Tagine with chicken and sesame

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 chicken legs
• 1 kg tomatoes
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 stalk(s) Celery
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 basil leaves
• 6 sage leaves
• 2 tbsp honey (acacia honey)
• 1 jar chicken broth (preferably homemade)
• 1 sprig(s) of thyme
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp allspice d’Espelette
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 can saffron
• 100 ml olive oil (extra virgin)
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Rabbit tajine with sesame (here with chicken instead of rabbit)

I was looking for a good tagine recipe with chicken and couldn’t find one in German databases or forums, so I started searching in French, since there are significantly more people from the Maghreb living in France than here. The result blew me away, so I wanted to share the recipe here. As you can tell from the original title of the recipe, it was originally written for rabbit legs, but it was absolutely delicious with chicken, not to say excellent. Piment d’Espelette is very difficult to find in Germany, so I replaced it with ground chili; it’s certainly different, but just as good. Now for the preparation: Cut the tomatoes crosswise and scald them in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then peel off the skins. Then cut the tomatoes into very small cubes to make a concassé. Heat half the olive oil in a saucepan, fry the tomatoes and reduce the heat for about 4 minutes, then add the honey and cinnamon. Simmer, stirring constantly, until a thick, almost caramel-like mass forms, then let it cool. Heat the remaining olive oil in a tagine dish (best over a charcoal fire). If you don’t have a tagine, the dish can also be prepared in a casserole dish. Sauté the shallots in the not-too-hot olive oil until translucent. Mix well and add the finely chopped garlic, saffron, paprika, and Espelette pepper. Add the chicken thighs and coat them well in the spices, ensuring they are coated on all sides. Add the celery, carrots, thyme, and sage. Pour in the chicken stock and mix well. Put the lid on the tagine dish and let the dish simmer gently for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the chicken thighs. Add the tomato confit with honey and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Let the tagine cook for about another 20 minutes. During this time, toast the sesame seeds and pine nuts in a dry pan over high heat, ensuring the seeds take on a good brown color. Chop the basil leaves and sprinkle the finished tagine first with the sesame seeds and pine nuts, and finally with the chopped basil. I served this dish with spicy bulgur. A light, well-chilled rose from Provence goes perfectly with this light, thoroughly Arab-Maghrebian dish, which really should be prepared, if possible, on a charcoal grill, and especially with homemade chicken broth.