Holey Cluck!

This is the kind of dish that makes garlic breath totally worth it, to say nothing of the garlic burps!

What? I never pretended to be a classy lady.

There are a few flavour combinations that never fail to excite me, and they're usually indigenous to places a lot warmer than the British Isles and with considerably more frightening insects. Thai, Indian, Mexican, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines are all charactarisd by the generous amounts of fresh mint, citrus and coriander to foil the firey chillies and smoky spices that are essential parts of their culinary identity.
As much as I love European foods, there's something so lively and almost celebratory about a plate of food filled with such contrasting colours, textures and flavours. It scratched a culinary itch that meat and two veg never could.

Moroccan food, with the characteristic combinations of harissa spices, contrasted with creamy tahini dressings, fruit and cooling salads is something I've loved since I can remember and never gets old. Guaranteed to give you serious garlic breath, it's the kind of thing that makes your whole mouth feel like it's on vacation, whatever the weather outside.

This dish isn't strictly Moroccan, more like a Moroccan who's having an affair with a Lebanse with loose morals. It's fairly quick and definitely easy to make, with the harissa being the most time-consuming part. I usually make about 4 times this much and just keep it in a jar in the fridge under a little olive oil.

Harissa-Spiced Chicken with Cool Rice Salad 
Serves 2, takes 1 hour (ish)

2 each, chicken thighs and drumsticks (or if you're cooking for Cauldron Boy, 2 breasts;-) Skin removed, bones left in.
1 cup plain yoghurt

For the harissa:
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh red chilli, sliced
2 tsp red chilli flakes
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp sea salt

For the salad:
1 cup (240ml by volume) basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water
7cm (3") cucumber (English/hothouse) de-seeded and diced small
1/2 cup pistachios, blanched for 15 minutes and leathery skins removed, roughly chopped
 4 radishes, diced finely
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 sm clove garlic, crushed
2-3 (depending on size) sprigs of fresh mint, leaves pulled and finely chopped
Juice of one fresh lemon
1 tbsp olive oil

Tahini sauce:
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 tbsp tahini
1 small clove, garlic, finely grated
2 pinches, salt

To serve:
coriander (cilantro) leaves
sliced pickled onions or gherkins

To make the harissa, put all of the ingredients into a pestle and mortar and grind well to form a semi-smooth paste.
Use a very sharp knife to cut lots of slits in diagonal rows all over the chicken. This will help the marinade penetrate the meat well and will look attractive when served.
Mix the yoghurt with the harissa and then add the chicken pieces, rubbing the marinade well into all the cuts, nooks and crannies then put the dish off to the side at room temperature while you do the rest.

Rinse the rice really well until the water runs clear, then in a small saucepan, add just shy of 1 1/2 cups of water and a little salt and bring to the boil. As soon as bubbles start to break on the surface, turn the heat almost all the way down, cover the pan and leave the rice to cook for 6-7 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed.
When the rice is cooked, tip it into a bowl and drizzle over with the tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 of the lemon juice. Fluff well with a fork to coat each grain and prevent sticking. Set to the side in a cool spot until no longer steaming, then pop in the fridge while you prep the veggies for the rest of the salad.

To cook the chicken, put your grill on HIGH and put the grill pan underneath to allow it to get as hot as possible. When stonking hot, place the chicken on the rack of your grill pan and put under the grill, closing the door and leaving to cook for 7-8 minutes, until black sports start to appear, then turn over and give it another 5 minutes. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

To make the tahini dressing, simply stir the ingredients together well until smooth. If it's not loose enough for you, add a little more lemon juice.

Serve the chicken with the rice salad and a big spoonful of the tahini sauce. Scatter with the coriander leaves and your choice of pickled veggies.

I'm terribly sorry about the appalling photos, they're even worse than usual I'm afraid... Moroccan Style Chicken

Moroccan Lamb for Lovely Women (and dudes)

Yesterday, I drove to Bridport in Dorset, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I was visiting my Aunt Jane and my lovely, lovely cousin Jennifer for the day and night. Jenny lives in Germany so I don't get to see her much, which is such a shame because there are few people in the world whose company I enjoy more.
When we were planning my visit, as I often do, I said "I'll cook!" and so I arrived with a lot of my spices and some other bits and made this super easy lamb tajine. It's brilliant for cooking for friends because after the initial bit of work, you just leave it to work its own magic while you drink a glass or three of wine and catch up with your favourite people.
I didn't take a picture of mine last night, but this is what it looks like

Moroccan Lamb Tajine With Apricots And Olives
Serves 4, 30 mins prep, 90 minutes cooking time
1kg lamb leg, cut into large chunks
2 large onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cm knob ginger, grated
1 preserved lemon, zest only, finely chopped
12-15 dried apricots, halved
8 large, green olives with the pits still in
2 tbsp harissa (or to taste)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp olive oil

In a large casserole or tajine, heat the olive oil over a med-high heat and fry the harissa and spices for about 30 seconds before adding the chunks of lamb. Stir the lamb well into the spices and cook for several minutes, browning the meat well on all sides. Stir the onions, ginger and garlic into the lamb and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring periodically until the onions are beginning to soften.
Add the apricots, olives and preserved lemon zest, then pour over a cup of water. Reduce the heat to low, cover and leave to cook for 90 minutes or so, checking every so often to make sure the moisture levels don't get too low. If after the 90 minutes, there's a little too much moisture, just remove the lid and turn up the heat a little.

Serve with over cous cous infused with a little paprika and freshly grated lemon zest. Scatter with chopped parsely.

Have another few glasses of wine and watch Priscilla Queen of the Desert with the women folk.

Lamb Tangine