Tagine with Chicken and Fruits - Tagine Wusla al Habib

by Daniel Rogov

1 large or 2 small chickens,
cut into convenient serving pieces
2 onions, chopped finely
1/4 cup parsley, chopped finely
2 - 3 Tbsp. parve margarine
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 kg. (1 lb.) pears, apples, prunes or a mixture of these (pears and apples should be peeled, cored and sliced)

Place the chicken, onions and parsley in a large pot, pour over water to cover, add the margarine and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently, covered, until the chicken is very tender (about 1 hour). Add the fruits and continue to simmer until they are just tender, taking care not to let the fruits disintegrate. Serve with rice or couscous.

Serves 6-8.

Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.