Mediterranean Chicken With Exotic Accent

Ingredients:

4 lb chicken cut into 8 to 10 pieces
2 large sweet onions
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 dried apricots, cut in half
1/2 cup pitted prunes, cut in half
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup good chicken stock
Harissa to taste 

TIPS: Serve the chicken with couscous, rice or barley or on a bed of flat noodles.

It is also good with very coarse bread and unsalted butter.

 
Preparation:
  • Peel the onions and slice one into thin slices and chop the other coarsely.
  • Distribute the onion slices over the bottom of the stoneware cooking well of the slow cooker.
  • Place half of the chicken pieces on the onion slices and salt and paper them lightly.
  • Mix the carrots, celery, apricots and prunes with the chopped onion and spread the mixture over the chicken.
  • Place the rest of the chicken pieces on the vegetables, salt and pepper them lightly, and cover them with the rest of the vegetable mixture.
  • Pour the stock over the dish gently, cover the stoneware well and turn the cooker low.
  • While the chicken is cooking do not lift the cover and allow the heat to escape.
  • After 5 to 6 hours check the chicken and allow it to cook more until is done to suit your taste.
  • Pass the Harissa separately for those who would like to spice the chicken up with a little heat.

Makes 8 servings.


Real Cooking
Old Fashioned Jellied Chicken
Take a young, tender organic chicken. Prepare and disjoint it as for a fricassee. Put a bay leaf, a stock of celery about 4 inches long, and 2 whole pepper corns in the bottom of a bowl. Then put in the chicken. Stand the bowl in a pot of boiling water, being careful that the steam shall not drip, or the water boil over into the chicken. Cover the pot closely and keep the water boiling until the meat is tender enough to allow the bones to slip out. Remove the skin and bones and put the remainder of the chicken into a small bowl or mould. Season the remaining liquor with salt, and strain over the meat. Stand in a cool place or refrigerator to harden.

NOTE: Do not add water to the chicken when cooking.

Did You Know?
Harissa or Hrisa is a North African hot red sauce or paste whose main ingredients are chili peppers (often smoked or dried) and garlic. Though most closely associated with Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, it is a standard ingredient of North African cuisine.