Moroccan tangines, or meat and vegetable stews, are festive and colorful main dishes that never fail to pique the palate. Some tangines are quite complex and time consuming to assemble, but this is one of the fastest chicken dishes ever, and it combines all the traditional sweet-tart casbah flavors of capers, dried fruit, olives, sugar, wine, and vinegar. I serve this dish with a big bowl of plain couscous for soaking up the juices.

Preparation Time-line: Prepare the entire dish in its marinade and refrigerate overnight before baking; can be baked up to 1 day ahead, if refrigerated.

Serving Equipment: Two 10 by 15 by 2 inch casseroles, serving fork, oversize spoon or ladle.

On Site/Re-heat: Optional.

On Site Refrigeration: Optional, only if you are not baking the raw chicken immediately (I always place the dish in the oven immediately when I arrive since after baking it can stand at room temperature in the sugar and vinegar).

Serving Temperature: Hot or room temperature.

Prepare the chicken the day before baking. In a very large plastic container with a snap-on lid, combine the wine, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, marjoram, and garlic. Add the chicken, olives, apricots, prunes, and capers; cover and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

To serve at room temperature, bake the day of serving. To serve cold, bake the day before and refrigerate overnight. I usually bake this juicy dish on site, since it is easiest to transport in the marinade container and is delicious piping hot.

Preheat oven to 400°F, if baking immediately. Divide the chicken and marinade between 2 baking dishes. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat, until the chicken is no longer pink when pierced with the tip of a knife. (If using 1 small oven, carefully switch the position of the pans halfway through cooking, or bake 1 pan at a time.) Taste the juices for seasoning.

If serving cold, cool to room temperature in the juices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Transportation Notes:
If carrying to the potluck already baked, be sure to cover tightly since there is a lot of liquid. Wrap the casserole dish in a a large, thick towel and place it on the floor of the car or in the trunk to prevent it from tipping over and the liquid sloshing out. If baking on site, bring the baking dishes and carry the chicken in the plastic container in a position to prevent tipping.

On Site Preparation:
Reheat, if desired, uncovered at 300°F fro 20 minutes, or until just warmed through. If baking on site, follow the baking instructions above. Serve hot, or let stand, covered, on the counter for up to 4 hours to serve at room temperature. Serve with a little ladle for the juices.