Moroccan Casablanca Chicken Stew

One of my Moroccan tagines

Have you seen the movie classic "Casablanca"?  Well I first fell in love with Morocco when I saw this movie.  I am disappointed to say that I have not yet been to Casablanca or to Morocco!

I first fell in love with Moroccan food when a little Moroccan restaurant opened in Chapel Hill, NC.  It was only open for a few years much to my dismay.  The ambiance was beautiful… warm & cozy with beautiful low tables and cushions, elegant oriental rugs, and gorgeous dinnerware.  Once I walked in I was forever smitten!  The food did not disappoint and I have been a lover of Moroccan cuisine ever since!

Being the proud owner of 2 authentic Moroccan tagines and a modern Emile Henry one, I feel compelled to put on my Moroccan chef’s hat from time to time and either make my tried & true or experiment with new dishes.

That being said, I strayed a bit and made this most recent recipe in my beloved slow cooker!  Yes I did and it turned out perfectly.  If I had been having a dinner party, I could have transferred everything into a tagine and no one would have known the difference!

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless & skinless chicken breasts

1 pound boneless & skinless chicken thighs

5 carrots, peeled & sliced

2 large onions, thinly sliced

1 cup dried, chopped dates

1 cup raisins (preferably golden raisins but “regular” will do)

1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth (more if necessary)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (or Wondra)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Spray your 5-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Place the carrots and onions in the slow cooker.

Add the chicken to the slow cooker and top the chicken with raisins and dates.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the broth, tomato paste, flour, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and ground black pepper.

Pour over the chicken mixture in the slow cooker. 

Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.

Serve in bowls with couscous, orzo, or rice.  (Note that couscous is more common in Morocco but I love it with orzo!).  Nice accompaniments are pita bread and a cucumber salad.  You can top it with sliced almonds and a bit of cilantro as garnish!  Yummy!!!