#kitchenbits

Just about all winter stews and casseroles fit into this category. These are the foods that warm you from the inside out. Winter makes such harsh demands on us that these meals most often have a nostalgic component- the chicken casserole your grandmother made, the beef stew that carried you through algebra in February or even the after hockey practice Sloppy Joes.

By the time spring rolls around we’re ready for green around us and on our plates. Fiddleheads, asparagus, ramps, lettuces, peas and beans. Bury me in green.

But some Springs don’t come skipping down the lane gathering songbirds and lilacs along the way. Some Springs are surly and given to hiding behind torrential downpours and purse-snatching winds. Nasty business.

It’s too late in the year for me to make another stew. I’ve had my fill. Another mac and cheese would fit the bill, but not my wardrobe, so I’m looking to another country altogether for some lift.

I’ve never been to Morocco. I’ve seen the pictures and heard plenty of stories most of which involved some 70′s haze and dodgy characters, but it’s the food that attracts. Morocco’s most famous food profile is couscous, bold spice, and slow cooking in a tagine. Turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and ginger play leading roles. The history of the country means there’s a melding of many cultures in the kitchen-Berber, Arab, Moor, Ottoman and French. This dish is an amalgam rather than a faithful recreation of a traditional dish, but it’s sunny and just the thing to brighten a grey day.

 Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp salt

½ preserved lemon diced and 1 tbsp lemon juice or ¼ cup lemon juice

2 tsps ground cumin

1tsp cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

Pepper to taste

1 small cut up chicken 1-2 lbs   (save backbone for stock) cleaned and patted dry

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large can diced tomatoes (796 ml approx. 27 ounces)

1 large can chickpeas, rinsed (540 ml approx 19 ounces)

¼ cup sultana raisins

¼ cup chopped fresh coriander

 Method

Mash garlic and ½ teaspoon salt with a mortar and pestle until a paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in lemons and/or lemon juice, and dry spices.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cast iron is the best if you have one.

Sear chicken until lightly browned. About 5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.