Haricots Verts
They are string beans’ slender and elegant French cousins. Aren’t all French cousins slender and elegant? Not fair!
I find haricots verts increasingly easy to find: They are a little more expensive but well worth it, bright, dense and crunchy. They are perfect frozen as well. If not, of course string beans will do, but in this case, use only fresh, as frozen string beans won’t stand up to the cooking time.
Moroccan Chicken Tajine with Haricots Verts
The demure string bean gets elevated to star status in our Moroccan way of cooking. Side dish? Never heard of it! All aboard in a tajine! Is it any wonder we Sephardis and all Moroccans love our vegetables? The string beans will be past the al dente stage here—they are an integral part of the dish.
Scroll down for the beef variation!
Ingredients
- 8 servings chicken (drumsticks, thighs, half chicken breasts: 16 pieces total)
- 1 large, or 3 plum tomatoes, cut into small dice
- 2 dozen pitted green olives, rinsed and sliced
- 2 cups water
- 2 pouches Garden Vegetable Levana Nourishments
- 2 pounds haricots verts, fresh or frozen (settle for fresh string beans)
- 1 14-ounce bag from artichoke bottoms, quartered (optional)
- ½ preserved lemon, skin only, thoroughly rinsed and minced (Don't have any on hand? Settle for the juice and zest of 1 lemon)
Instructions
Place chicken, tomatoes, olives, meal replacement and water in a wide, heavy pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Add the haricots verts and cook for 20 more minutes. Add the preserved lemon and cook for 10 minutes more. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving platter. Check the liquids left in the pot. If they look too thin, reduce over high flame until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and haricots verts. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.
Beef Variation:
If you decide to make this tajine with beef: use 4 pounds beef chunks from shank or shoulder cut (beef cheeks will be fantastic here too, rinse them very well). Cook the meat in 6 cups water and meal replacement for two hours in a wide bottom pot. Add the tomatoes and olives, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Add the haricots verts and the artichoke bottoms, if using, and cook for 20 more minutes. end with stirring in the lemon, and heat through.
Transfer the beef and vegetables to a serving platter. Check the liquids left in the pot. If they look too thin, reduce over high flame until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
No comments yet.