The tagine is my choice of an unglazed clay pot, especially in winter. Its terracotta top and bottom create the perfect environment for developing slow-cooked flavor.Being a great fan of Morocco, I most often stick to the traditional dishes. Moroccans themselves are quite creative, but the buck stops when it gets too out of the box or out of range for ingredients out of their reach. Last week, I was in the mood for chicken, but not. Neither was I in the mood for red meat, having renounced it for three days. A small discipline, but a fine time to perhaps think out of the box. Some sort of wild fowl, or cornish game hen would do the trick, but they didn’t have anything at my local market. What they did have was a frozen “Poulet Bleu,” a white Canadian variety with blue feet, taken from the French Poulet de Bresse.
“Blue Foot Chicken is characterized by a red comb, white feathers, and steel-blue feet, which give the breed its name. The feet are usually left on for presentation.” No blue feet were present on my frozen bird. Yet, the meat is noticeably darker and richer.