Moroccan Chicken: Authentic Traditional Dish in Clay

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Suitable for any VitaClay Model!

Morocco has a very unique style of cuisine.

The spices and flavors reflect a long heritage of cooking with spices and herbs. Morocco is also home to the Tagine, a traditional clay cooker from that region of the world.

Tagines are very interesting cooking pots, because their shape and material create a unique environment of steaming and boiling for the blending of flavors, and the results are astonishing.

Naturally, here at VitaClay we have a fondness for clay cookers and the foods made in them.Coincidentally, the VitaClay cooker creates similar conditions while cooking food, utilizing both steaming and boiling as well as slight pressure, which speeds up the cooking times while maintaining a fresh flavor, optimal texture, and maximum nutrients.

The clay material also lends to this process, and the results of all types of cooking are fabulous, but you'll have a hard time finding another cooker that cooks Moroccan food as well as VitaClay.

So give your family a new twist on chicken tonight with VitaClay!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken (white and/or dark meat)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 finger-sized knob of ginger, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 onions: one chopped, one sliced
• 1 t turmeric powder
• 1 T each ground cinnamon, coriander and cumin
• 1 butternut squash, seeded and cut into large chunks
• 3 c broth
• 1 T coconut sugar
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• ½ c dried cherries

Garnishes:

• zest of 1 lemon
• mint leaves, chopped
• feta cheese, crumbled
• couscous, cooked
• yogurt

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown in a heated skillet for 3-4 minutes
2. Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, process the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic into a paste
3. Fry the sliced onion in the oil from the chicken until it's soft, then add spices and fry another minute until it's fragrant
4. Add the paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes to soften
5. Add the squash, broth, sugar, vinegar, chicken and spiced onions & paste to the clay pot
6. Close, seal and cook on “stew,” "fast," or "hi" for 30 minutes
7. Add the cherries and stir, then let the dish sit on warm while shredding the chicken with 2 forks
8. Stir again, taste, and season with more salt if needed
9. For the garnish, mix chopped red onion, lemon zest, mint and feta and scatter over the dish when serving
10. Serve over couscous and with a side of yogurt