Chicken Tagine

An amazing Moroccan cook named Naima taught me to make this dish. If you ever have the chance to buy a tagine (a clay cooking pot) it is worth it just to make this dish. Serve the finished meal boiling hot and eat it the traditional way -- straight from the clay tagine. By the way, I have adjusted this recipe to use chicken breasts (which are more common in the West) but in Morocco you would more likely get a cut such as a thigh. Any piece of chicken will work just fine.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 3 -4  chicken breasts
• 2  cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 -2  small onion, sliced into rings
• 1  teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄4 cup  oil (not olive oil)
•  salt and pepper
• 3 -4  carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 1 -2  potato, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 -2  tomatoes, cut into wedges
•  olive, to garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oil in the tagine over a low heat and sauté the garlic and onions for a couple minutes.
2. Mix in some turmeric, then lay the chicken breasts on the bottom and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover and let the chicken brown on one side, turn and continue cooking until the other side is brown.
4. Spread the carrots and potatoes evenly around the meat, add about 1/2 cup water and then cover again.
5. Continue cooking over a low heat.
6. When the vegetables are nearly cooked, sprinkle the tomato wedges over the top along with some more salt and pepper.
7. Cover and cook until the vegetables are done.
8. Add a few olives, if desired.
9. Bring to the table while it is still bubbling.