Can I Add Meat To The Moroccan Vegetable Pot?

Our answer

Nigella's Moroccan Vegetable Pot (from AT MY TABLE is a gently spiced stew that is acoompanied by a dill and pine nut-studded couscous. The recipe includes a mixture of vegetables, though we suspect that you could adapt the recipe to include some meat.

As the stew cooks for 35-45 minutes, we don't think that beef or lamb would be particularly suitable as they tend to need long, slow cooking to ensure that they are tender. Chicken is probably the best option as it cooks quickly. You could possibly use pork but it would need to be a lean and tender cut, such as fillet or loin, rather than a tougher cut, such as shoulder. We would suggest omitting the potatoes from the recipe (as the pot is served with couscous) and using 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (around 350g/12 ounces) for 4 people. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan at the same time as the vegetables, olives and preserved lemons. Once the pan has come to the boil and has been covered, make sure that it doesn't boil again as this could make the chicken tough. Cook at a gentle simmer for 35-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through. You may also like to try Nigella's Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew (which also has instructions for conventional cooking).