Chicken Tagine (slow-cooker) & Lime Meringue Pie

Main: Whole Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Mint
Women’s Weekly May issue

Dessert: Lime Meringue Pie
Women’s Weekly “The Baking Collection”

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are keeping warm, dry and safe during these crazy weeks of weather and virus flare-ups.

I was attracted to the recipes I’ve done this week for several reasons. The main course is in the slow-cooker so easy peasy, however, it is also suitable to freeze which is always a good thing. Then the dessert was a no-brainer because I was given the most beautiful bag of “fresh off the tree” limes so I just converted an old favourite to make use of these little gems.

The Moroccan flavours of the chicken tangine were always a draw card (please note that I used Moroccan seasoning in place of ras el hanout which is a perfectly acceptable replacement). However, I was a little disappointed with the end product. Whilst the smell throughout the house was so inviting, the actual flavour was not intense enough for my taste. Now, you may want to up the proportion of spices to get that intense flavour or you may just like it mild but I thought it only fair, given the purpose of this blog, to inform you of the way we all found it. Having said that, it was tasty and we enjoyed it but we just weren’t raving about it. What did give it a lift was the suggested Pistachio & Mint Pesto which I made to go with it. This is a pesto suitable to use with a whole bunch of things so keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. 7/10.

Lime Meringue Pie – not a lot to say about this really is there. My goodness, how can anyone go wrong. So substituting limes for lemons in fact gave a slightly softer and less sharp flavour. It was truly delightful and everyone had a second helping, with cream of course. 10/10

So until next week….

From my table to yours with love x

Chicken Tagnine (slow cooker) & Pistachio mint pesto

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp ras el hanout (you can use moroccan seasoning)
1 lge onion (sliced thickly)
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
½ c chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped preserved lemon
1 tbsp honey
1 c green olives
1 tbsp lemon juice
shredded fresh mint leaves and chopped pistachios to serve
1.8 kg whole chicken
2 tsp ginger (finely grated)
800 g baby potatoes (halved)

Heat half of the oil in a 4.5 litre slow cooker on sear (high) setting. Rub ras el hanout all over the chicken. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place chicken in cooker; cook, turning, for 20 mins or until well browned all over. Remove chicken from cooker and set aside.
Heat remaining oil in cooker on medium. Cook onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and turmeric, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add potatoes; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add stock and preserved lemon. Place chicken on top of potatoes; drizzle with honey. Cook, covered, on low for 6 hours.
Remove chicken from cooker and set aside; cover to keep warm. Add olives and lemon juice to potato in cooker; mix to combine. Season
Cut chicken into pieces; serve with potatoes and sauce, topped with dhredded mint and chopped pistachios or pesto.

Pistachio & Mint Pesto

Blend or process ½ cup pistachios, 1½ cups fresh mint leaves, 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, 1 chopped garlic clove, 2 tsps finely grated lemon rind, 2 tsps lemon juice and ½ cup extra virgin olive oil until smooth. Season to taste. Spoon pesto into a jar and cover with a thin layer of oil; seal. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Main Course

Indian

Lime Meringue Pie

½ c cornflour
1 c caster sugar
½ c lime juice
1¼ c water
2 tsps finely grated lime rind
60 g unsalted butter (chopped)
3 eggs (separated)
½ c caster sugar (extra)

Pastry

1½ c plain flour
1 tbsp icing sugar
140 g cold butter (chopped)
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp water

Pastry

Process flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk and the water; process until ingredient come together. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Enclose pastry with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.

The Pie

Make pastry
Grease a 24cm round loose-based fluted flan tin. Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line tin. Ease pastry into tin, press into base and side; trim edge. Cover & refrigerate 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 240°c.
Place tin on an oven tray. Line pastry case with baking paper; fill with dried beans or rice. Bake 15 mins; remove paper and beans. Bake about 10 mins; cool. Turn oven off.
Meanwhile, combine cornflour and sugar in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in juice and the water until smooth. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in rind, butter and egg yolks. Cool 10 mins.
Spread filling into pie shell. Cover, refrigerate 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 240°c.
Beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add extra sugar, beating until sugar dissolves.
Roughen surface of filling with a fork before spreading with meringue mixture. Bake pie about 2 minutes or until meringue is browned lightly.

Dessert

Modern Australian

Chicken Tagine (slow-cooker) & Lime Meringue Pie