It’s Tu Bishvat – the birthday of the trees! And we are celebrating again this year with the folks at Jewish National Fund and a unique, Moroccan braised chicken recipe made with three different kinds of dried fruit and fragrant turmeric and cinnamon. This recipe actually comes to us from Mas’uda Swissa who was born in Casablanca, Morocco and immigrated to Israel in 1963.
The seven species celebrated during Tu Bishvat actually comes straight from the Torah: wheat, barley, grapes (or wine), olives (or olive oil), pomegranates, dates and figs. It is traditional in some communities to host a Tu Bishvat seder, where these foods are enjoyed as part of a Passover-like seder.
No matter how you celebrate the holiday, this easy braised chicken is savory, sweet and perfect to serve for a table of your loved ones. Watch our short video below.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 whole chicken thighs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 sliced onions
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1 cup dried prunes
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 1 cup dried dates
Directions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on each side, starting with skin side down, until brown and golden. Remove chicken from pan.
- Add onions to pan and cook until translucent, around 6 minutes. Add turmeric and cinnamon and saute for 1 minute.
- Add dried fruit and water and bring to a simmer.
- Add chicken back to pan, cover and cook for 45 minutes on medium-low heat. Optional step: stick chicken under broiler for 3-5 minutes to brown on top if desired.
