Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Stews are wonderful in the winter. Here’s a Moroccan recipe for Chicken tagine. Although it looks complicated, it really isn’t. The key is to have all the spices and herbs pre-measured before you start. Another key, use a cuisinart or blender rather than a pestle and mortar, unless of course, you prefer to do it the old-fashioned way.
1 - Whole chicken cut into serving pieces (Note:
you can remove the skin to make it less caloric and fatty)
5 - tbsp olive oil
1 - large bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 - teaspoon cinnamon
½ - teaspoon saffron
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 - onion chopped
5 - garlic cloves chopped
1 - teaspoon cumin
1 - teaspoon ground ginger
1 - teaspoon turmeric
1 - teaspoon paprika
¼ - cup olives pitted (Your choice e.g., kalamanta or green olives)
½ - cup sweet golden raisins or currants
Pinch of sugar
3 - preserved lemons you can purchase this at any middle-eastern store or make it
yourself (recipe follows). Or, if you
can’t do either, use about ½ cup of lemon juice.
However, the real essence of tagine is lost
without the preserved lemons.
In a cuisinart or blender, mix the olive oil, cilantro and all the spices, garlic and ½ of the chopped onions. Add a little water if needed to help make a paste.
Transfer the paste to a bowl and place the chicken pieces to marinate in the paste about half an hour to an hour.
In a Dutch oven, or if you are lucky enough to have a tagine pan (looks like a little volcano) heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then drop the chicken pieces into the hot pan and pour all the marinate into the pan. Add the remaining onions, olives, preserved lemons (no pulp) and raisins or currants.
Transfer pan to a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-minutes.
Serve with pita bread or couscous.
Preserved lemon recipe
10 - lemons. If they are not organic,
you’ll need to give the lemons a quick bath in hot boiling water for 2-3
minutes to rid the lemons of the wax coating.
Kosher salt
Non-reactive
container such as plastic or glass with an airtight cover.
Cut off the root end of the lemon. Then without going all the way through the lemon, quarter the lemons. In the quarter openings, place a generous amount of kosher salt. Place in air tight container. And every other day or so, shake the container until lemon juice covers all the lemons. The preserved lemons will be ready at minimum within 30-days. Can be stored up to a year in a cool dark area.
Note: You can add olive oil, garlic or other spices, but I prefer to keep it plain.