In this delicately flavored and scrumptious Moroccan qdra, the long-cooked almonds should become very soft. As so often in Moroccan cooking, one onion is cooked first with the meat or chicken, and when these are nearly done, the remaining onions are added. The first onion is used to add flavor to the meat, and it practically melts and disappears into the sauce. The onions added later keep their shape and add body to the sauce.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4-6

　　A 3 1/2–4-pound chicken

　　2 tablespoons butter

　　3 medium onions

　　1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads or powdered saffron (optional)

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more

　　Pepper

　　1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight, or a 1-pound can of chickpeas

　　3/4 cup blanched almonds

　　Salt

　　1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

　　Juice of 1/2 lemon

　　

Step 1

Put the chicken, butter, and 1 onion, finely chopped, in a large pan, and cover with water. Add saffron, cinnamon, and pepper. Bring to the boil, add the soaked chickpeas (if using canned ones, they go in later) and the almonds, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until the chickpeas are soft and the chicken is very tender, adding salt when the chickpeas begin to soften, and more water if necessary. Lift out the chicken and cut into serving pieces.

　　

Step 2

Add the rest of the onions, finely chopped, the parsley, and canned chickpeas if using, and boil slowly for about 15 minutes, or until the onions are soft and the sauce considerably reduced. Return the chicken pieces to the sauce to heat through.

　　

Step 3

To serve, arrange the chicken pieces on a serving dish, cover with chickpeas and almonds and the sauce, and squeeze lemon juice over the dish.

　　

Variation

Step 4

Dried black-eyed peas, or haricot or navy beans, can be used instead of chickpeas, or all three can be cooked together.

　　

Step 5

Djaj qdra bel looz (chicken with almonds) has twice the amount of almonds and no chickpeas.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf