Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Nigella Seeds

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced into rings
• 1 whole chicken (with or without skin), cut in half or into pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, toasted lightly and ground
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, toasted lightly and left whole
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• 1 cinnamon stick, optional
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon smen, optional
• Handful of fresh cilantro sprigs, tied into a bouquet, for garnish
• 1/2 preserved lemon, cut into 2 quarters, for garnish
• Red or violet olives, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Pour the olive oil into the base of a tagine or the bottom of a wide pot or Dutch oven. Distribute the sliced onion over the bottom.
3. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the chopped onion, garlic, ground nigella, whole nigella, and spices. Arrange the chicken bone side down in the center of the tagine or pot, and distribute the chopped onions all around.
4. Swirl 1/3 cup of water in the bowl to clean it of the spices, then add the water to the tagine or pot. If using smen, add it to the liquids.
5. Garnish the tagine with the cilantro bouquet, lemon, and olives. Follow one of the cooking methods below. 

https://www.thespruceeats.com

Thai Green Curry with Zucchini and Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
• 2 to 4 ounces Thai green curry paste, such as Maesri
• 2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk, such as Chaokoh
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces cuttlefish balls, thawed if frozen (optional)
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into thick half-moons
• Fish sauce
• Granulated sugar
• Tamari or soy sauce
• Cooked rice or rice noodles, for serving

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart (or larger) Dutch oven or heavy pot set over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the curry paste. Be cautious, as it will sputter. Fry the paste for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. This will be quite pungent, so turn on the fan or vent!
2. Scoop the thickened coconut solids out of both cans of coconut milk, leaving the watery milk below, and add to the pot. Fry these solids for about 2 minutes along with the curry paste, until the oil starts to separate out, forming beads on top of the curry paste. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
3. Add the remaining coconut milk and the cuttlefish balls if desired. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the fish balls are warm, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the zucchini and simmer just until tender. Taste and adjust seasonings with fish sauce, sugar, and tamari soy sauce until it is balanced enough for your tastes. Serve over rice or rice noodles.

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-easiest-thai-green-coconut-chicken-curry-recipes-from-the-kitchn-15663

Poulet Basquaise

Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, about 4 lb, cut into 8 pieces Salt Pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper or piment d’Espelètte 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp butter 2 red bell peppers, cut into fine julienne 2 green bell peppers, cut into fine julienne 1 onion, thinly sliced 16 ounces canned Italian plum tomatoes 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 cup water 1/2 cube chicken bouillon or 1/2 cup light chicken stock or broth (See Note) 3 sprigs of flat parsley, finely chopped Rice pilaf Instructions: Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Heat the large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the butter. When the butter has foamed and subsided, add the chicken, skin side down, and brown on that side only. Remove the chicken and set aside on the plate. Add the peppers and onion to the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the wine, scraping, scraping—as always—to get the good stuff up. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, then add the water and the bouillon. Return the chicken to the pot, making sure to add all the juice on the plate. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken to the platter. Crank up the heat to high and reduce the sauce for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with rice pilaf. http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/poulet-basquaise