It’s that time of year again; when we all start fretting what to make for the high holidays…specifically Rosh Hashanah. Most cooks have their go to dishes for Rosh Hashanah while others may still be searching for the one. When entertaining for the holidays, I love an all encompassing dish that can feed a crowd and looks impressive. I also want a main dish that doesn’t need to be served straight after it’s been cooked. On Rosh Hashanah we tend to have food waiting for us….and we do eat it…eventually after everyone sits down. Made for sharing, a tagine is the perfect centerpiece for your festive table. Just like my Roasted Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Roast Chicken Tagine is served straight from the vessel used to cook it and can sit wrapped up in a warm place and is ready when you are.
My Roasted Chicken Tagine celebrates the vegetables gathered at the end of summer harvest, where zucchini is still in its abundant glory. This dish also embraces hearty staples of the coming season; butternut squash, chickpeas, and warming elements of ginger and hawaij.
What is Hawaij?
Hawaij is a Yemenite spice blend that uses warming spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, etc. Hawaij is delicious in soups, stews, chicken, meat, and fish dishes.
Why it works!
What makes this chicken tagine different than all other tagine dishes? (I feel like this question belongs in a different holiday…sounds familiar…doesn’t it.) I have committed tagine sacrilege a bit because the chicken and the butternut squash are cooked before they enter the tagine. Searing and roasting the chicken before it finishes cooking in the tagine allows the fat and the gristle to render off; leaving you perfectly tender chicken. The chicken and squash merely finish off cooking in the vegetable tagine; absorbing all the lovely flavors from the spices, the saffron infused stock, and caramelized vegetables.
This tagine requires a few steps, but all of them are simple and fast. You can also prepare this tagine without the chicken for a hearty vegetarian main dish.
(See this article on Jewishboston.com here)
Roasted Chicken Tagine
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 5 Chicken Thighs skin on (roughly 2 lb, 8 oz)
- ½ Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- Less than ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Teaspoons Lemon Zest
- 1 Tablespoon Dark Honey
- 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Tagine
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil divided, plus extra as needed
- 1 Large Onion peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 2 Zucchini about 4 cups, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 Can (15.5 oz) Chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 Inch Piece Fresh Ginger peeled and minced
- 4 Garlic Cloves about 3 tablespoons, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Hawaij
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- Salt to taste
- 1 ½ – 2 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
- 4 Saffron Strands
- 1.5 – 2 lb Butternut Squash peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
- ¼ Cup Green Olives cut in half
- 2 – 3 Tablespoons Parsley and Cilantro minced
- Roughly crushed toasted almonds optional, for serving.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410 degrees. Preferably convection roast.
For the Chicken Thighs:
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- In a small bowl, combine cumin, garlic powder, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, dark honey, and olive oil. Stir well to combine. (If you find the marinade too thick, drizzle in a little extra olive oil)
- Trim excess fat off the chicken thighs, pat dry, rub marinade underneath the skin and on the bottom of each thigh.
- Heat a 12 inch heavy bottomed pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Working in batches, sear chicken thighs, skin side down, for 2 minutes until skin is a dark, golden brown. Flip the chicken and sear the bottom for 1 minute and transfer, skin side up, to the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Roast chicken for 35 minutes, or until juices run clear and an inserted thermometer reads between 175 and 180 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and set aside.
For the Squash:
- While the chicken is roasting, line a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss cubed butternut squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and kosher salt to taste.
- Roast in the oven for about 35-45 minutes, until the tips of the squash cubes are a deep color and the squash is firm but tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the tagine:
- Heat a 12” (3.5 qt) cast iron braiser (with a lid) with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Saute onions until they are translucent and the edges turn golden brown, about seven minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the cubed zucchini and continue cooking for five minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the rinsed and drained chickpeas, garlic, and fresh ginger. Cook for 1- 2 minutes, until ginger and garlic are fragrant.
- Add the hawaij, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, stir and cook for one minute, until the spices are toasted and fragrant.
- Add 1.5 cups of vegetable or chicken stock and stir.
- Add the saffron threads. Adjust salt to taste.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover the braiser, and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Add cooked butternut squash and olives to the tagine. Stir carefully.
- Nestle the chicken thighs amongst the vegetables.
- Cover, and let simmer on a low flame for an additional 15-25 minutes
- Serve the tagine in the braiser, sprinkled with minced parsley, cilantro, and crushed toasted nuts.
Notes
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