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Djaj Matisha Mesla

This Moroccan tagine is one of my favorites. The chicken cooks in the juice of the tomatoes, which reduces to a sumptuous, thick, honeyed, almost caramelized sauce. And it looks beautiful too.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

A 3 1/2–4-pound chicken, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 large onion, grated
2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
Salt and plenty of pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads or powdered saffron
2 tablespoons clear honey (Moroccans use up to 4 tablespoons)
3/4 cup blanched almonds, coarsely chopped, toasted under the broiler or fried in oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put all the ingredients except the honey, almonds, and sesame seeds in a large pan. Cook gently, covered, turning the chicken occasionally, for about 1 1/4 hours, or until the flesh is so tender it can be pulled off the bone easily.

    Step 2

    Remove the chicken, and continue to cook the sauce over medium heat until reduced to a thick, sizzling cream. Stir as it begins to caramelize, and be careful that it does not stick or burn. Now stir in the honey, return the chicken pieces to the sauce, and heat through. Serve hot, covered with the sauce and sprinkled with the almonds and sesame seeds.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
TagsStewSoup/StewMoroccanNorth AfricanAfricanMiddle EasternWhole ChickenChickenPoultryAlmondNutTomatoVegetableMainDinnerGluten FreeDairy FreeOne-Pot MealsMake AheadSimmerCookbooks
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