Moroccan Chicken with Prunes and Honey My new favorite restaurant is a place in Portland called Marrakesh. It's a dark, cozy Moroccan restaurant with fabulous food, belly dancers, and fun seating. This food is supposed to be eaten with your fingers only, and if you're really Moroccan, only with your right hand. Ingredients 4 ounces prunes 4 ounces dried apricots 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds 3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil 8 servings of chicken (I use thighs, without skin) 1 teaspoon salt dash of black pepper 1 large onion 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp ground turmeric 3 cardamom pods 1 tsp ground ginger 2 tsps ground cinnamon 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or half and half with white wine) 1 Tbl honey 2 tsps cornstarch 2 tsps lemon juice What is Turmeric, Anyway? Soak the dried fruit for several hours in water. Preheat oven to 300. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the almonds until golden brown, then drain on paper towels, set aside. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Do not over cook, as it will be baked as well. Fry the chicken in the still-hot oil, then remove and drain on paper towels. In a casserole dish with a lid, set the pieces side by side, surround with the plumped fruit (drain off the liquid.) Still in the same oil, saute the onion and garlic, chopped fine, until they are golden brown and softened. You can steam them by adding a lid for 5 minutes, then remove it to brown them.) Add in the spices, chicken stock, and honey to the oil and onion and garlic. Stir well, scraping the bottom, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir the cornstarch into the lemon juice. Stir this into the simmered sauce, and pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover, bake for one hour. Should be very tender when done. Garnish with the fried almonds. Notes and Hints and Stuff Can I use a fork? No. What do I serve with it? Big hunks of rustic bread, Moroccan mint tea (Stash makes an excellent version of this, very much like what is served at Marrakesh.) Also consider warming up the audience with a bastilla. (See the section on Sides for this strange but wonderful mixture of meat, pastry, and sugar.)