[CH] Chicken Tajine with Olives and Lemon

Shantihhh@aol.com
Mon, 17 May 1999 22:31:58 EDT 

Made this for dinner the other night as it is a favorite of my daughter's.  
Thought it probably qualified for a CH recipe as it is hot!  Harissa makes it 
so good.  The preserved lemons, golden raisins, olives, and chiles are real 
tasty together.  The Harissa out of the can or tube woks, it's just not as 
hot as what you make yourself.  The preserved lemons are really worthwhile 
when you have extra lemons and it keeps for over a year and really adds to a 
lot of dishes. Sometimes I add some dried chiles to the lemons which is even 
better.

My chiles are growing and happy in the garden raised beds and pots.  I'll 
figure out some new ways to use these lovely new varieties I am growing.  
Once the harvest begins I'll let you know what seeds are available from my 
many collected varieties of India, Thailand, Philippines, Africa, South & 
Central America, etc.

Mary-Anne

Chicken Tajine with Olives and Lemon

2 tabs. olive oil or ghee
1 medium chicken
           or
2 Cornish Game Hens
2 medium onions grated
3 garlic cloves crushed
1-3 hot chiles chopped finely
1 lemon sliced
      or 
1/2 preserved lemon cubed
few strands of saffron
2 tsp. grated or pureed ginger
3 tabs chopped Italian Parsley
2/3 cup pitted ripe green olives
2/3 cup pitted Calamata olives

Pour just enough oil to coat the bottom of large sauce pan.  Put in whole 
chicken/Cornish Game Hens.  Add the onions, garlic, chiles and lemon.  Add 
these along with the saffron, ginger, salt and pepper.  Turn the bird/s over 
to coat with mixture, set over medium heat and cook covered for about 30 
minutes, turning several times.  If mixture becomes too dry add a little 
water.

Add the parsley and olives as you like.  Now cook for about 45 minutes 
turning time to time.

Couscous

Prepare 2 cups of couscous with 2 cups chicken broth and 1 tab. butter.

Add 2/3 cup golden raisins
I can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 cups steamed (ala dente) baby carrots

Serve the Tajine with the couscous and large amounts of Harissa*

Harissa can be purchased in a can or tube or make your own.

Harissa
 (Moroccan-Style Hot Spice Blend)

20 whole red chili peppers fresh*

 Here is where you can get creative Habs, Thai Dragons, Cayenne, or whatever 
combination you like together.  I love the flavor of the Thai Birds, but it 
takes a lot to make it worth while like hundreds!

 4 whole plum tomatoes
 2 cloves garlic
 1 teaspoon ground cumin
 1 teaspoon coriander
 4 teaspoons red cayenne pepper * optional 
vinegar

Remove stem and seeds from peppers.
Put everything into blender or Mortar & pestle and process till smooth. Add
vinegar to reach desire consistency.

This is another version of Harissa I make sometimes

1 cup dried chile peppers
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 tab coriander seed
1 tsp salt *optional

Pound and put in jar, cover with oil


      Preserved Lemons
 
      5    Lemons
    1/4 c  Salt; more if desired
      1    Cinnamon stick
      3    Cloves
      5    To 6 coriander seeds
      3    To 4 black peppercorns
      1    Bay leaf
             Dried Chiles as desired
           Freshly squeezed lemon juice
           -- if necessary
 
 Preserved lemons are wonderful.  I love their silken texture and unique 
pickled taste.
 They are so tasty with lamb and vegetables tagines, recipes for chicken with 
lemons
  and olives, and salads. The taste can't be duplicated with fresh lemon or 
lime juice.
 
 The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are
  completely covered with salted fresh lemon juice.  With this recipe you can
  use the lemon juice over and over again.  As a matter of fact, I
  keep a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when I 
   have a half lemon left over, I toss it into the jar and let it marinate 
with the rest. 
 Use only wooden utensils to remove lemons.
  
  Sometimes you will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to
  preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be
  rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used.
  Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty
  taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds.
  
  To make preserved lemons: 
  
  Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2" of the bottom, sprinkle
  salt on the exposed flesh, and then reshape the fruit, just quarter them.
  
  Place 1 tb. Kosher salt on the bottom of a sterilized one-pint mason jar.
  Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the
  optional spices, between layers.  Press the lemons down to release
  their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons.  (If the
  juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add
  freshly squeezed lemon juice -- not chemically produced lemon juice
  and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
  
  Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to
  distribute the salt and juice.  Let ripen for 30 days.
  
  To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and
  discarding the pulp, if desired -- and there is no need to refrigerate
  after opening.  Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the
  pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a
  year.
  
 * The best way to extract the maximum amount of juice from a lemon is to 
boil it in water for 2 or 3
  minutes and allow it to cool before squeezing.