When the mood is down…

Today was one of these days when everything goes wrong and I wish I had just stayed in bed dreaming of a better one: too much work, not enough time, not enough sleep, good friends in trouble… I guess It happens to everyone once in a while (I think). I have a whole batch of remedies ready: A good bath, a glass of red wine, a cooking magazine, a nice dinner and a cuddle would usually help me getting through it. Only, it’s been a week, a whole week… and I don’t know what’s coming next.

What do you do then?

… For a moment, in the tram, on the way home, I thought a portion of tajine with chicken, raisins and onions in the freezer would save me. My mum’s recipe, warm, spicy and sweet just like when I was a kid, with couscous steamed over a spicy bouillon. There’s nothing like mum’s cooking when the mood is down!

But sometimes a bad week is really a bad week and there’s not much to do about it: there was no tajine in the freezer, we finished it a few weeks ago already. Good thing I saved you a picture!

Going for a bath now… and who knows, tomorrow the christmas spirit might finally kick in.

 

Tajine with chicken, onions and raisins just like mum
Tajine de poulet aux oignons et aux raisins comme maman

serves 4 to 5 pers.
prep: 20 min. cook: 1 hr

Ingredients:
1 farm chicken (~1.5 kg) cleaned and cut in parts,
200g raisins,
1 bowl of warm tea,
800g oignons, peeled,
50g butter,
1 garlic clove,
1tsp ginger powder,
1tsp cinnamon,
1 pinch saffron,
1 pinch coriander powder,
2 cloves,
a few parsley sprigs
2 Tsp honey
sea salt and pepper to taste,

Rince the raisins and put them to marinate in a bowl of warm tea. Brown the chicken on all sides in a cocotte (or in a large a thick bottom pan) with the butter, on high heat. If you want to use a real tajine, first brown the chicken in a large pan and then transfer into the tajine. Add two of the onions, quartered, the garlic clove, the parsley, the cloves, ginger, saffron, coriander and half of the tsp cinnamon. Season with sea salt and pepper. Pour the tea used to marinate the raisins to cover the meat (you can add a bit of extra water if there’s not enough tea). Lower the heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes. In the mean time, slice the rest of the oignons in thin slices. Add them to the cocotte, toss and leave to simmer covered for 20 more minutes. add the raisins and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon toss and simmer covered for 10 more minutes.  Remove the chicken and reserve on a serving dish covered with aluminum foil, add 2 Tsp of honey and reduce the sauce on medium to high fire for 5 to 10 min. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve hot with couscous steamed over a spicy bouillon or rice.

Bon appétit!

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