Our Recipe of the Month features Tunisian Tajine Maadnous, a dish distinctly different from the more familiar non-Tunisian tajines. This savory blend of chicken, potatoes, and eggs is a versatile choice for nearly any occasion.

It's important to note that despite its name, Tunisian tajine is not a stew-like Moroccan tajine. We previously published a recipe for Moroccan tajine, but the Tunisian version is more akin to an Italian frittata. This similarity is hardly surprising considering the geographical proximity of Sicily's southwest to Tunisia's northeastern tip, a mere 100 miles apart. The term "Tajine" has origins in either Greek or Farsi and refers to a specific type of cooking pot used across North Africa, including Morocco and Tunisia. The romanized spelling of the word can be either "tagine" or "tajine."

Tunisian tajine recipes often vary, with this one featuring chicken breasts, although lamb and beef are also popular alternatives. Dark meat chicken might offer more flavor, yet many English-language recipes prefer breast meat. The word maadnous in the name of this dish is Tunisian Arabic for "parsley". The Modern Standard Arabic word for parsley is baqdunis. Like most languages that are not entirely localized, there are many dialects of Arabic sometimes differing in vocabulary, pronunciation, and even grammar.

Parsley, a key ingredient, thrives in the Mediterranean region and comes in two varieties: curly and flat-leaf "Italian" parsley. The common belief that curly-leaf parsley is milder and both types are used differently; the curly variety often serves as a garnish, while flat-leaf is favored in cooking. This recipe incorporates a generous amount of parsley, not as much as in Iranian Kuku Sabzi, but significant nonetheless. The inclusion of cheese might seem to be an unexpected ingredient in Tunisian and North African cuisine. However, French "Laughing Cow" cheese, resembling cream cheese is quite popular in Tunisia and is favored for its creamy texture, long shelf life, and convenient packaging. If you use Laughing Cow cheese for this dish, don't bother trying to unwrap the portions, just snip the end off with some scissors and squeeze the cheese out. In many recipes I researched, mozzarella or Parmesan are used, with the latter recommended as a topping.

The dish can be enriched with various olives and vegetables, such as bell peppers and zucchini. Serving it with Harissa pepper sauce adds a traditional condiment. For those with ras-el-hanout spice mix, it offers an alternative to the spices listed, potentially creating a unique flavor profile. I added Kalamata olives, but their taste was a bit strong for this dish, next time I'll use an milder-tasting olive. As always, feel free to experiment with the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chicken breast cut into small cubes
• 8 large eggs
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 ounces of grated or chopped Laughing Cow Cheese
• 3 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

 Preparation:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350°
• In some olive oil, fry the onions, diced potatoes, and chicken until nearly done.
• Add the spices and any additional vegetables and cook until the vegetables are softened.
• Let the mixture cool somewhat.
• Thoroughly mix the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix in the mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, and chopped parsley.
• Mix the cooked onions, potatoes, and chicken to the eggs.
• Pour everything into a casserole into a shallow baking dish and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on the top.
• Back until the top of the dish is golden brown. (about 40 minutes)
• Serve with Harissa sauce.

Chehia tayba!

Recipe by T. Johnston-O'Neill