From a distance.
I totally just quoted a Bette Midler song from Beaches. I’m blaming my little brother. It was his family movie for a short period of time when I was a kid. I was not mad about that.
Recently my brother and his husband, Jason (yup, same name as my husband which gets confusing - and competitive), asked me to host a virtual cook-along to bring family and friends spread across the country together for a little while. While we are spending more time at home the sense of distance had become more acute and everyone wanted to share some time in the kitchen and around the table.
We came up with a Moroccan-inspired menu in honor of Jason’s brother-in-law and sent the recipes and shopping list out to family with lots of substitutions in case people were having a tough time finding ingredients at the grocery store or wanted to use items they already had at home.
Dinner was ready in under 45 minutes leaving lots of time to get caught up, listen to some laughter and for the grandkids to say hello to Grandma and Grampa. Everyone said the food was delicious, the prep straightforward and fun and the results a little more elevated than they might have tackled on their own.
The biggest reward for me was seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces. From kitchen to kitchen and table to table, from Massachusetts to Tennessee, Texas, Denver and Los Angeles, for a couple of hours family and friends were together. During this time remember that distanced does not need to mean disconnected.
Quick Chicken Tagine
Serves 2 - 4
This quick stovetop version of a Moroccan tagine brings together chicken with complex spices, sweet dried apricots and the fresh taste of cilantro. Ready in just 30 minutes it delivers a flavor that is complex but comforting and so easy to prepare.
Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tbs butter 1 onion, diced 1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbs honey
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots or golden raisins
2 whole sprigs plus
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Cider vinegar
2 tbs toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
Warm oil in a 3 qt sauté pan - that’s a straight sided skillet with a lid - over med-high heat. Add chicken and sear on both sides, about 3 min per side. Reserve.
Return skillet to med heat with butter. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 min. Add spices and cook 1 min longer until fragrant. Add stock, honey and fruit to pan. Stir to combine. Return chicken to pan along with sprigs of coriander. Cover and cook through, about 10-15 minutes longer.
Remove lid and reserve chicken. Reduce sauce. Season to taste with a splash of vinegar and additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve chicken topped with sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.
