Asian Chicken and Chili Soup

   4 servings
6 cups chicken broth
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1-3 teaspoons Asian hot chili sauce
3 cups poached chicken breast, diced or chicken thighs/legs
1 bunch watercress, large stems trimmed or spinach
2 scallions, thinly sliced

   1. In a 3-quart saucepan, bring broth, bell peppers, tamari and chili sauce to a simmer; cook until peppers are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
   2. Add chicken and watercress (or spinach); cook 1 minute. Ladle into bowls and top with scallions.

Moroccan fish tagine with tomatoes olives and preserved lemons

   Fish baked in a clay pot takes beautifully to long, slow simmering in the famous complex Moroccan herb and spice sauce called charmoula. Ingredients that include garlic, cumin, cilantro, hot pepper and preserved lemon permeate the flesh of most any type of fish. Add time to the equation and
you have a dish that is bright, savory and exciting to eat. Serve the fish at table directly from the clay
baking dish.
   Ingredients
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons crushed hot red pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 wedges preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp and peel separated
3 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 pound monkfi sh fi llet or thick slabs of halibut
1 large carrot, very thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, stringed and very thinly sliced
1 pound red ripe tomatoes, peeled with a swivel
serrated peeler and sliced into thin rounds
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into very thin rounds
2 dozen Moroccan red (see Note) or picholine
olives, rinsed and pitt ed
2 imported bay leaves
   Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish.

   1. Early in the day, or a day in advance, toast the cumin seeds by tossing them in a hot, dry conventional skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Grind to a powder and set aside. Make the charmoula: In a mortar or blender, combine the garlic, cumin, salt, paprika, parsley, cilantro, the pulp of the preserved lemon and the olive oil. Puree to a smooth sauce.
   2. Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. If using monkfish, cut away the gray membrane and divide the fish into 4 even chunks. Rub half of the charmoula all over the fish and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Add ½ cup water to the remaining charmoula, cover and refrigerate separately.
   3. About 1½ hours before serving, preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread 2 tablespoons of the reserved charmoula sauce over the bott om of the tagine. Scatter the carrot and celery on top. Add half of the tomatoes and bell peppers; sprinkle with a little sauce. Lay the fish over the vegetables and cover with the remaining tomatoes and peppers. Spread the remaining charmoula on top. Scatter the diced preserved lemon peel and the bay leaves around the fish. Cover the dish tightly with a sheet of foil and bake for 1 hour.
   4. Pour off the liquid from the dish into a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring it to a boil over moderately high heat and boil until it is thickened and reduced to ½ cup. Pour back over the fish.
   5. Meanwhile, raise the oven temperature to 500°F. Baste the fish with the pan juices and bake, uncovered, in the top third of the oven for 10 minutes or until a nice crust has formed over the vegetables. Transfer the tagine to a wooden surface or folded kitchen towel to prevent cracking. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve warm or hot.

Chicken Stew

   8 servings
2 whole chickens, cut into pieces
2 cups white wine
3 tablespoons raw butter
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons each sea salt and pepper
3 tablespoons raw butter
4 cups chicken stock
4-5 sprigs thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried black peppercorns, crushed
1 medium cauliflower cut into florets or ½ medium cabbage, sliced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 pounds medium boiling onions
4 tablespoons raw butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
   1. Marinate the chicken pieces in wine for 4–12 hours.
   2. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve marinade. On a plate, mix flour, salt and pepper. Melt butter and oil in large casserole dish. Cover chicken in flour mixture and brown on both sides in butter and coconut oil over medium heat, just a few at a time, reserving on a plate. Pour out browning fat and melt 3 tablespoons butter in the casserole.
   3. Add 3/4 cup of the flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for several minutes, until flour becomes slightly browned. Add wine marinade and chicken stock to casserole, stirring often. Bring to a boil and skim.
   4. Add thyme, peppercorns, lemon zest and chicken pieces to pot, cover and bake at 325°F for about 2 hours. Add the cauliflower or cabbage to the casserole about 40 minutes before serving.
   5. Meanwhile, sauté the sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter. Peel the onions and sauté them gently in butter and olive oil for about 20 minutes. Directly before serving, add mushrooms and onions to the casserole and stir in chopped parsley.