Tzimmes Chicken is perfect for autumn. It’s perfect for the Jewish holidays. And it is simply, just perfect. And it’s one of the dinners that you don’t need to stress over exact amounts and is even better when made ahead.
Along the lines of a tagine, Tzimmes Chicken is a mixture of sweet and savory. The recipe can easily be increased to feed the multitudes that may be coming for holiday meals.
Moroccan cooks have perfected mixing meats with fruits and often nuts and getting just the right balance of sweet and savory. There are as many variations as there are people cooking these dishes and this is one more.
While I made this with chicken thighs on the bone and with the skin, you can use a whole chicken, cut up if you prefer. However, the thighs on the bone make this dish almost impossible to dry out or ruin so it is perfect for both the experienced and the novice cook and makes reheating a dream.
When I made this dish the first time it was a favorite of my husband’s. Tzimmes Chicken not only is a great make-ahead meal but it is also a one-pot meal! So less clean-up. And who doesn’t like that!? And if you don’t have sweet potato, use butternut squash or Kuri Red. You want to stretch it a bit, add some red or golden potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices.
As I will always preach, whenever possible, grind your own spices. The difference is huge. It’s also less wasteful since whole spices retain their flavor longer than the pre-ground ones that you buy in a jar.
When I make this for Shabbat or a Jewish holiday, I serve it along with salatim and dessert. But you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this delicious one-pot dinner.
For other tagine and harvest meals:
Chicken Tagine with Almonds and Apricots
Lamb Merguez and Chicken Tagine
Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Cilantro
Sweet and Spicy Harvest Chicken
Harvest Chicken (with Japanese Sweet Potato and Dried Fruits)
Vegetarian Tzimmes
Fruit and Vegetable Tzimmes – a perfect introduction to autumn
RECIPE
YIELD: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 to 4 Tablespoons Avocado oil
About 2 pounds of chicken thighs with skin and on the bone
2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste (If you are using kosher chicken, you should add a little less)
3 teaspoons ground coriander, divided
1 rounded teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks or quarter moon-shaped slices
3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch coins
1.5 cups dried fruits (I used a mix of pitted dates, apricots and cranberries. Prunes and other dried fruits would work as well.)
Zest of 1 medium lemon or orange
1.5 teaspoons grated or finely chopped fresh ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large pinch of your red pepper of choice (I like Aleppo pepper for it’s fruity heat)
1 large leek or onion, peeled and sliced into thin half moons
1 cup orange juice plus more if needed when reheating
1 cup red wine plus more if needed when reheating (I used a Pinot Noir)
1 Tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses, Silan (also known as date honey) or Tamarind (Optional)
Water or broth, if needed and you prefer not to use more wine or orange juice
For serving
A large handful of chopped fresh herbs such as cilantro, flat-leaf parsley and/or dill
DIRECTIONS
Pat dry the chicken and rub with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1.5 teaspoons coriander, half of the cumin and all of the cracked black pepper. Place this in a bowl or Ziploc bag. This can be refrigerated overnight or for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare all of the remaining ingredients. Mix together the sweet potato, carrot, dried fruit, zest, hot pepper flakes, remaining spices and cinnamon stick with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt. You can always add salt towards the end so go easy.
In a Dutch Oven or heavy duty oven-safe casserole, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add as many pieces of chicken, skin side down as comfortably fit in a single layer without crowding. Brown on both sides (between 5 and 8 minutes each side). If doing this in batches, remove the browned chicken to a plate and repeat the process. Do not add more oil unless absolutely necessary to prevent burning. Remove the remaining chicken and set aside. This can be done in a separate pan from the one that will hold everything if you prefer, which is what I did. That way, if you used more oil than you want in the finished dish, you can just leave it in the pan when you remove the onions
Add the leeks or onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onions become soft and are golden around the edges. Add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. If using a separate pan for the remainder of the cooking, transfer the onions and garlic to the bottom of the Dutch Oven.
Place the chicken on top of the onion mixture. If you are making a lot, place only 1/2 of the chicken pieces. Top with the vegetables and fruits. (If doing it layers, divide the vegetable and fruit mixture so they end up on top.
Pour the orange juice, pomegranate molasses, if using, and wine over everything until most of the ingredients are submerged. Don’t drown the mixture! If you require a little more liquid, add any of your options.
Bring everything to a boil and then cover the Dutch Oven and place it into the oven for 1 hour. At this point, the dish is finished but it can be cooled and refrigerated for later use. Taste to adjust any seasoning and make sure that the pan hasn’t gone dry before reheating. Reheat at 325 degrees F. Enjoy!
Any leftovers can be frozen or will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
