Moroccan Chicken and Lemon Tagine
Directions
- 1Start with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- 2Remove any small bits of cartilage from the chicken thighs.
- 3Heat a large pan with a generous touch of olive oil.
- 4Salt the chicken and fry on high until beautifully brown all over.
- 5Set aside the browned chicken in a bowl.
- 6Cut 2 medium onions in half lengthwise.
- 7Slice the onions thinly.
- 8Clean up 4 to 5 pieces of garlic cloves.
- 9Crush or mince the garlic and add it to the sliced onions.
- 10Place the chicken pan back on the stove and add more olive oil.
- 11Add the sliced onions and garlic to the pan.
- 12Salt the onions and garlic straight away.
- 13Cook the onions on low, stirring every now and then until fully soft.
- 14Take a good fat pinch of saffron and place it in a bowl.
- 15Add boiling water to the saffron and let it bloom for 10 minutes.
- 16Prepare the spices: sweet paprika, turmeric powder, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger.
- 17Have 4 to 6 bay leaves ready.
- 18Take a preserved lemon.
- 19Remove the centre parts of the preserved lemon.
- 20Slice the preserved lemon skin into thin strips.
- 21Once the onions are fully soft, add back the chicken thighs to the pan.
- 22Pour in chicken stock.
- 23Add the bloomed saffron, bay leaves, and all the prepared spices to the pan.
- 24Add the sliced preserved lemons.
- 25Add pitted green olives.
- 26Give it a good mix.
- 27Simmer gently on medium heat for about 20 minutes without letting it boil to death.
- 28Heat a saucepan over medium heat with olive oil for the couscous.
- 29Add the finely chopped onion to the saucepan.
- 30Add minced garlic cloves to the saucepan.
- 31Sauté until fully soft and translucent.
- 32Add drained tinned chickpeas to the saucepan.
- 33Add ground ginger, a pinch of cinnamon, and ground cumin.
- 34Add chopped almonds.
- 35Add chopped dried apricots.
- 36Pour in chicken stock or water.
- 37Add a little more salt.
- 38Bring the mixture to a boil.
- 39Add the couscous.
- 40Stir well to combine.
- 41Remove from the heat and immediately cover with a lid.
- 42Set a timer for 6 minutes to let the couscous cook and become fluffy and fragrant.
- 43Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork.
- 44Finely chop cilantro leaves.
- 45Add most of the chopped cilantro to the chicken tagine, keeping some for the couscous.
- 46Add sugar to the chicken tagine.
- 47Dish up a tiny mountain of couscous.
- 48Add a generous portion of chicken tagine with plenty of juicy sauce.
- 49Add a final touch of fresh lemon zest and a grinding of black pepper if desired.
Ingredients
- 900 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 150 g medium onions
- 35 g garlic cloves
- 30 g olive oil
- 700 ml chicken stock
- 80 g salted lemons
- 100 g pitted green olives
- 3 g ground cumin
- 0.05 g saffron strands
- 1 g bay leaves
- 1 g turmeric powder
- 1 g sweet paprika
- 2.5 g ground ginger
- 0.3 g cinnamon
- 6 g salt
- 12 g sugar
- 12 g cilantro leaves
- 100 g onion (for couscous)
- 10 g garlic (for couscous)
- 100 g couscous
- 1 g ground cumin (for couscous)
- 1 g ground ginger (for couscous)
- pinch cinnamon (for couscous)
- 25 g dried apricots
- 30 g chopped almonds
- 80 g tinned chickpeas
- 10 g olive oil (for couscous)
- 150 ml chicken stock or water (for couscous)
Equipment
chopping boardpanbowltongsknifesaucepantimer
Tips
- To fix the chopping board, use a piece of wet paper towel underneath.
- Don't clean the pan after frying chicken, as the fond will add flavour to the aromatics.
- Salt the onions and garlic straight away to prevent burning and release their juices.
- Season as you go along.
- For the preserved lemons, remove the centre parts and slice the skin into thin strips.
- For the couscous, remove it from the heat and immediately cover with a lid.
- Add sugar to the chicken tagine to balance the sweet and sour flavours.
- Taste the dish to adjust seasoning.
- Optionally, grind black pepper on top for serving.