Everyday Epicurean

Another artefact of our weekend shopping was a small packet of 6 bright yellow squash (or flying saucers as certain members of the household label them). As such, I needed to do something with them. Although they can be very tasty sautéd in butter, I decided to go for the lower fat option of using them in a tangine style dish (albeit without an actual tangine pot). I also had some leftover kabana and pepperoni sausages, so they went in the tangine as well. To accompany this tasty mix of vegetables I steamed some rice and honeyed some chicken.

Ingredients.

for the Tangine

* 6 yellow squash, trimmed and quartered
* 8 large baby potatoes (or small normal potatoes), quartered or halved depending on size
* 2 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced thickly
* 4 medium/large button mushrooms, quartered
* 1 teaspoon of Baharat (or you could use Ras Al Hanout if you wish)
* salt and pepper
* one third of a kabana
* one third of a pepperoni sausage
* 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder
* some boiling water (no I didn’t measure it, but it might have been 3/4 of a cup)
* a little olive oil
* about 100g of sugar-snap peas

for the Chicken

* 3 large thigh fillets
* some olive oil
* salt and cracked black pepper
* honey

for the Rice

* 1.5 cups of long grain rice
* 2.5 cups of water
* 1 teaspoon of salt

Method

In a large casserole dish (with lid) place the rice, water and salt, stir and cover, then microwave on 50% for 22 minutes. Alternatively, use a rice steamer. 🙂

Place some oil in a largish saucepan and add the potatoes and carrots. Cover over low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.

In a fry pan, place a small amount of oil, and the sliced sausages. Fry on medium/high heat turning after 3o seconds or so, such that each side crisps up. Avoid eating the sausage at this stage, it’s hard, but I’m sure you can do it. Turn off the heat and tilt the fry pan such that the oil and fat drains to one side, scoop the sausages up to the other side allowing them to drain further, then remove from the pan and set aside. We’ll use the oil/fat later to fry the chicken in.

Now add the squash and mushrooms to the tangine, and cover for about 5 minutes.

While that’s cooking, slice the chicken thigh fillets into thirds. Place in the fry pan used previously, on medium/low heat. Allow to brown on one side before turning (about 5 minutes or so).

Now add the sausages, salt, pepper, Baharat, chicken stock and some water (enough to not quite cover the vegetables) to the pot and stir. Cover and allow to simmer on low heat. Stir very occasionally.

Season the chicken with salt and cracked pepper, turn and brown the other side. And of the larger pieces might need another side browned too, so do that next. When browning the last side, drizzle a little honey on each piece of chicken. Turn the pieces over, honey side down, after the last side is browned. The vegetables should now be done, but check them with a fork for tenderness (particularly the potatoes and squash). If done, and there is excess water, remove the lid and allow to reduce or alternatively through in a little flour to thicken it into a nice gravy like sauce. Mine had no excess water when it was done, so I didn’t need to do either.

Serve on steamed rice with a few dollops of zhoug or red harissa for a nice spicy finish.