Moroccan Preserved Lemon and Chicken Stew
Adapted from Paula Wolfert recipe on epicurious.com
1 whole chicken quartered, plus extra drumsticks/pieces (easier for serving smaller portions)
4 cloves garlic
2 T salt
1 container chicken livers
8 cloves garlic
1 t ginger
1 t paprika
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups grated onion, drained and divided
1/4 t turmeric
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups green olives, rinsed and pitted
2 preserved lemons, rinsed, sliced (rind only pulp discarded) ***
2 lemons, juiced
additional chopped cilantro for garnish
couscous for serving
The day before prepare chicken: Wash chicken pieces in salted water and drain. Pound 4 cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons salt into a paste. Rub the paste into the cavity and flesh of the poultry. Rinse the poultry well under running water until it no longer smells of garlic. (The garlic is used to rid the poultry of bitterness and bring out flavor.) Drain the poultry well. Marinate chickens and livers in 1 teaspoon of salt, the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin, the spices, and the oil. Refrigerate overnight, covered.
Place the chicken pieces, livers, and marinade in dutch oven. Bring to boil with about half of the onion, turmeric, cilantro and 2 cups water. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes, turning the chickens periodically.
Remove the chicken livers from the casserole (or as many as you can find) and mash them. Return to the casserole with the remaining onion. Add water if needed. Continue cooking 20 minutes, partially covered. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Add the olives and preserved lemon slices to the sauce when the chickens are very tender and the flesh falls easily from the bone. Uncover and reduce sauce until thickened.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate over night and reheat to serve. Just before serving add lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Great served over couscous (I like to include toasted slivered almonds, a little cinnamon, and/or roasted butternut squash, etc.).
*** About preserved lemons: Preserved lemons are a key component of this dish. Pickling brings out different flavors of the fruit and the rind's texture becomes almost silky. They are very easy to make, but take a minimum of 2 weeks to cure. Lemons are generally pickled in salt and their own juices for a month. With only two weeks until the competition, I searched the web for short cuts and found this fantastic recipe from September 2013's Bon Appétit. In addition to the ingredients they called for I tossed in two cinnamon sticks, a couple extra cloves, a few pepper corns, and a bay leaf. I would also recommend organic lemons since you eat the peel!
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Classic Key Lime Pie
12 graham crackers 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large egg whites
4 large egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key lime juice
Graham cracker crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Use food processor to crumb crackers. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir until well combined. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until set and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Leave the oven on.
Filling: Beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks (stand mixer or by hand with whisk). In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add the lime juice and whisk until combined. Gently fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the mixture then add the remaining egg whites and fold until just evenly combined. Gently spread the mixture in the pre-baked crust and bake until just set in the center, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
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Ghost Chile Honey Cake
2-1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp flake salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Ghost Chile infused honey (3 Ghost Chile pods and 1 cup honey - instructions below)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup of orange marmalade
10 oz dark chocolate, chopped or shaved
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Ghost Chile infused honey
Ghost Chile infused honey - Empty small jar of honey into a small pan and turn the burner to low heat. Put a tiny slit in 3 Ghost Chile pods, and place in the honey. Let steep for about 1/2 hour. Cool and return to jar. This can be made ahead.
Preheat 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides with pan spray. Cut a piece of parchment to cover the bottom of the pan.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk together sugar, infused honey, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Whisk in the vegetable oil, then half of the flour mixture. Whisk in buttermilk, then the rest of the flour mixture. Pour into your prepared cake pan. Bake until done, about 55 minutes. Your cake will have a slight "dome", but that's ok. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Remove parchment.
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Melt chocolate in a double-boiler and set aside. Heat honey and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then pour over the melting chocolate and stir until smooth. Let it cool.
Assembly - When cake is cool, carefully cut it in half horizontally. Place the bottom of the cake onto a plate. Spread the marmalade over the cake bottom, being careful not to spread it all of the way to the edge. Place the other half of the cake on top of the filling, and gently press down. With a butter knife, frost the cake. Keep cake in an airtight container.
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