Djaj Souiri (Fez Style) Moroccan Chicken and Egg Tajine\Tagine

This tajine reminds me of a breakfast bake that we make with eggs, cheese and potatoes.  However, this tajine has eggs and chicken.  Not your normal combination but it works.  It has a touch of cinnamon.  I liked this one and my sister and neighbor gave it a thumbs up.  They took home the left overs.  I served it with rice and Swiss chard.  I got the recipe from Moroccan Food section of About.com. 

Ingredients:

3 TBS butter

1 tbs smen

2-3 lbs of chicken, cut into pieces and the skin removed,  I used boneless chicken thighs

1 large onion, grated

1 tsp ginger

salt/pepper to taste

1 tsp turmeric

a pinch of saffron

4 tbs chopped Italian  parsley or cilantro, or a combination of both

2 tbs lemon or lime juice

1 cinnamon stick

On meduim heat melt the butter and smen in the bottom of a tajine.  Add the chicken, onion , parsley, cilantro, and spices.  Stir to combine, cover and cook until the chicken is very tender.  May take an hour, especially if you are cooking chicken with the bone in.  Take the chicken out of the pan and allow it to cool.  Once cool, pull the chicken off of the bone. Reduce the liquid in the pot until thick.  Discard the cinnamon stick.  Add the lemon\lime juice and simmer for a couple more minutes. Put the chicken back in the tajine.

8 eggs

salt\pepper to taste

2 dashes of cinnamon up to 1 tsp

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat the eggs, add salt, pepper and cinnamon.  Pour over the chicken and place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the egg is set.  The top may be a bit runny and that is ok.  Next you want to turn on the broiler.  Move the tajine to the upper part of the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the eggs are set and they are slightly brown.   Serve with crispy bread. Enjoy!