Wild Artichoke Tajine Food

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAJINE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup grated onion, and the oil.
• Rinse the preserved lemons, and remove the pulp. RESERVE the lemon peel for later use.
• Add the lemon pulp to the mixing bowl. Add the chicken. Mix everything together and place in a large plastic bag to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. (Twenty-four hours really gives the chicken the best flavor.)
• In a large Dutch oven or casserole, place the chicken and marinade; add the stems of the parsley and cilantro, the rest of the grated onion, the powdered saffron and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
• Remove the cover, stir the chicken and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
• Remove the chicken to a serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm. Keep sauce on stove and begin to reduce.
• Slice the preserved lemon peel into thin slices and add to the sauce along with the olives, parsley and cilantro. Reduce until the sauce is just a little thick. This shouldn't take more than 5 minutes at most.
• Uncover the chicken and remove the skin from the chicken. (It doesn't look pretty and who needs the extra fat.) Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

MOROCCAN LAMB OR BEEF TAGINE WITH PEAS AND ARTICHOKES RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine meat, onions, garlic, olive oil, parsley, cilantro, and spices (except for the saffron) in a pressure cooker or wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring several times to turn meat and brown it on all sides.
• Add about 3 cups of water, cover, and increase heat to high until pressure is achieved or liquids boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook with pressure for 25 minutes (or simmer conventionally for 40 to 60 minutes).
• Add peas, artichokes, and saffron. If liquids are not level with vegetables, add a little more water. Cover, bring back to pressure and cook for 12 to 15 minutes (or simmer for 25 to 30 minutes) until vegetables are tender. Check seasoning and If necessary, reduce liquids until a rich sauce has formed.
• Serve with Moroccan bread for scooping up meat and vegetables.
• Gather the ingredients.
• If using freshly shelled peas, parboil for several minutes; drain, and set aside.
• Coat base of tagine with a little olive oil. Slice an additional onion into rings and distribute rings on bottom of tagine.
• In a bowl, mix meat with remaining olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, spices, and chopped cilantro and place over sliced onions. Add mixture to the tagine, taking care to arrange meat in middle.
• Surround meat with peas, then arrange artichokes all around.
• Swirl about 2 1/2 cups of water in bowl used for meat to "rinse" spices from sides of bowl, and add to tagine. Add a little more water if necessary to barely cover the peas.
• Close tagine and place over medium-low heat. (A diffuser is necessary if cooking over an electric burner and recommended for other heat sources as well.) Stay patient while tagine reaches a simmer-it could take some time. Once liquids have reached a simmer, continue cooking tagine for about 3 hours, checking liquids once or twice in the last hour of cooking and adding a little bit more water only if you feel it's necessary.
• The tagine is done when you can easily break meat apart with fingers. If necessary, continue simmering uncovered to reduce sauce.
• Garnish as desired with strips of preserved lemon. Serve dish directly from tagine with Moroccan bread on the side for scooping up meat and veggies.

MOROCCAN TAGINE WITH OLIVES AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir chicken, onion, and garlic in hot oil until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.
• Stir garbanzo beans, diced tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, artichoke hearts, carrot, olives, sugar, lemon juice, salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper into the chicken mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

EASY STEAMED ARTICHOKES WITH TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Make a bowl of acidulated water: Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into bowl along with the lemon halves; set aside.
• Using a serrated knife, cut off 1/2 inch from the top of an artichoke. Remove any small leaves from the bottom and trim stem so artichoke can stand upright. Use kitchen shears to trim sharp tips of artichoke leaves. Transfer to acidulated water, and repeat with remaining artichokes.
• Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water and add tarragon and a pinch of salt. Set steamer basket in pot, making sure water doesn't seep through holes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer.
• Place artichokes stem side up in steamer and season with salt. Cover pot and steam until bottoms of artichokes are very tender when pierced to the center with the tip of a paring knife, about 40 minutes. (Add more hot water if necessary to maintain level during cooking.)
• To make the tarragon butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in chopped tarragon and lemon juice, and season with salt.
• Place an artichoke on each plate, remove the center leaves and with a spoon gently scrape down to the heart. Serve with lemon wedges and warm tarragon butter on the side for dipping.