitely got rid of it now once and for all. If I may say so, it’s delicious and, of course, a cinch to make. After a little recipe research and deliberation, I decided not to soften my onions or brown my chicken first but to simply layer up my ingredients with slices of onion on the bottom of the pan, followed by garlic, chopped aubergine, prunes, lemon juice, lovely warming spices – cinnamon, ginger, cumin and turmeric – chicken thighs, coriander and parsley. I then poured chicken stock over the whole lot, placed a lid over my pan and let the casserole simmer gently for 45 minutes or so until the chicken was nicely cooked. Couldn’t be easier.
Now as well as ‘tagine’ being a tasty Moroccan casserole, it is also the name of the pot traditionally used to cook it in, as you probably know. I don’t have a picture, but there’s a nice one here
So what’s a girl to do when she wants to cook a nice and easy tasty tagine for you but doesn’t have a traditional tagine to make it in? Improvise, that’s what. I used a wok-style pan with a heavy, flat base and then covered it with a big dome-shaped lid for the simmering stage. The idea of a tagine, apparently, is that the steam produced during cooking condenses on the inside of the lid at the top and runs back down into the stew – the point being to keep your meat lovely and tender and keep all the flavours and juices in.
Half way through cooking, I gave my stew a big stir. At the end, I removed the chicken momentarily and then squished the prunes into the sauce a little … mmmmm.
Maybe one day I’ll feel brave enough to go back to Tétouan, find Nephew and give him a piece of my mind. Or maybe I’ll just find a nice little traditional restaurant and try some food cooked in a traditional tagine. If it’s anything like this yummy dish, I’ll forget all about my slightly hair-raising experience pretty quickly.
Easy chicken tagine
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 2 onions sliced into rounds (I used red but white are fine, too)
- 3 garlic cloves crushed or sliced
- 1/2 a large eggplant/aubergine cubed (or a whole small one)
- 1/2 cup stone-less prunes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus a little extra for sprinking over the dish at the end
- 6 chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds for sprinkling over at the end
- couscous to serve
Instructions
-
Heat up the olive oil gently in a heavy flat-bottomed pan (or a proper tagine
-
Squeeze over the lemon juice and pour over the stock. Put the lid on the pan and let the tagine simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir the ingredients about half way through cooking.
-
Shortly before the end of the cooking time, dry roast the almonds in a skillet/frying pan until lightly browned. Put aside.
-
Serve the tagine with hot couscous. Sprinkle over the reserved herbs plus some toasted flaked almonds.
Recipe Notes
Although I haven't tried it, I suspect that this recipe would work very well indeed using a slow cooker. Let me know if you give it a go!
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Tom @ Raise Your Garden says
02 Jul 14 at 6:24 pmFirst off I like the easy part. With the kid’s we are always looking for quick easy meals. This fits the bill. I had no idea that “tangine” is also the name of a pot. We will be trying this very soon. 🙂
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 2:46 amI always get excited when someone says that they’ll make a recipe of mine. And then a little nervous too because I hope they enjoy it! Haha! Anyway, so glad you like it! Thanks for the encouragement, Tom and Laura. 🙂
Melanie @ Bon Appét'Eat says
02 Jul 14 at 7:37 pmI love the pictures of that recipe Helen! Looks very yummy. I haven’t had a tagine for ever, I love that taste of the prunes.
Is that quinoa you are serving it with? It is a great idea!
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 2:45 amOoooh, well spotted, Melanie! I meant to mention that I served my tagine with quinoa … hubby isn’t keen on couscous. I think I’ll add that to my recipe notes! 🙂
Eva says
02 Jul 14 at 9:31 pmMon mari et moi on adore le tajine et le tien pareil tellement bon!! J’ai le montré tes photos et on a bavé devant l’ordinateur !
J’aime beaucoup tes aventures Helen! Ce jour la, vous l’avais échappé belle!! Mon frère il l’arrivé quelque chose un peu pareil et à la fin pour être tranquille pendant le séjour, ils sont du prendre un “guide” et en fin avec lui, ils sont trouvé la tranquillité !
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 2:44 amAh, c’est une bonne idee, Eva, de prendre un guide et si je reviendrai au Maroc c’est ca que je ferai. C’est un tres beau pays, mais cet aventure a ete un peu effrayant!
Je suis ravie que ton mari a bave devant l’ordinateur quand il a vu les photos … haha! 🙂
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
02 Jul 14 at 10:57 pmAh yes, I remember being hassled during a trip to the Middle East. Some funny stories, some kind of nerved wracking like yours. Anyway, I love tagine. Layers of veggies and chicken make for a comforting meal.
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 2:41 amYup, both nerve wracking and funny at the same time! Happy that you like the tagine, Norma. 🙂
[email protected] TheGastronomicBong says
03 Jul 14 at 1:41 amOh dear, sounds like you had a really bad experience in Morocco… I had recently visited Marrakech.. Oh well, we did get several warnings from friends about the place but thankfully our trip to Marrakech went well.. The food there was amazing.. the kebabs the sausages just wow..
Helen, the chicken tagine looks absolutely delicious.. love the addition of flaked almonds.. delicious vegetables and chicken medley.. 🙂
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 2:40 amWell, I hope I didn’t communicate in this post that I don’t want to visit Morocco again! I would actually love to! I agree that it would be fantastic to sample more of all the amazing food there. So glad you like the tagine – it was pretty delicious although I say so myself. 🙂
Denise says
03 Jul 14 at 3:24 amGood story, great photos, perfect chicken dish.
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 7:59 amThanks so much, Denise! 🙂
cheri says
03 Jul 14 at 5:02 amHi Helen, What a great story, once again your travels sound quite exciting. Oh!! I love everything about this dish, it is a comfort feel good dish and served over couscous, my favorite. Pinned!
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 7:58 amThank you so much for your enthusiasm about this dish, Cheri. I realise that it perhaps isn’t the prettiest dish ever, but it was really delicious with all those spices and the fruity prunes in. I actually ate mine with quinoa, which I forgot to mention, but it’s best with couscous, I think. 🙂
whatjessicabakednext says
03 Jul 14 at 11:40 amI’ve only ever made chicken tagine once and it completely failed and tested absolutely terrible! So I definitely need to give your recipe a go, it looks divine with the couscous. Lovely recipe, Helen!
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 1:08 pmOh, please do, Jessica, and let me know what you thought. I thought this tasted really lovely – I hope you do too! 🙂
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
03 Jul 14 at 1:45 pmImprovising is the name of the game H. Especially exciting as I have never ever added aubergine to a tagine before. Nor have I been to Morocco yet.
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 4:44 pmTo be honest I added the aubergine because I had a half of one left over in my fridge and they are REALLY expensive over here in Australia. Didn’t want to waste a 4 dollar vegetable! It worked really well, though. Glad you like it!
Melanie @ Carmel Moments says
03 Jul 14 at 2:27 pmI love learning new things about food. I never heard of tagine. Looks tasty though!
Have a wonderful day Helen!
Helen says
03 Jul 14 at 4:42 pmOh, so glad to have taught you something today, then! A tagine is really just a spicy, fruity stew. Like a cross between a regular casserole and a curry, I guess. It’s pretty tasty, though. Glad you like the look of it! 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
03 Jul 14 at 5:14 pmI love this recipe! You always have new and unique recipes I’ve never heard of here 🙂
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 3:05 pmReally? I’m really happy to know that, Medha. Thank you so much for saying so! (blush blush) 🙂
Allison says
03 Jul 14 at 5:18 pmThat story is fantastic… but also a little scary. Travelling has its ups and its downs. Way downs. Live and learn!
This looks delicious! Love the idea of using a wok-ish pan too. And prunes. Ahh! I love love love dried fruit in savoury dishes. Moroccan flavours are one of my favourites 🙂 I’d love to go one day! I will just be sure to avoid any sketchy shops hehe. Great story, as always, and fantastic recipes and photos, as always!!!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 3:03 pmThanks for the compliments, Allison … between you, Ashley and Gayle above I’m blushing a bright scarlet right now 😉
You’re right about travelling … there are definitely pros and cons … but let’s face it, mostly pros!
I love fruit in savoury dishes, too … especially with meat. 🙂
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
03 Jul 14 at 5:33 pmSounds like you had an interesting time in Morocco! Definitely makes you appreciate home! I love this recipe, Helen! You always come up with such creative and interesting dishes! I’ve never cooked with prunes before, but now I’m intrigued!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 3:00 pmAw, thanks, Gayle. I take that as a huuuge compliment because I always think I’m not being all that creative at all! I’d had prunes with pork before in France (which is delicious) but never with chicken. It’s good – just very fruity. 🙂
Ashley says
03 Jul 14 at 6:09 pmI love that ingredient shot with the red onions – it’s gorgeous! And this dish sounds delicious. I’ve never been to Morocco … or a lot of places! haha I need to try to travel more : )
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 2:58 pmThanks for the compliment on the photo, Ashley (blush). I probably should have made that one larger then, hey? Don’t worry, there are a lot of places I haven’t been to, either. Like the whole of Africa and South America … oh well, step by step! Happy 4th July!
marcie says
03 Jul 14 at 6:52 pmWhat a story! I can see why it left a bad taste in your mouth. I love chicken tagine, and had the pleasure of having a moroccan chef prepare one for us when I was at cooking school, and I swore I needed to make it at home. It’s such a lengthy process normally, so I love this easy version right here — pinning to try, Helen! And glad you made it back to Spain in one piece! 🙂
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 2:56 pmSo glad you like this, Marcie. I definitely can’t say that this recipe is perfectly authentic (or perhaps not at all!) but it’s definitely something I’ll make again. That would be wonderful to have a Moroccan chef prepare a proper tagine for me, though. I bet you got so many amazing opportunities like that at cooking school!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
03 Jul 14 at 6:58 pmMorocco is at the TOP of my travel list…although it’s probably not the best baby-friendly place, so I guess it will have to wait. I have heard of people and the carpet shop scam, but never being followed like that. What a pain! This tagine looks delicious and love the easy factor 😉
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 2:52 pmYes, a big pain when you just want to enjoy a beautiful place, although as we were so young I think we saw it as more funny than anything else! So glad you like the tagine. The easy factor was what I loved, too. 🙂
Annie @Maebells says
03 Jul 14 at 9:01 pmI have never had anything like this! But I am eager to try! It sounds like such an interesting/delicious combination of ingredients! And I really love your idea of using the slow cooker!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 2:44 pmI do hope you try this some day, Annie – and definitely let me know if you try it in the slow cooker. I think it would work brilliantly!
Louisa [Living Lou] says
03 Jul 14 at 9:13 pmI’m crazy for Moroccan food! I’ve made a lamb tagine in the slow cooker before and it was absolutely delicious! Your visit to Morocco sounds a little scary, I wouldn’t know what to do in that situation, what a great story to have though.
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 1:41 pmYes, I guess it made for a good story, but not so much fun at the time. I actually think this recipe would be great with lamb, too. Mr. Scrummy said that he thought it tasted a bit like lamb. I definitely want to try it in the slow cooker next time, too – I bet it would be perfect!
Chrissy says
03 Jul 14 at 9:20 pmMoroccan food is one of my favorite cuisines out there. I can imagine how turned off you were by the hagglers, since i felt similarly about Istanbul. At least the food was good!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 1:40 pmI’d love to go to Istanbul, and I think I’d be OK with the hagglers and hasslers this time because I’m more used to it. 🙂
Consuelo - Honey & Figs says
03 Jul 14 at 11:25 pmOhh that sounded like a terrible experience Helen 🙁 But the trip looked nice – it sounds like it was a beautiful place!
This chicken tagine looks utterly amazing. I love Moroccan food and spice, so this dish sounds right up my alley! I’d love to try it soon!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 1:39 pmThank you, sweet Consuelo! It was slightly scary because we weren’t used to the culture, I guess. At least I got a crazy story out of it for my blog, though, so I guess I owe ‘Nephew’ some thanks! Well, maybe I wouldn’t go that far … 🙂
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
04 Jul 14 at 1:38 amWhat a harrowing experience indeed, Helen! Yikes. I’ve never been to Morocco but I’ve had Moroccan-inspired food and have enjoyed it. I love the spices in this dish – it looks like comfort food for sure!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 1:37 pmProbably a bit wintery for you guys over there, but great for the Aussie winter! Glad you like it! 🙂
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
04 Jul 14 at 5:26 amEek, that sounds like a scary experience. Crazy people!
This dish looks absolutely delicious! I’ve never had Moroccan food, but I love all the ingredients 😀
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 1:36 pmYup, sort of scary but a little amusing at the same time I guess. Do try some Moroccan food some time – it’s deliciously spicy!
Mariana @The Candid Kitchen says
04 Jul 14 at 2:43 pmHelen, what an adventure! I wish I had more time and money to go exploring the world like this…plus it gives us great inspirations for wonderful dishes. I am not a fan of lamb so this chicken version is perfect for me!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 5:55 pmActually, it’s a long time since I’ve travelled as in backpacked … so I’d like to do that again, too! You’re right that travelling gives you lots of inspiration. The next best thing is going blog-hopping, though! I get SO much inspiration that way, too. 🙂
So happy you like the tagine. I’m not so keen on lamb, either!
Joanne says
04 Jul 14 at 4:06 pmOh my that sounds kind of traumatic!! I really want to go to Morocco someday…but now less so after reading this! Maybe I’ll just cook lots of Moroccan food and pretend I’m there. This tagine looks wonderful!
Helen says
04 Jul 14 at 5:19 pmOoh noo, don’t let me put you off visiting! I think we were just young and naive. Apparently, the best way to see these places can be with a guide. I’d actually love to go back – I think I’ll still avoid the carpet shops though, even if I actually do want one! Glad you like the tagine! 🙂
Monet says
05 Jul 14 at 3:55 amWhat an adventure! I’m glad you made it safe and sound. I’m also glad you shared this gorgeous chicken tagine. I’m saving this recipe for our grocery list this week!
Helen says
05 Jul 14 at 9:16 amOoh, really? I hope you like it, Monet. It’s really really easy so great for a busy weeknight. 🙂
Isadora @ she likes food says
05 Jul 14 at 6:54 amOh, wow! That does sound like a scary experience! I’m glad you made it out alive and carpetless!! I love your stores, Helen! I’ve heard of using a tagine to cook chicken in before, but I’ve never seen or used one before. I’m always looking for inventive and tasty chicken recipes though and this one sounds so good! I love all the flavors and I think my husband might just love them all too 🙂
Helen says
05 Jul 14 at 9:13 amSo glad to have given you a new idea, then, Isadora. 😉
I was very glad to escape from that situation carpetless, too! Haha! Although all these years later I wouldn’t mind a nice Moroccan carpet! 🙂
Liz says
05 Jul 14 at 11:03 pmHow nice that you could bring some of Morocco into your kitchen…sounds a lot more pleasant that your visit! That was some hard sell regarding the carpet! What an adventure!
Helen says
06 Jul 14 at 4:28 pmHaha! Yes, that’s a great way to put it, Liz! 🙂
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
06 Jul 14 at 5:55 amThat’s amazing that he got into the cab with you. I’ve dealt with hard sells before but they don’t usually follow you! 😮
Helen says
06 Jul 14 at 4:26 pmI know! He wanted us to pay for showing us out of the medina … but we didn’t ask him to do that!
Mary Frances says
06 Jul 14 at 11:48 pmWell I’m officially terrified of carpets and Nephews 😉 I would’ve needed a big bowl of comfort food and this chicken recipe would fit the bill perfectly! Pinning!
Helen says
07 Jul 14 at 9:49 amThanks, Mary Frances. Didn’t mean to scare you toooo much! Do visit Morocco some time – just get a guide, I’d say!
Zainab says
07 Jul 14 at 6:03 amThat sounds so scary. Yikes!! Love this dish though…tangines are so full of bold spices and it is amazing!!
Helen says
07 Jul 14 at 9:48 amThanks, Zainab! Yup, thought I would try to get rid of this slightly uncool memory by making a nice Moroccan meal. Seems to have worked! 😉
Fish Fingers for tea says
08 Jul 14 at 8:20 pmAn interesting experience to say the least! The tagine sounds lovely and definitely my kind of sling it in a pot and let it get on with it cooking!
Helen says
09 Jul 14 at 2:39 pmThanks, Sian. So glad you like it. That’s my favourite kind of dish, too. Chuck it in and get on with something else = dinner ready before you know it!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
10 Jul 14 at 4:26 pmI’m under the impression that tagine is from Morocco. I bought one over a year ago and love it. Thanks for this easy recipe. Pinning to my “for my tagine” board.
Helen says
11 Jul 14 at 10:34 amThanks for pinning, Lea Ann, and I would feel very honoured if you made this in your real tagine some day! 😉
Matt @ Inspired food says
14 Jul 14 at 1:33 amLove the sounds of this dish! I’m completely in love with middle eastern food at the moment! Theres a couple of really good cookbooks for this style of food if you want to add to your collection 🙂 Colour of Maroc and Cairo Kitchen 🙂
Helen says
14 Jul 14 at 12:59 pmHi, Matt! Thanks so much for passing by the blog, and thanks for the cookbook recommendations, too. I’ll definitely pop those on my wishlist (growing ever longer by the day!) I especially love cookbooks that focus on a particular country (just bought Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem).