Levantine Claypot Chicken
This stew is one of those dishes where I get inspired by a technique and tweak the flavors and ingredients to push the meal into a different cuisine or profile. In this case, I am utilizing a Sri Lankan style of cooking chicken curry in a clay pot and changing the flavors to be subtly Levantine. However, clay pot cooking and slow braising are ancient techniques and it is likely a dish similar to this already exists! This is why learning foundational techniques from around the world can help you invent an incredible dish and give you more flexibility to cook with the ingredients you have on hand.
I am using an unglazed clay pot that I absolutely love. They take a while to “season” and can smell slightly cheesy before you first cook in them, but the process is well worth it. Because the clay traps moisture, you end up needing less liquid in the recipe. Another reason why clay is a popular cooking material in arid climates! If you are interested in getting a clay pot, I recommend Ancient Cookware (they test their clay for lead, which is very important). For a great guide on seasoning an unglazed clay pot, this video by Asai Rasai is easy to follow and informative.
For the toasted spices:
Two cardamom pods
4 allspice berries
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
½ teaspoon each of: fenugreek, nigella, fennel, ajiwain,
Heat your clay pot and add in the whole spices. Toast, stirring regularly, until the spices are fragrant and warming in color, about 1-3 minutes. Transfer the whole spices to a stone mortar and pestle. Grid the spices until they are a rough powder. Add in one black lime and pound until smooth.
Add the ground spices to the clay pot:
Two teaspoons each of: cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper
One teaspoon each of: cinnamon, sumac, espelette (or cayenne)
Toast the ground spices in the clay pot, stirring frequently. The pot is hotter now and they spices are finer so they will toast quickly. When they are fragrant and the chili burns your nose, put into a bowl with the freshly ground whole spices.
For the Spiced Chicken:
6 bone in chicken thighs with the skin, washed and patted dry
Olive oil
1 serrano chili, halved (for a milder version use one dried Kashmiri chili)
1 red onion or 3 shallots, sliced
1 “thumb” of ginger, about an inch in diameter, sliced in matchsticks
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 fresh bay leaves
5 small plum tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup of pitted kalamata olives with their brine
½ cup of red wine
Salt to taste
In a large bowl, toss the clean and dry chicken thighs with the toasted spices and a few pinches of salt until thoroughly coated and set aside.
Heat over high heat a generous glug of olive oil in the clay pot. Add in the ginger, chili and bay leaves and fry until the ginger is golden on the edges. Add in the sliced onion and garlic and briskly sauté until the onion becoming translucent. Sprinkle over one pinch of salt and stir to release more juices. Add in the tomatoes and the olives with their brine (should be only a tablespoon or so). Continue to sauté until the tomatoes begin to wilt.
Nestle in the pieces of chicken in a single layer, covering with the onion mixture. Make sure to pour over any extra spices that didn’t stick to the chicken. Cover with the wine and the lid. Allow the chicken to begin to bubble rapidly before you lower the heat to medium or medium low. After about 30 minutes, flip over the chicken and spoon more of the onion mixture on top. Taste the sauce at this point to see if you want to add more salt. After 30 more minutes, check the chicken. You should be able to pull off a piece and taste it. It should melt in your mouth, but not disintegrate. If it feels dry, let it cook for 15 more minutes before you check again. If it moist and tender, turn off the heat and let the chicken cool its juices for 30 minutes before you serve.
This chicken goes best with Saffron Rice and a light red wine. Bon Appetit!
