Chicken With Caramelized Baby Onions and Honey (Djaj Bil Assal)
 
 
This Middle Eastern dish of chicken with caramelized onions, baby shallots and honey is mostly savory with a hint of sweet.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb pearl onions
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • a pinch of saffron
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1½ lb chicken (I used breasts this time but would go with thighs next time)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1½ tbsp honey
  • 1 bell pepper
Instructions
  1. Peel the shallots.
  2. Saute the chopped onion until softened in the oil over a medium heat in a pan or casserole large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Stir in the saffron, ginger and cinnamon, then put in the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper and turn to brown them lightly all over.
  3. Add about 1 cup water and cook, covered, over a low heat, turning the pieces over, for 15 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are done. Lift out the breasts and put them to one side. Add the shallots or baby onions and continue to cook, covered, for about 25 minutes, or until the remaining chicken pieces are very tender. During the cooking, stir the onions occasionally.
  4. Lift out the chicken pieces and set to one side. Stir the honey into the pan. Chec the seasoning. You need quite a bit of pepper to mitigate the sweetness. Coo, uncovered, until all the water has evaporated and the onions are brown, caramelized.
  5. Return the chicken to the pan. Spoon the onions on top of them and heat through. Serve.
  6. Peel the pearl onions. Chop the onion and the bell pepper.
  7. Saute the chopped onion and pepper until softened in the oil over a medium heat in a pan or casserole large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Stir in the saffron, ginger and cinnamon, then put in the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper and turn to brown them lightly all over.
  8. Add about 1 cup water and cook, covered, over a low heat, turning the pieces over, for 15 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are done. Lift out the breasts and put them to one side. Add the shallots or baby onions.
  9. Stir the honey into the pan. Check the seasoning. You need quite a bit of pepper to mitigate the sweetness. Cook, uncovered, until all the water has evaporated and the onions are brown, caramelized.
  10. Return the chicken to the pan. Spoon the onions on top of them and heat through. Serve.
Notes
Adapted from Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ of recipe
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2010/02/regional-recipes-chicken-with-caramelized-baby-onions-and-honey-djaj-bil-assal.html