Judd's Hill

This is a methodology I am working on to duplicate the Tangine preparations with the intense spice flavors of that region.  The idea is to make a spice mixture which will impart the maximum infusion of flavor into the chicken.  The first thing I did was to concoct a spice mixture which I thought was appropriate:

 

For One Large Chicken

 

3 T            cumin

1 T            tumeric

½ t            garlic powder

2 T            brown sugar

2 T            kosher salt

¼ t            cayenne

½ t            cinnamon

a couple of grinds of pepper

 

(I think I would add a teaspoon or so of fresh ginger when the garlic is added to the saute’ in the future).

 

This formula is wide open to adjustment and additional spices can be considered, like ginger.  One could also do the same methodology to make the chicken more of an Indian style by changing the spicing  and making a chicken curry by adding some yogurt to the gravy.

 

I used:

 

A large chicken with the backbone removed.  You can do this yourself, but if the market has a butcher, they will do it for you (Vallergas or Whole Foods).  Don’t get a chicken so large that it will not fit spread eagle in your Dutch oven or large deep skillet (with an oven proof handle).

 

4 - T olive oil

med onion diced

1 large carrot diced

3 cloves of garlic chopped

¼  cup honey

low sodium chicken stock

a little white wine

canned garbanzo beans

green olives

one or two lemons cut into small wedges

1  T of Wondra flour

tomato paste in a tube

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

In the morning prep the chicken by loosening the skin from the breast, legs and thighs.  Make a paste from the spice mix and a little lemon juice, saving about a third of the dry spice to sprinkle on the bird.  Spread the paste under the loosened skin.  Sprinkle the remaining dry spice over the chicken, put the chicken in a plastic bag and refrigerate until two hours before the meal.  Several hours is good marinating time.  The cooking time for the whole dish will be about an 1½ hours.  Take the chicken out of the fridge and let come up to room temperature about ½ hour before starting.

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350o

 

Heat the olive oil in the pan and saute’ the chicken on each side until it turns a very attractive golden color on the skin side.  Remove the chicken with tongs to a plate.

 

Saute’ the onion and carrots for a couple minutes in the chicken pan.  Add the garlic (and maybe some fresh chopped ginger) and saute’ for an additional 30 seconds.   Add the chicken broth, wine, and enough (don’t overdo it) tomato paste to slightly color the broth.   Make just enough broth so it will come up about  1½ inches on the chicken.  Stir in the Wondra and simmer for an additional minute.  Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up, and paint or drizzle the honey all over the chicken skin.   Toss in the olives, lemon wedges and garbanzo beans.  Bake uncovered in the 350o oven for 45 minutes to an hour.  Baste the chicken a couple times with the gravy.

 

Carve the chicken into 2 legs, 2 thighs and 4 or 6 pieces of white meat breast (one piece with wing attached) and spoon sauce with garbanzos, olives and lemon wedges over.

 

Serve with rice or some other starch which will appreciate the great gravy.

Or how about some great north African bread to sop up the sauce ?