Recipes

[DiAnne]

I took a Moroccan cooking class and this was the soup we made. Very good and a little different.

1/4 pound dried chickpeas
3 T olive oil
1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
2 t ground ginger
2 t turmeric
1 t ground black pepper
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cayenne or to taste
2 T saffron water (see below)
1 28 oz diced tomatoes and their juices
1-1/2 qt rich chicken stock
1/4 pound dried green lentils
1/2 cup vermicelli, broke into small pieces
2 lg eggs at room temp
2 T water
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 T chopped parsley leaves

Pick over chickpeas, cover with cold water. Soak overnight at room temp. Drain and rinse.

Heat oil in med stockpot or Dutch oven over med heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add in batches so they don't steam. Cook until well browned. Remove and set aside.

Add onions and celery. Cook until softened. Add the spices and saffron water and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan, add diced tomatoes, stir well. Stir in the chicken stock, chickpeas and lentils. Bring to boil. Reduce head and simmer for one hour covered. Add the noodle pieces. Cook until al dente.

Beat the eggs with 2 T water and 2 t lemon juice in small bowl until foamy. Carefully add a ladle of hot broth to the eggs stirring constantly. Repeat warming the eggs so they will not curdle in the soup. Slow pour the egg mixture soup. Add the chopped parsley and cilantro.

Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Saffron water: Crush 1/2 t of strands of saffron. Add to 1/2 cup of hot water. Will keep in fridge for a week. Freeze in ice cube trays for longer storage.

[chips]

Yum. This sounds great. I love the taste of saffron. My aunt used to mail me saffron rolls, middle ones only. She was a hoot! Saffron is very expensive but there is no substitute. I may have to order from Penzeys. Thanks for sharing