Chicken Fennel Tajine Recipe. Cooking with Mahia
Chicken Fennel Tajine
made with the Wonderful Mahia by Nahmias et Fils
Enjoy the other Recipes I developed using the Mahia
Chicken fennel Tajine is ideally simple.
It abundantly expresses the way we Moroccans love our food, and why everyone loves Moroccan food.
Side dish? Never heard of it!
The vegetables cook right along with the chicken, and are integral part of the dish. Even the most recalcitrant anise-licorice-fennel diner will warm up to this underused flavor (underused only in America, alas, I hasten to add) after they taste this chicken with fennel!
To underscore the anise flavor in this chicken with fennel, I used Mahia, a delightful anise-scented Moroccan Liquor. Check out the above links, and enjoy this chicken with fennel, and other wonderful dishes I have developed, using Mahia.
If you decide to use all chicken breasts and no dark chicken parts for this chicken with fennel, then add ¼ cup olive oil to the preparation and proceed with the recipe as instructed.
Ingredients
- 8 serving pieces chicken (I count 2 pieces per person, for example: 6 thighs, 6 drumsticks, 4 half breasts—16 pieces total for 8 people), with skin on
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 3 whole large heads fennel, fronds and stems minced, heads cut in thin wedges
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup Mahia
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- Ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the first set of ingredients in a wide heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the flame to medium and cook covered for about 1 hour. Transfer the chicken pieces onto a platter with a slotted spoon. Add the Mahia and lemon zest to the pot, and check the liquids. If the sauce is not thick enough, reduce it on a high flame, uncovered, just a few minutes, (watch this stage, making sure the liquids don’t evaporate) until it reaches the consistency of maple syrup. Pour the vegetables and the sauce over the chicken. Serve hot.
Is there any substitute for Mahia? I’m not sure where to get it here in the UK.
London you can substitute any anise liquor for Mahia
Excellent!! a version of the chicken tajine fennel, accompanied by good mahia, as is the Nahmias.
Congratulations on the recipe
Miam, ca doit etre tres bon. Pas traditionnel!
Kitty these dishes came out unbelievable! You must try! Can’t wait to see your book. Hey Kitty I was thinking of something: Can we swap our latest “babies” and sign them to one another, review them etc…. Wouldn’t that be fun? If you are game, Let’s do it! xoxoxo