This deeply flavorful Moroccan dish of garlicky rooster infused with cumin and coriander on a mattress of meltingly delicate peas makes a positive household supper or a festive dish for particular events. And as we’re reaching the tail finish of the season for contemporary peas, it is a good time to strive it out. The recipe is simple however takes time because the rooster must marinate earlier than going into the oven. The peas are cooked individually, and the whole lot is mixed on the finish.
Tagine de poulet aux petits pois / Spicy Moroccan rooster with contemporary peas
I first encountered a model of this dish at a Moroccan restaurant down the road that’s fittingly known as Le Tajine (the phrase is transliterated from the Arabic, and is alternatively spelled with a ‘g’ or a ‘j’ in France). It was springtime, and along with the same old menu of varied tagines and couscous there was a seasonal particular — tagine de pigeon aux petits pois. This I needed to strive, and I used to be not dissatisfied.
The following day I known as the girl who runs the place to ask for the recipe. This was a number of years in the past, when farmed pigeons had been nonetheless obtainable at my native farmers market (which they not are as a result of apparently they’ve grow to be too costly).
Armed with the recipe, I headed to the market and purchased two giant handfuls of peas within the pod. Then I purchased a few pigeons, had them reduce in half, got here dwelling and marinated them as instructed — in a sauce of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, crushed coriander seeds, salt and pepper. Whereas the pigeon was marinating, I shelled the peas.
That’s the primary stage. The second was to roast the birds and cook dinner the peas till they had been meltingly tender — which is type of counterintuitive in that peas are extra generally served solely simply barely cooked nowadays. When the pigeon and roasting juices had been mixed with the peas on the finish, the flavors married superbly.
This tagine (Moroccan stew), which not like many different tagines doesn’t function fruit, proved common at dwelling. So when pigeon disappeared from the market, I began making it with guinea fowl (pintade) or rooster. The outcomes, whereas much less unique, had been positive.
The tagine could also be served by itself or over couscous. For a festive dinner, it could possibly be preceded by by a Moroccan carrot salad, natural tomato salad, chickpea salad and/or eggplant caviar. For dessert you can serve contemporary seasonal fruit, a walnut-almond-orange cake or sliced oranges with star anise. A easy pink or crisp rosé would go effectively.
Blissful cooking.
