Chicken, Carrots and Ginger Tajine

Some moroccan recipes I just whip up without following a recipe. Dishes I made for years... My fridge is quite empty and I didn't make it yet to go to the grocery store as my kids are all home most of this week (I hate doing the grocery with my kids). So my yesterday's tajine lacked olives, fresh parsley and fresh cilantro but still was so good.

This Tajine will sound like very strong spice-wise but actually, it's delicate in taste and flavours. I remember I made it once at my parents-in-law home. My very conservative in taste canadian father-in-law smelled the aroma of the cooking tagine and told me, in a worried tone "you know that I don't like spicy food do you?" I promised him the aroma might sound like a lot but the dish itself will be delicate and light. He agreed when he tasted it.

I used organic baby carrots this time because that's what I had in hand. When I have regular size carrots, I remove the heart and cut the carrots "allumettes" fashion (exactly like the McDonald's fries in shape and size).

Usually, I add rinced olives too at the end of the cooking, just a minute or two before removing from heat. I didn't yesterday, I didn't have any in the fridge. If you decide to use olives, I highly recommend the violet (is it purple in english?) coloured ones. Kalamata olives are perfect for exemple.

I had to adapt my moroccan cooking to my life in Montreal. I don't always think to make moroccan preserved lemon. Shame on me! It's a nice addition to this tagine (one preserved lemon added with the water and spices, then discarded when ready to serve.) Dont even think about buying moroccan preserved lemons in a jar! It tastes terrible! I'll make some this week-end and post the recipe. It's easy and quick to make, then you just forget about them for few weeks before using.

Oh, and I don't use an actual tajine dish to cook this. Mine is too small for us (we're 5 at home). I just use a heavy bottom pot with a tight fitting lid.

Chicken, Carrots and Ginger Tajine

1 whole (organic preferably) chicken, cut up in 4 to 8 pieces.
1 piece (2.5 cm/1 inch) fresh ginger
3 or 4 onions (depending on their size) roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600 to 800 grams baby carrots or matchstick-cut carrots
1 cup (250 ml) water
1.5 or 2 teaspoon salt (depending on how you like it salted)
Black pepper to taste
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons good quality dry powdered ginger
1 tablespoon good paprika powder
1 moroccan preserved lemon cut in quaters (not used here but sure a nice addition if you have it)
1 cup (250 ml) olives, rinced (not used here but sure a nice addition)
3 tablespoons each of fresh chopped cilantro and parsley (not used here but sure a nice addition)

Scatter in the heavy bottomed pot (in this order) the chicken pieces, the fresh ginger piece, the onions, the garlic, the quaters of moroccan preserved lemon and the carrots.

In a bowl or measuring cup, mix together the water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, ginger powder and paprika powder. Mix well and pour evenly over the carrots in the pot.

Bring to a boil than lower the heat to medium/low. You should obtain a very gentle simmer. Cover tightly. You may thing there's not enough water in there. You have more than enough. The very gentle, slow cooking of this meal will produce natural juices and you'll end-up (normally) with enough broth. Just be carefull that you have a very gentle simmer.

Simmer until your chicken is cooked. The time will depend on the size and type of your chicken. I use organic chicken which meat is firmer and longer to cook than conventional chicken and I had to cook for 1.5 hours yesterday. But I suggest you check on the doneness of you chicken with a fork. The carrots may be just "al-dente" but that's ok. Since I used baby carrots yesterday, they were cooked tender.

When chicken is cooked, rinse the olives and add them to the pot. Scatter the parlsey and cilantro and let cook 1 or 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat and serve with rice or fresh crusty bread.

Bon appetit !