LAWRENCE MURPHY: Tastes from the markets of Marrakesh

CHICKEN, GREEN OLIVE AND SUMAC TAGINE Serves 4
Chicken, green olive and sumac tagineChicken, green olive and sumac tagine
Chicken, green olive and sumac tagine

The classic French potato dish Pomme Boulangere gets its name due to the fact that, in the past, you took your prepared potato to the baker's, who put them in the oven to cook. All you had to do to for this service was to buy your weekly bread from them.

The same system of cooking also appeared in Morocco where a tagine full of meat and spices are taken to the baker for cooking.

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For both of these dishes you don't need a baker's oven and you don't even need a traditional conical tagine cooking pot to cook a fabulous chicken tagine that evokes memories of the markets in Marrakesh.

This recipe is gently spiced with sumac and green olives, and is subtle in flavour rather than overpowering. You could always add a small green chilli but be careful not to overpower the green olives.

This is best served with some steamed couscous, and yoghurt drizzled on top.

 

Ingredients

4 chicken legs, cut into thighs and drum sticks

1 onion, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, sliced

16 green olives, roughly chopped

1tbsp sumac

1tsp ground ginger

1/2tsp paprika

200ml chicken stock

100ml white wine

Seasoning

 

Method

1. Fry the chicken in olive oil until browned all over.

2. Set the chicken aside and heat a casserole dish with a splash of olive oil in it.

3. Add the onion and garlic and cook for five minutes.

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4. Now add the sumac, ginger and paprika and cook for one minute.

5. Add the white wine, chicken stock, olives and chicken.

6. Lightly season, bring to a simmer and cover with a lid.

7. Place in a pre-heated oven (150C, gas 3) for 90 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven, taste the stock and add more seasoning before serving.

Lawrence's restaurant is Fat Olives, Emsworth. Visit fatolives.co.uk or call 01243 377 914.