Tajine Maadnous (Tunisian Tajine with Eggs, Parsley and Chicken)
Tajine Maadnous (Tunisian Tajine with Eggs, Parsley and Chicken) is a traditional Tunisian recipe for a thick egg omelette with a cheese, chicken, potato and parsley filling. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Tunisian version of: Tunisian Tajine with Eggs, Parsley and Chicken (Tajine Maadnous).
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Similar to an Italian frittata or Spanish tortilla, Tunisian tajine is an easy & delicious thick egg omelette filled with chicken, parsley, and spices. Indeed, the dish is named from the Maghrebi-Arabic word for parsley معدنوس (mʿdnws — roughly pronounced 'maadnous').
Tunisian tajines are egg-based dishes, rather similar to Spanish tortilla, Italian frittata, or Egyptian eggah. The more well-known Moroccan tagines are stew-like recipes, named after the special ceramic pots in which they are cooked. The two appear to have very little in common at first glance, but in reality, it only takes a fairly short and simple linguistic jump to sort out the confusion.
Both dishes come from variations in the use of the original Arabic word ṭājin (طَاجِن), which comes from the Ancient Greek word tágēnon (τάγηνον).1 The original Greek word means a frying pan or saucepan, while the Arabic derivation can mean this or a clay cooking dish. Basically, the word has always been used to refer to a cooking dish/pan first and foremost, rather than the meals cooked within it. However, we humans like to name our foods after our dishes (casserole, pot-pie, paella, and nabe are other examples), and the word tagine/tajine came to be used in this fashion in the North African Maghreb region - albeit in slightly different ways.
In Moroccan Arabic, ṭājin became ṭažin (طاجين), and came to be used to refer to the wonderful, often beautifully decorated ceramic cooking pans used in the region. These tagines and their distinctive conical lids help condense steam and return it to the dish, keeping slow-cooked dishes moist. In Tunisia, however, the word retained standard Arabic spelling, and evolved over time to mean a specific egg dish (such as this one), cooked into a sort of hearty meat-and-vegetable omelette. While the final dishes are undeniably different, they're united by the fact that they were both cooked in simple earthenware pans. As for the two spellings, this seems to be the result of little more than differences in transliteration to English (or French) from Arabic.
This is unusual for an Arabic recipe in that it includes cheese. Cream cheese (Laughing Cow (La vache qui rit) cheese wedges believe it or no) are commonly used. I'm not a big fan so I used a 50:50 mix of grated mozzarella and Emmenthaler.
Ingredients:
500g chicken breasts (or thighs) diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large potato peeled and diced
250ml water
1 small bunch parsley
8 large eggs
175g cheese (see note, above)
2 tbsp olive oil
For the Spice Blend:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Method:
Mix the spices together (grinding any whole spices if necessary) and set them aside.
In a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat, fry the onions in about 1 tbsp of olive oil until tender.
Toss chicken with 1/2 of the spice mix to coat. Add this to the pan and fry to brown all over.
Now add the potatoes and the water to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer then cook, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated away.
Stir in the chopped parsley then take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C, and grease a medium (2l) baking tin with the remaining olive oil.
Thoroughly whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then mix in the cheese. Stir in the chicken, potato, and parsley mixture, along with the remaining spice mixture. Stir until well-combined, then pour into the oiled baking tin.
Transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until set in the middle.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Traditionally this is served, sliced into wedges, either warm or at room temperature. Accompany with some harissa.
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