Globecooking recipe : Molokheya Chicken (Egypt)

Ermmm if you're thinking that this looks like the dog has just regurgitated the contents of its stomach on a nice piece of roast chicken, you wouldn't be far wrong ! But that's the whole point of globecooking - it takes you out of your culinary comfort zone and sometimes, you have to just admit that it's not very tasty ! That said, it was edible (just about !) and definitely tastes, well, if not better, let's say nowhere near as bad as it looks !

This recipe called for two ingredients from my Egyptian-themed Kitchen Trotter box - Taamia spices (which I used in the much tastier Egyptian falafels or taamias) and Molokheya powder.This green powder made from a plant was described as being similar to spinach but it had a strange herbal smell a bit like green tea and a rather disturbing colour !

Molokheya Chicken

ingredients :

1 chicken (or I used 6 chicken thighs)

2tbsp molokheya powder

1tbsp taamia spices

250g rice

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion

2 tomatoes

1tsp salt

2tbsp olive oil

Put the onion, taamia spice and 1tbsp olive oil into a pan of water and bring to the boil.

Add the chicken and reduce the heat slightly. Allow 45 minutes for a whole chicken or about 20 minutes for chicken thighs.

Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof dish but reserve the stock. Finish cooking the chicken in the oven so it goes nice and crisp and golden.

Meanwhile finely dice the garlic and put it in a saucepan with the remaining 1tbsp olive oil. Gently fry for 1 minute then add the finely diced tomatoes. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Look at that gorgeous vibrant colour - make the most of it because it's about to disappear into sludge !

Stir in the molokheya and add a couple of ladlefuls of chicken stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding extra stock if you want to reduce the thickness of the sauce.

Serve a piece of chicken on a bed of rice and, if you're brave enough, spoon some of the molokheya sauce over the top.

It was edible but we weren't keen on the flavour of the molokheya. The kids didn't even taste it - they just went for plain chicken and rice !

*** Don't miss my country-by-country globecooking recipe index ! ***

If you want to try some more Egyptian dishes, you might like Aish Baladi, Taamias, Karkadeh and Date-filled Kahk