I checked out Gluten-Free Girl during our visit to Seattle and happened upon her glowing review of World Spice Merchants, a little slice of heaven located below the Pike Place Market. Tossed fish never did it for me, but spices? Sign me up! We already had plans to visit the market later in the day, so I compiled a wish list from the website and practically skipped down the street, my mind racing over recipes for new meals we’d have back home. As I wandered around the store drinking in the aromas from the sample jars, I paid close attention to the items I’d requested. Did you know asafoetida smells like the Hoboken PATH station? We double-bagged that one, just in case. I’m amazed the spices weren’t confiscated from our carry-on baggage.

Of the many spices and blends I brought back, harissa has been the most vexing, taunting me from our kitchen counter these past few weeks as I’ve pondered what exactly to do with it. When our office moves next month I’ll be near Kalustyan’s, so I really don’t need to treat these little discoveries like Marco Polo brought them back from his travels just for me. Still, they did come an awfully long way. But inspiration struck when our weather reverted to winter Friday. What we needed was Moroccan Chicken Stew! (Made with a Tunisian spice blend!)

Chicken Creole was one of the first big dishes I learned to make in high school, so I thought I’d just muck around with that to make it Moroccan. It’s just a stew, right? To start, I reduced the tomatoes quite a bit and worked on the spice blend, grinding harissa with a little extra cumin and coriander, some cinnamon, fresh ginger, and salt, then made a paste of it with olive oil and lemon juice. The paste turned an angry red, my friends, and was hotter than most things I cook these days, but I forged boldly ahead and marinated chicken thighs in it for a few hours, just long enough to clean the kitchen and take a nap.

After our nap, I got busy cooking and decided against rice or potatoes. No bulghur in the pantry, either, but we did have a big bag of quinoa languishing from a few months ago. Since the dish already had an international flair, I thought an intercontinental vibe might not be such a bad thing. Epicurious had a nice recipe that I only made two minor adjustments to, substituting saffron threads for turmeric and chicken stock for water.

I wasn’t wrong about the similarities between chicken creole and this dish, but it went far beyond the food of my youth. The harissa was a welcome warming element (and, I like to think, explained our freaky dreams), while the crunch and nuttiness of the quinoa provided a good counterpoint.

Sometimes it’s best to wait for inspiration to strike.

recipes after the jump

Moroccan Chicken Stew, serves 2

4 skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon harissa
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
olive oil, enough to make a paste
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 can diced tomatoes, with juice
a handful of dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Grind spices together in a coffee or spice grinder. Put mixture in a small bowl and add ginger, lemon juice, and oil to make a thick paste. Put chicken thighs in a large ziploc bag and add paste, massaging it into the chicken. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to four hours.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in pot and sauté onions until translucent. Add chicken, tomatoes, and apricots, and stir to mix. Add enough water just to cover chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. The beauty of chicken thighs is it’s nearly impossible to overcook them, so don’t worry if they go over.

When chicken has about 20 minutes to go, prepare the quinoa, recipe follows.

To serve, shred the chicken with two forks and stir in chopped cilantro. Mound quinoa onto plate and make a well in the center. Spoon stew into well.

Quinoa adapted from epicurious.com

1 cup quinoa*
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch saffron
2 cups chicken broth

Rinse quinoa; drain. Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and saffron; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.