Meditteranean Palate

We had this dish the other night but I just wanted to post it here.

I'd been planning to try this recipe from Rachel Ray for days. It is a knock-off of the Morrocan chicken tagine. You might not like this dish if you've not tried Middle-eastern, Mediterranean or Arabic food before. This dish has so many contrasting flavors going on such as the sweetness from the dried fruit, the tanginess from the olives, the spices from cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon and smoked paprika. Your first bite might seem strange but as the flavors marry in your mouth, the food actually tastes better.

I served the dish on a bed of couscous (ground semolina pasta, a staple of North African /Middle Eastern countries) as the recipe suggested.

If you want to try this recipe, check it out here. The only change I made is adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat. I used apricots for the dried fruit because I wanted a mild flavor. But on hindsight I think that dates would have added a much better flavor. Or maybe, a mix of both dates and apricots would be a nice balance. Oh well, next time.