Moroccan Jewry: Moroccan Chicken Tagine

January 3, 2007

Until the eighth century, Jews, Berbers (the indigenous people of Morocco), and Arabs lived peacefully together, and many Berbers even converted to Judaism. By then, the city of Fez had become an intellectual center for the Jewish people and produced many well-known Hebrew scholars. For most of their history, however, the Jewish people lived in ghettos.

In 1863, Sir Moses Montefiore, a British Jewish financier and philanthropist, traveled to Morocco to liberate some imprisoned Jews. He was not only successful, but also a great influence on the sultan, who granted equal rights of justice to the Jewish people in 1864. That, no doubt, set the precedence for the 20th century when the Jewish people enjoyed much favor in Morocco. In 1956, the Moroccan king declared Jews as equal citizens, and Jewish people have since held various political positions in the government.

The Jewish Agency speaks highly of the contribution of Moroccan Jews to Israeli society. They have established over 100 agricultural settlements in Israel, and many have served Israel as ministers, Knesset (Parliament) members, and mayors. One of their traditions has become a popular event throughout Israel: Mimouna, a feast held at the end of Passover to remember the splitting of the Red Sea. We will look at that in detail in our next issue.

Their cuisine is a mixture of many cultures. The Arabs introduced Eastern spices and the addition of fruit and honey to savory dishes. The Spanish Jews imported tomatoes, potatoes, and olive oil, and British traders brought tea. Moroccans are famous for 20-course feasts, pigeon pie, slow-roasted lamb, and tender chicken stews, largely undiscovered by the rest of the world. They use herbs such as chervil, garlic, fresh coriander leaves, mint, and parsley, which are blended with spices such as aniseed, cayenne, cinnamon, cummin, ginger, paprika, pepper, saffron, and turmeric. Onions, olives, pickled lemons, almonds, and sesame seeds are also used. Couscous is considered their national dish, but is usually prepared with vegetables, herbs, and spices, rather than meat.

Try our Moroccan tagine recipe. Its name comes from the conical pots used to slow cook the stews over smoking embers of a fire. When you sit down to eat, thank the Lord for bringing the Moroccan Jews home to Israel!

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

2.5 lbs. (1 kg) chunks/pieces of chicken or lamb
1 tbsp. ras el hanout (Moroccan spice)
1 tsp. saffron
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. sugar (optional)
1/2 cup olive oil

2 onions, coarsely chopped (optional)
8 oz. (225 grams) of prunes or raisins
2 tbsp. honey (optional)
4 oz. (100 grams) almonds toasted in olive oil

Mix the 1/2 cup of oil and dry ingredients together, and marinate chicken for an hour and a half. Then saute onions in some olive oil. Add the meat, with slotted spoon, and brown. Add the marinade and cook for up to an hour. This can be done faster in a pressure cooker. Rinse prunes, add to chicken, along with optional honey, and cook for 20 minutes. Sprinkle grilled almonds on top, and serve with rice or couscous. To find ras el hanout, go to www.answers.com

 

Photo Credit: