Moroccan Chicken Recipes with daghmira

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1 Moroccan Chicken Recipes with daghmira

1.1 Ingredients

1.2 Method

1.3 Notes

Fassi Roasted Chicken with Dghmira is one of the most famous and luxurious dishes of the traditional cuisine of Fez. It is a celebratory dish, traditionally served at weddings, banquets, and special occasions. The chicken is slowly cooked until tender, then roasted to develop a delicious golden color. It is served with Dghmira, a rich sauce made from onions slowly cooked over low heat. It is served before lamb with prunes and is accompanied by traditional Moroccan bread and soft drinks.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 45

Total Time 3 5

Servings: 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: moroccan

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

💠Ingredients for the marinade of 4 chickens

4 chickens weighing 1.5 kg each after cleaning
½ kg finely chopped onion
1 Piece Preserved Lemon
1 tbsp Ginger powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Smen (Moroccan Aged Butter)
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 g Saffron Threads
2 Cubes Saffron Bouillon
8 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
½ cup Mixed Vegetable and Olive Oil (For cooking)
1 Bunch Parsley and

💠2-Dghmira Ingredients

2.5 kg of thinly sliced onions
200 g chicken livers
½ cup vegetable oil

💠For decoration

150 g olives
4 tbsp red and green Harissa
4 rounds of preserved lemon

Method

💠Method for Cleaning Chicken - Moroccan Roasted Chicken with Dghmira

First method for cleaning chicken:
Wash the chicken with water, and remove all sticky parts located between the thighs, around the neck, and any fine feathers if present, in addition to the blood clots between the ribs on the inside.
Soak the chicken in a large bowl containing 3 liters of water, 3 tablespoons of salt, and half a cup of white vinegar for about 30 minutes, then wash it thoroughly under running water.
Second method for cleaning chicken
After removing the sticky parts located between the thighs, around the neck, and inside the cavity, wash the chicken with water.
Place a whole lemon, half a cup of white vinegar, half a cup of water, a teaspoon of ginger, a tablespoon of white flour, and 3 tablespoons of salt in an electric blender, then blend the ingredients until they become like juice.
Pour the mixture over the chicken and leave it to soak for about 30 minutes.
This step helps reduce unwanted odors and also contributes to achieving more tender chicken after cooking.
After the soaking period is over, wash the chicken thoroughly under running water, then place it in a colander until the water drains from it completely.

💠1-How to Marinate the Chicken

Place the saffron in a cup of hot water and leave it for 10 minutes until it releases its color and flavor.
In a large bowl, place the ginger, turmeric, salt, black pepper, preserved lemon, traditional smen, artificial saffron cubes, and 10 cloves of garlic, then add the saffron water.
Mix all the ingredients well, then rub the chicken with the marinade from the inside and outside, making sure to work it between the skin and the meat for the best flavor.
You can wear gloves during this step.
Tie the chicken legs with kitchen twine, then cover it with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator until the next day to absorb the flavor of the marinade.
If time is limited, it can be marinated for at least an hour before cooking.

💠How to Prepare the Chicken Livers

Wash 200 grams of chicken livers, then remove any visible veins under running water.
In a pot, place some water with bay leaves and let it come to a slight boil, then add a tablespoon of vinegar and the chicken livers, leave it for 5 minutes, then remove them from the water.
This step helps reduce unwanted odors and also gives the livers a better texture.
Cut the livers into small cubes about 2 cm in size, then set them aside until used in preparing the daghmira.

💠How to Cook the Chicken

In a large pot, place 500 grams of finely diced onions, then place the chicken on top of it on its back, and set the pot over medium heat.
Add the remaining marinade from the bowl, With a bunch of parsley then pour two liters of hot water along the side of the pot rather than directly over the chicken so the marinade stays attached to it. Let it cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add half a cup of vegetable oil, then flip the chicken onto its breast side and let it cook for another 30 minutes.
After one hour, test the doneness of the chicken by piercing a wooden skewer or barbecue skewer into the breast and thigh.
If pink juices or cloudy liquid come out, it means it is not fully cooked yet, so let it cook for an additional15 minutes or until completely done.
Leave the pot lid slightly ajar to allow some steam to escape.
Once the chicken is cooked, carefully lift it using a plate or two large spoons so it doesn't fall apart and maintains its shape during serving,
then place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Let it cool slightly so the skin dries and tightens; this step helps the chicken brown quickly and achieve a beautiful golden color.
You can place the chicken near a window to speed up the drying of the skin.

💠How to Prepare the Daghmira and Roast the Chicken

Add half a cup of the olive oil and vegetable oil mixture to the broth, then add 2.5 kilograms of thinly sliced white onions, and let it cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After the onions have wilted, add the boiled chicken livers and let them cook with the onions for another 30 minutes, until most of the broth evaporates and the onions become caramelized (daghmira) and tender.
Grease the chicken with either vegetable oil or the oil extracted from the daghmira to enhance the flavor, then place it in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it acquires a beautiful golden color without drying out.
You can also fry the chicken, but it must be dry from the broth so that it doesn't splatter in the oil, and the taste of the chicken is very delicious after frying it.
It is preferable to brown the chicken about 20 minutes before serving time so that it stays hot when served.

💠Serving Method - Moroccan Roasted Chicken with Dghmira

Place the chicken in the center of a large circular plate, about 45 cm in diameter, large enough to accommodate three or four chickens.
Arrange the chickens so that they all face the same direction; either the breasts facing toward the inside of the dish, or the legs meeting in the center, making sure the arrangement is symmetrical.
Distribute the daghmira around the chicken, then place two spoonfuls of it over each chicken
Garnish the dish with slices of preserved lemon and olives, a simple classic decoration that highlights the traditional Fassi style of the dish.

Notes

You can use 3 chickens weighing 2 kg each after cleaning,
or 4 chickens weighing 1.5 kg each after cleaning, as we did in today’s recipe.
The cooking time of the onions sometimes changes depending on the type of onions, the way they are cut, and the size of the pot. If the pot is small, it will take longer because the broth will need more time to evaporate, so pay attention to these small details as they make a difference.
Pay attention to the bottom of the pot; if it is thick and heavy, it is best for cooking, but if it is thin, the onions might burn.

Moroccan Roasted Chicken with Dghmira