Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine Recipe made for Vitaclay

Rediscovering an old-world solution to the question of how to keep meals interesting: the creative use of spices. Vivid seasonings like coriander, cumin, preserved lemons, are becoming more common, and are being used in surprising new ways in today’s kitchen. This dish is named after its clay-cooking vessel: the Tagine, a Moroccan classic.

Ingredients:

•   1 onion, coarsely chopped
•   2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•   1 red bell pepper, chopped or sliced in strips
•   2 tomatoes, chopped
•   1 teaspoon whole or ground cumin seeds
•   1 teaspoon ground ginger
•   1 teaspoon turmeric
•   1 cinnamon stick
•   1 tablespoon homemade Harrissa (see below)
•   ½ cup white wine
•   ½ cup chicken broth
•   1 pinch of saffron (steeped in hot broth)
•   1 ½ pound thin chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper
•   2 preserved lemons, chopped
•   12 green olives, roughly chopped
•   a bunch of parsley, finely chopped

For the home-made Harrissa:

•  3 fresh red chilies, roughly chopped
•  3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  1-2 lemons, juice and zest
•  4 tablespoons olive oil
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the chilies, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil into a food processor or mortar and pester, and blend into a rough paste.  

Directions:

1. Add all of the above ingredients to VitaClay® Pot.
2. Cover and cook on the “Stew” setting to cook for about 30 to 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. When ready to serve blend in chopped cilantro and a few sprigs on top for garnish. Make sure that olives and preserved lemons are visible when serving for presentation.
3. Serve on a bed of steamed couscous.

Feeds about 6-8 people.