Chicken With Candied Pumpkin (Djaj bel-Qera Mderbela)
The Arabic name of this dish, eaten for Eid al-Fitr literally means “chicken with raggedy pumpkin,” because the pumpkin has been cooked down to a delicious but untidy-looking mush. The bird is a chicken, cooked as a Moroccan stew (tajine) instead of being roasted, but this dish has a curious similarity to the Thanksgiving combination of turkey and candied yams.
From the story: A sweet ending for the fast
Place the onion, ginger, saffron, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the oil and 2 cups of water in a food processor and process to a smooth liquid.
Place the liquid in a saucepan just large enough to hold the chicken, lay the chicken in it, cover and cook over medium heat until very tender and the meat is falling off the bone, 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes. From time to time, remove the lid and baste the chicken with the sauce. Add more water if the sauce is in danger of drying up.
Meanwhile, peel and seed the pumpkin or squash and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Place the pieces in a large skillet with 1/2 cup of water and the butter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Simmer over low heat until very tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the squash from the skillet, place it in the food processor with the honey and cinnamon and process to a puree.
Serve the chicken in the sauce or with it on the side. Serve the pumpkin puree on the side or mix it into the sauce.
Get our Cooking newsletter.
Your roundup of inspiring recipes and kitchen tricks.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
