Welcome! - Tajine

Eat It

Food!

That's what it's all about.

I love eating from when i was a little boy. Being a Belgian living in Italy with a world traveling father, I soon learned to enjoy different tastes from all over the world. I enjoyed the Italian way of eating; taking time for your food. 

It didn't take long before I could be found in the kitchen with my head above the pots, eager to lend a helping hand. slowly I started cooking on my own and after high school I went to cooking school to refine my cooking skills. Besides cooking I love eating out. During my travels I try to find small local restaurants and discover the local specialties.

But enough about me, you are here for the food!

I created this blog to keep you posted with recipes and tips on restaurants I find along my way.

I hope you'll enjoy it!

Next is a recipe i learned on my journey in Morocco:

Chicken Tajine with green olives

During my stay with a Moroccan family in Mohammedia, a coastal city, I learned to make this delicious Tajine. It is a really easy dish which takes some time to prepare, but it's definitely worth the wait! 

For the best result you should marinate the chicken one day in advance, it gives the meat time to absorb the flavors and makes it more juicy.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs
• 250 grams green stoneless olives
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 tbs Smen, regular butter or olive oil (Smen is a salted fermented butter from Northern Africa)
• 1/2 Lemon or pickled lemon (Pickled lemon is an often used ingredient in Moroccan cuisine)
• a bundle of flat leafed parsley and cilantro
• ± 125 ml chicken broth

for the marinade:

• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 ts paprika powder
• 1/2 ts turmeric (kurkuma)
• 2cm fresh ginger root, grated
• pinch of saffron
• pinch of cinnamon
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and rub it all on the chicken. Place the chicken in a sealed food bag and leave it in the fridge.

Heat the butter in a tajine or casserole on a low fire. Bake the chicken until it has a little crust, whilst turning the meat add the onions. Put you fire on low and add the chicken broth, the parsley, the cilantro and the lemon. Close the lid and let it simmer on a low fire for at least 2 hours. Check your chicken once in a while and turn it around to make sure it doesn't burn.

Add the olives and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.

Remove the bundle of herbs to serve.

Best served with couscous or bread!

"Bismillah" or bon appetit!

شهية طيبة

April 24, 2013