Chicken Tagine

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

pound skinless boneless chicken breast cut into strips,

and patted dry

cup sliced onions

cup coarsely-chopped green bell pepper (abt 1" pieces)

cup thickly-sliced carrots

cup thickly-sliced celery

3 garlic cloves peeled, left whole

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons ground cumin

teaspoon ground coriander

3 bay leaves

2 cups cubed (1") firm ripe plum or

other tomatoes

2 cups cauliflower florets

6 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 lemon - (or to taste) cut into slices

2 cups couscous

teaspoon Harissa paste - (to ¼)

Preparation

In a casserole set over moderately-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. With a slotted spoon transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining oil to the casserole, the onions, pepper, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and bay leaves, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cauliflower and cook, stirring, 3 minutes more. Add the water, bouillon cube, and lemon slices, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, 5 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender.

Return the chicken to the casserole, add the couscous, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the Harissa paste and salt to taste, stir to combine and let stand, covered, off the heat 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves before serving.

This recipe yields 6 servings.