It was a beautiful warm night and we ate outside. We made Chicken and Chickpea Tagine. It was not a keeper for us. Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't.

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

Mark Bittman

New York Times

Like many dishes that rely on a combination of spices, a tagine, which is a slowly braised Moroccan stew, may look more intimidating to cook than it is. Even with shortcuts, the results are exotic in flavor and appearance. My version may not compare to those that begin with toasting and grinding spices and peeling grapes, but it is easily executed and still divine.

Use dark-meat chicken here, and be aware that tagines are on the dry side, so don't add liquid to the sauce unless it is threatening to burn. Home-cooked chickpeas and fresh tomatoes are, of course, preferable to canned varieties, but in this dish the differences are not marked. Do, however, use a vanilla bean, not vanilla extract. Serve with couscous.

Ingredients

2  tablespoons corn or canola oil

2  tablespoons butter

1  large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2  cloves garlic, minced

Salt

Pinch nutmeg

½  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1  teaspoon ground ginger

1  teaspoon ground cumin

1  teaspoon ground coriander

½  teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch cayenne

1-1/2 to 2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; drain excess liquid)

4  cups chickpeas (canned are fine; drain and rinse first)

½  cup raisins or chopped pitted dates

½  vanilla bean

8  chicken thighs, or 4 leg-thigh pieces, cut in two

Chopped cilantro or parsley leaves

Method

Step 1

Put oil and butter in a large skillet or casserole, which can be covered later, and turn heat to medium high. When butter melts, add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, a large pinch of salt and spices. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, raisins and vanilla, and bring to a boil. (If mixture is very dry, add about 1/2 cup water.) Taste, and add salt as necessary.

Step 2

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, and nestle them into sauce. Cover, and 5 minutes later adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until chicken is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Then garnish, and serve.