Mediterranean food
Marrakech on the plate: aromatic baked chicken, as cooked by the pioneer of Mediterranean cuisine
© DK Verlag / Susan Bell
When everything is gray on gray again outside, only one thing helps – provide the sun yourself. This Mediterranean dish transports you to Marrakech and banishes wanderlust.
Sometimes it just has to be a plate of vacation. A dish that tastes of the sun, of the sea, that warms you from within. Claudia Roden is an expert when it comes to conjuring up the flavors of the Mediterranean on the plate. For decades she traveled the world, researching and internalizing the DNA of Mediterranean dishes.
One of her feel-good recipes is the baked chicken with olives and lemon. In this she captures the flair of Marrakech with the aromas of garlic, turmeric and ginger. A dish that does without many ingredients and is very easy to implement.
Mediterranean Roast Chicken (8 people)
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 250 ml dry white wine
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 bulb of garlic, cloves chopped
- 16 chicken legs
- 120 g capers in brine, drained
- 200 g pitted green olives
- 1 large (or 2 small) boiled organic lemons, cut into pieces, pips removed
- 1 bunch of coriander greens (25 g), leaves chopped
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C / 160 ° C circulating air.
Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, turmeric, ginger, honey, wine, salt and pepper vigorously in a large bowl. Add the garlic and turn the chicken pieces in the mixture so that they are well coated.
Place the chicken thighs on a large baking sheet, place capers, olives and boiled lemon in between and pour the marinade from the bowl over them.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour until the chicken is well browned and cooked through. Serve sprinkled with chopped coriander leaves.
Claudia Roden is an award-winning cookbook author. “Mediterranean cuisine“is her latest work.
© Dorling Kindersley Verlag
variant
Add the frozen artichoke bases to the tin with the olives and capers. You can get them in oriental grocery stores or on the Internet.
Boiled lemons
Put whole organic lemons in a saucepan and cover with water. Place a lid on the lemons that is smaller than the pot so that the lemons are squeezed under the water. Cook for about 30 minutes, until they are very soft and can be mashed. If not used immediately, drain and allow to cool. Place whole in a screw-top jar and cover with olive or sunflower oil. They keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator. They can be cut into pieces or used pureed.
Basic couscous recipe
Put 500g couscous in a large baking dish for 8 people. Dissolve ½ – 1 teaspoon salt in 600ml warm water (half boiling, half cold) and gradually pour over the couscous while stirring, so that it is evenly covered. Let it soak for 10 minutes, stirring a few times, then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rub the grains between your hands so that they air and do not clump. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and slide it under the tray with the chicken. Cook with the chicken for the last 10–15 minutes.
The recipe is from the new cookbook “Mediterranean Kitchen” by Claudia Roden was published by Dorling Kindersley Verlag, 320 pages, 29.95 euros.
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