The tagine is usually cooked on very low heat for a few hours. You can basically get your protein, whether it is chicken, lamb, beef, fish or dry legumes, veggies and carbs in one meal. The concept of cooking in a tagine appeared in the famous One thousand and one nights from the Arabic story collection from the 9th century.
Chicken tagine with potatoes, olives and preserved lemon
The Story
This dish is called chicken tagine because in Morocco they used to cook it in a terracotta pot called a tagine.
Chicken tagine with potatoes, olives and preserved lemon
This is a traditional recipe cooked once or twice a week in Moroccan households. The use of saffron, preserved lemon and chermoula gives the dish a superb flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken or just chicken legs
- 2 medium Onions
- 2 large Potatoes
- 4 clove Garlic
- 2 tbs Chopped parsley
- 2 tbs Chopped coriander
- 1 medium Preserved lemon
- 1/2 cup Green or red olives
- 1/2 medium Juice of half lemon
- 1/2 tsp Saffron
- 1 tsp Ginger powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tbs Salt
- 4 tbs Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
Instructions
- First, wash your chicken with 3 tbsp of white vinegar and 3 tbsp of salt.
- Leave aside for minimum 40 minutes, then wash your chicken with fresh water and dry it with kitchen towel/paper.
- Soak the saffron in a cup with hot water and 1/2 tsp of honey.
- To prepare the chermoula - in a food processor, add parsley, coriander, garlic, 4 tbsp of the saffron mixture, the lemon juice, the flesh of the preserved lemon, salt to taste and all the spices and blend until smooth.
- In a bowl, marinade the chicken with the chermoula and set aside.
- Preheat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the chicken, leave the rest of the chermoula in the bowl and cook for 4 minutes each side.
- Add the chopped onions and the rest of the saffron water. Cook gently for 10 minutes, adding a bit of water if needed.
- Cut your potatoes into quarters as in the pics, and put them in the chermoula bowl to soak up the flavors.
- Add the potatoes to the chicken and all the rest of the chermoula.
- Add the olives and the peel of the preserved lemon.
- Add half a cup of hot water and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure you have enough liquid in your tagine but not too much.
- Optional - preheat your oven to 200C and put your tagine in to finish cooking for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with freshly baked bread, couscous or rice.
- Your tagine will be more delicious if you marinade your chicken in the chermoula overnight.
I love, love, love, looove this recipe. My boyfriend is morrocan und since we moved in together, he misses his mothers’ cooking! It is the 10th time Im doing Chicken Tajine based on your recipe and now I had to comment!
It is really delicious and just like how his mother does it. Thank you.