Djej M'fouar, Algerian Steamed Chicken, Poulet a la Vapeur

This is a very simple, but elegant and delicious dish. Steaming the chicken gives it more flavor and a superior texture compared to simply boiling it. The juices from the chicken drip into the turnip and carrot soup underneath giving an added dimension of flavor.

Traditionally this dish is prepared in a three tiered couscoussier with freshly hand rolled couscous on top. I don't have a three tiered couscoussier, I do have a tri-level metal fish steamer I bought at a Thai Market, unfortunately my stove has an oven directly over it, so I could not make couscous at the same time.

Ingredients:

4 turnips
4 navets

4 carrots
4 carrottes

1 onion
1 oignon

2 tablespoons of butter
30 gr de beurre

4 chicken whole chicken legs
4 cuisses de poulet

1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 cuillere a cafe de curcuma

2 pinches of saffron, pulverized
2 pinces de safran

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cuillere a soupe d'huile olive

Salt
Sel

 

Method:

1) Cut vegetables as shown. And place into the bottom of a couscoussier or pot with steamer insert as shown with 1 1/2 cups of water.

2) Rub the chicken with olive oil, saffron, turmeric and about 1 tablespoon of salt,  place in the steamer insert.

3) Place on the stove, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. After 30 minutes turn the chicken pieces, cook for about 30 minutes longer or until the juices run clear.

4) Brown the chicken gently in a little butter and olive oil.

You can serve the chicken with a little a side of salt and ground cumin. I serve the broth separately in a tureen with some fresh herbs. The advantage of steaming the chicken over a broth are obvious. You get two courses, actually three the way I serve it: succulent chicken, tender, sweet turnips and carrots and a delicate broth with a burst of herbs. Steamed chicken tends to dry out very quickly, but with this dish leftovers can be stored in the broth with no loss of moisture to the chicken.

Algeria Algerian Cuisine
Algerian Recipes
Algerian Food
Algerian dishes
Cuisine Algerienne
Recettes  Algerienne
North African cuisine
Maghreb Cuisine

Comments

[Jilal]

Farid je te salue et je te remercie pour tout ces recettes..le ramadhan approche ce serait tres sympa si tu post quelques recettes typiquement,ramadhan.tels zalabiya de boufarik..a base de semoule mais pas de farine comme il le font nos frére tunisiens..cette zalabiya est tres apprecie en algerie..C tu veut je te donne la recette.. d'aileurs c ke les algeriens ki savents la faire.
Actuellement je travail sur un autre BLOG artistique..qui regroupe l'ensemble de ma peinture.. je consacre beaucoup de temps dessus..pour m'encourager ..visitez ce lien:
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Amicalement.