Under Pressure Part II

Happy Purim! Jews rejoice as we tell re-tell the story of how Queen Esther saved the Jews from a hanging death by an evil man named Haman! It's like Jewish Mardi Gras! Even the torah tells us to "drink royally" (as if anyone ever needed an excuse, especially when the celebrating falls on a Saturday!). So where is all of this going? I'll tell you. The Rabbi asked my cooking-partner -in-crime and I, along with his wife to come up with a Purim evening that included foods that would be eaten in the middle east. It seems that Esther's diet was comprised of a lot of beans, seeds, fruits, nuts, some poultry and a lot of spices. Since we were expecting about 75 people and needed a main dish, I had to find something to feed a crowd. Moroccan Chicken seemed to be just the thing but it was a slow cooker recipe. I had 18 pounds of chicken to cook in 2 hours!! I knew we could put it in the sauce for an hour and it would taste good but I didn't want to have to worry about the chicken being cooked all the way through. As I passed through the garage with the chicken, my answer was clear; the pressure cooker!!

Yes, that lovely, old-fashioned, get-it-done and get-it-on-the-table pressure cooker came to my rescue! I browned the chicken in a sautee pan and pressure cooked each batch for 5 minutes. In under 2 hours my chicken was cooked, the sauce was nearing completion and I was able to get on with the rest of the event! I don't know how they say it in Morocco but the chicken was delicious!!! Enjoy!

Here's the recipe scaled down for a family of 6. If you want to feed a huge crowd, e-mail me and I will send you the quantities.

Crock Pot or Pressure Cooker Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot Tagine

Served with flat breads or pita breads & assorted salads in spring & summer or served with hot fluffy & fruity couscous, assorted chutneys or pickles in the depths of winter. 3½ hours SERVES 6

• 6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks or 3 lbs. boneless skinless thighs

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped finely

• 1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 t. ground ginger or 1 inch fresh gingerroot, finely chopped

• 6 ounces dried apricots

• 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes or 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, broken up by hand

• 2 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas

• 3 tablespoons honey

• chicken stock (approximately 1/2c)

• 1 pinch saffron or 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

• salt and black pepper

• Chopped Cilantro

Accompaniment

1. Heat up olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & saute chopped onions & garlic for 5-10 minutes.

2. Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour until well mixed & not lumpy. Add honey & tomato paste & mix well.

3. Add herbs, spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste.

4. Add canned tomatoes & mix well.

5. Pour the above tomato, onion & spice mix into slow cooker.

6. Add chicken & chickpeas & mix well.

7. Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice. (Add the carrots if using)*.

8. Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.

9. Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours OR automatic with keep warm facility for up to 8 hours.

10. Serve with freshly chopped Cilantro sprinkled on top & either with couscous, rice, fresh flat bread, pita bread or salads.

When using a pressure cooker: Brown the chicken in either the bottom of the pressure cooker with a little oil or in a sautee pan. Place the chicken and any juices in the pressure cooker and add either water or chicken stock to make about 1/2c. liquid. Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes once the rocker on the pot gets going. (Remember to reduce the heat a little so the chicken doesn't burn). While the chicken is cooking, sautee the onion and garlic in the same pan you browned the chicken in. When the onions are golden brown and the garlic soft, add the spices here to release their oils and fragrance and then added the tomato paste. Omit the flour, you won't need it but you may have to pour off some liquid from the chicken (save it, it is delicious, rich stock). Once I had that all incorporated, I added the tomatoes and then the whole thing to the cooked chicken in the pressure cooker. Add the chickpeas and apricots. Bring the whole thing to a simmer but do not pressure cook or you will burn the tomato sauce. Serve it hot over couscous with all the trimmings. It will be sweet, spicy, savory and yummy!

*NOTE: If you don't like dried Apricots, you can substitute cooked carrots.