Back to UseMorocco
Recipeother

Chicken W Caramelized Baby Onions Honey Djaj Bil Assal

this is one of the classics of moroccan cooking and this version, with shallots or baby onions, is sensational. the art is to reduce the sauce at the end until it is rich and caramelized. it is important to taste it in order to get the right balance between sweet and savory. preparation time is approximate. i have not made this yet. it is here for safe keeping... but it looks yum. :)

complex10 ingredients17 preparation steps
Map Nearby

Ingredients

  • shallots
  • onion
  • sunflower oil
  • saffron thread
  • ground ginger
  • ground cinnamon
  • chicken
  • clear honey
  • salt and black pepper
  • sesame seeds

Preparation

  1. 1to peel shallots or baby onions , blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes , drain , and when cool enough to handle , peel off the skins and trim the root ends
  2. 2sautee the chopped onion until softened in the oil over a medium heat in a pan or casserole large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer
  3. 3stir in the saffron , ginger , cinnamon , then put in the chicken pieces
  4. 4season with salt and pepper , and turn to brown them lightly all over
  5. 5add about 1 cup of water and cook , covered , over a low heat , turning the pieces over , for about 15 min or until the chicken breasts are done
  6. 6lift out the breasts and put them to one side
  7. 7add the shallots or baby onions and continue to cook , covered , for about 25 minutes , or until the remaining chicken pieces are very tender
  8. 8during the cooking , turn the pieces and stir the onions occasionally
  9. 9add a little water , if necessary
  10. 10lift out the chicken pieces and set to one side
  11. 11stir the honey into the pan
  12. 12check the seasoning
  13. 13you need quite a bit of pepper to mitigate the sweetness
  14. 14cook , uncovered , until all the water is evaporated and the onions are brown , caramelized , and so soft that you could crush them
  15. 15return the chicken pieces to the pan , spoon the onions on top of them , and heat through
  16. 16a few minutes should be enough
  17. 17serve , if you wish , sprinkled either with blanched almonds fried in a drop of oil until they are lightly golden , or with toasted sesame seeds