Chicken and pumpkin tagine, Choumicha Acharki

For 4 people

• 1⁄2 kg chicken breast 
• 1⁄2 kg pumpkin 
• 100 g cherry tomatoes 
• 1 onion, 
• 1 sprig parsley 
• 4 tablespoons argan oil 
• 1 teaspoon salt a pinch of pepper, ginger and saffron pistils

Preparation and cooking time: 2 hours
Cut the chicken breast into medium-large pieces. Pour two tablespoons argan oil into a pan and brown the finely sliced onion for five minutes. Add the diced chicken, spices (pepper, ginger, saffron) and parsley. Add a glass of water and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. Dice the pumpkin into pieces the same size as the chicken. Add them with the cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook on higher flame for 15 minutes. As soon as the sauce is a creamy consistency, turn off the heat. Arrange the diced chicken, pumpkin and tomatoes on a dish. Cover with the sauce and complete with two tablespoons of argan oil before serving.

Enjoy!  

Tajine of kid with zucchini and pinenuts

Tajine of kid with zucchini and pinenuts
Gad Azran

For 4 people

• 600 g kid meat (shoulder and leg)
• 2 liters chicken stock
• 1⁄2 kg small zucchini,  
• 250 g white onions, 
• 2 cloves garlic, 
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 bunch parsley, 
• 100 g grilled pinenuts
• 15 saffron pistils, 
• 5 g powdered ginger, 
• 5 g turmeric, 
• 3 g black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salted butter, 
• 1 glass peanut oil, 
• 1 glass culinary argan oil

Preparation and cooking time: two hours and a quarter, plus marinating time

Cut the kid into small pieces and remove the fat. Leave the meat to macerate for four hours with the ginger, turmeric, pepper, bay leaves, garlic, butter and peanut oil. Put the macerated meat into a pan, cover with the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Lower the flame and cook for at least two hours.
In the meantime wash and cut the zucchini in two and finely slice the onions.
After 30 minutes cooking, add the onions and saffron to the meat and 10 minutes later, the zucchini. Finish cooking on a low flame.
Place the meat, vegetables and pinenuts on a serving dish. Add the argan oil and decorate with parsley.

Moroccan lamb tagine with Argan oil.

This authentic tagine recipe will take you to slow-cooked perfection in six simple steps – just kick back with a glass of wine until it’s ready.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 1½ tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 x shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in chunks (about 1.1kg/2½lb meat in total)
• 2 large onions, grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp argan oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 570ml/1 pint tomato juice
• 2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 115g/4oz dried apricots, cut in half
• 55g/2oz dates, cut in half
• 55g/2oz sultanas or raisins
• 85g/3oz flaked almonds
• 1 tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water
• 600ml/1 pint lamb stock
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Preparation method

1. Place the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of argan oil in a large casserole dish. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes.
4. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides then add the browned meat to the casserole dish. De-glaze the frying pan with ¼ pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the pan.
   
   
   Watch technique1:18 mins
5. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.
6. Place the lamb in a tagine or large serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Serve.

Top recipe tip

Argan oil is a Moroccan oil from the argan tree. You should be able to find it in specialist Argan shops, like Shop Morocco

By Antony Worrall Thompson

Natural Argan oil and Cream

Argan oil is well known for it's anti-ageing properties, Due to high levels of Vitamin E and saponins, which soften the skin. It can help to reduce wrinkles by restoring the skin's water lipid layer and it also cools and soothes inflammation. Its antioxidant properties help to neutralise free radicals. Yet it does all this quite naturally.

Moroccan Whiskey

Moroccan Tea, lovingly refered to as Moroccan whiskey

Mastering the art of making Moroccan tea is well worth the effort it involves. To make about a litre of tea, first heat the teapot. Add about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of green tea, a handful of fresh whole mint leaves with their sprigs intact, and between 150 - 180 grams of lump sugar. Swirl the liquids around and then quickly pour out the water, taking care not to lose any of the leaves or undisolved sugar. (Moroccans swear this takes the bitterness out of the tea). Add the mint and and more sugar to taste and pour in about 1 litre of boiling water. Let the mixture brew for about 6 - 8 minutes.

The technique of pouring the tea is almost as crucial to the success of hosts as the quality of the tea they use. This becomes easier to understand when one realizes that all Moroccan tea pots have long, curved pouring spouts and this allow the tea to be poured into even the tiniest of glasses from a height of half a metre or more. Practice is definitely advised before trying this with your guests. Moroccans like their tea lightly flavored by herbs, only rarely is it served "neat". The most popular herb added to tea is mint

The origin of tea in Morocco is much debated. Several theories attribute it to various sources. One claims that Morocco's taste for green tea evolved from the first Phoenicians who visited the area. Another asserts it originates from Andalusia at the time of the Spanish reconquest. Yet another hypothesis extends further back in time to the Berbers, the first inhabitants of North Africa, who originally came from Central Asia.

Lamb tagine

Lamb tagine serves 4

Ingredients
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground black pepper
1½ tbsp paprika
1½ tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 x shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in chunks (about
1.1kg/2½lb meat in total)
2 large onions, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp argan oil (see note)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
570ml/1 pinttomato juice
2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
115g/4oz dried apricots, cut in half
55g/2oz dates, cut in half
55g/2oz sultanas or raisins
85g/3oz flaked almonds
1 tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water
600ml/1 pint lamb stock
1 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped



Place the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of argan oil in a large tagine. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes.
In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides then add the browned meat to the tagine. De-glaze the frying pan with ¼ pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the tagine.
Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender, sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Serve.

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

For 2-3 people

* 1 small chicken around 1 kg, quartered
* 2 large sliced onions
* 1 tsp. powdered ginger
* one pinch of saffron (best if pistils)
* 2 preserved lemons
* 1 cup green olives
* 1 cup lemon juice
* sea salt
* pepper
* 1 cup water
* Argan oil

One hour before preparation, marinate chicken with sea salt, lemon juice and a cup of water in a large bowl.

Heat Argan oil in a large pot or tagine. Cook sliced onions until they start to change color. Add ginger, pepper, saffron and chicken. Add water. Remove the pulp of the preserved lemon and mix it in the Cuisinart. Add to the pot. Cut the skin into quarters. Add to the Tagine. Cook on a low flame until the chicken is soft and easily falls off of the bone. You don’t want it to be too dry, or too chewy. Add olives before serving.
And Enjoy!