Chicken Tagine with Apricot and Pine Nuts | The Food of Morocco

If I have to pick my absolute favorite one-pan chicken dish, the chicken tagine with apricot and pine nuts gets the price. It has taken me a while with multiple repeats to get the chicken tagine just right. I’ll try my best to share with you a framework of the recipe so you can be successful in making it. Still, I’m convinced that cooking a tagine is more an art than a science; the outcome can vary widely. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. It also helps to start with some tried-and-true methodology.

Can you cook a tagine without using a tagine pot?

Yes, you can. But it’s not optimal.

The reason is the tagine pot assumes two functions: first as a steamer, second as an oven. It’s possible to use a cast-iron pan to fulfill both of these functions. Anecdotally, I’ve found the earthenware to be more effective and user-friend to get the result I want than a cast-iron pot.

The tagine pot is able to moisten the chicken evenly. It’s more forgiving when you need to adjust the cooking time. It’s the best tool to slow-braise chicken and other meats. Apparently, the conical-shape lid of the tagine pot is more capable to circulate air and moisten the chicken while it cooks. In addition, the aroma from cooking in the earthenware is qualitatively different from that of chicken roasting in a cast-iron pot (both in the heated oven).

What spices do you need for tagine cooking?

In Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco, the spices used are: ginger, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. These are the quintessential Moroccan spices used for chicken tagine. They are the everyday spices I stock in my pantry. If you don’t have these component spices, the short cut would be to get a ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice mix to flavor chicken, lamb and cous cous. You’d get a pop of the pungent warm flavor you find in Moroccan cooking.

Phases of tagine cooking, the process and what to look for?

• Marinate: When time allows, it’s best to season the chicken thighs with salt, garlic, saffron water (optional) and Moroccan spice mix. Coat the chicken with the spice mixture on all sides and under the skin. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes.
• Sear the chicken in a cast-iron pan: Instead of browning the chicken under the broiler to get some color on the chicken at the end of cooking, I prefer to sear the chicken in a 12-inch cast-iron pan. There are several reasons for that. Using the same pan, you start to sear and then render the chicken fat. All to be used to caramelize the chopped onion for the next phase. The cast-iron pan has the advantage due to its capacity to withstand high heat more so than a ceramic pot. The chicken pieces get firm and browned nicely when you sear them under high heat. The meat keeps its shape, meanwhile meat-off-the-bone tender, even after the long and slow cooking. Then set aside the chicken.
• Develop the flavor base: Using the cast-iron pan, in which you sear the chicken, with the remaining chicken fat, cook the onion until it is soft and translucent. (As onions cook, they release moisture and cells begin to break down, causing them to soften. Sugars are released and as they heat up, both caramelization and a common chemical reaction in food occurs, called a Maillard reaction.) Caramelizing the onions and the Maillard browning are crucial for flavor development. Next, deglaze and release the fond, the caramelized bits left in the bottom of a pan, by adding some hot water. Notably the fond is highly desirable; its development works better in a cast iron pan with heat.
• Slow cook and steam the chicken in a covered tagine pot: Add the chicken, the cooked onion and some water in the pan. A quarter-cup of water seems to be the norm. Bring it to a boil. Cover the cast-iron pan or on a similar-sized tagine base with the conical tagine top. Now you have the option to cook the chicken tagine on the stove top or in the oven. A bare simmer on the stovetop or oven temperature at 350°F. The idea is to allow steam to recycle in a moist environment and slow cook the chicken for about 45 minutes. I prefer to cook the tagine in the oven because the oven temperature stays relative steady throughout. I don’t need to check the progress as frequently as I’d have to when cooking on the stovetop. It’s because stovetop cooking is mostly bottom-up, hotter at the bottom which requires regular monitoring to prevent the chicken pieces from sticking.
• Tagine as an oven: At the end of the steaming phase, you see less recycling of moisture and more roasting inside the cooking vessel. Keep in mind that the clock is only a rough guide. A reliable clue to look for is that rings of browning start to appear. At the same time, the liquid at the bottom of the pan starts reducing. Not enough liquid, add more water. (Not ready, step back and let it steam longer.) Now, it’s time to add the apricots and other fruits. Roast for another 30 minutes or until the chicken flesh is nearly falling off the bones. Expect the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven to intensify.
• Reduce the pan sauce: What left at the bottom of the pan is the incredible sauce. You may need to reduce the sauce further to attain sauce-like consistency on the stovetop. Remember that the sauce tends to thicken overtime at room temperature.

What I love about this chicken tagine is the beautiful sear — off the bat. The succulent texture, falling-off-the-bone tenderness as you bite into the chicken thigh is seductive. The combination of the sweetness of the apricot and the subtle, but lingering, warm spices makes for a signature Moroccan culinary experience you don’t want to miss. The sauce is well balanced and lively, in all dimensions of sweetness, savory note and heat. I’m so obsessed with the dish which I look forward to make again and again!