Chicken, Preserved Lemon & Green Olive Tagine

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes + overnight marinating
  • Cooking Time: 45 minutes
  • Servings: 4 - 6
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Chicken, Preserved Lemon & Green Olive Tagine is one of the great dishes of Morocco. It is easy to make at home without any special equipment.

Ingredients

  • 1 kilo free-range chicken thigh cutlets (or chicken Maryland), skin-on
  • ½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 20g unsalted butter
  • 3 brown onions, cut into large dice
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 2 whole red chillies, slit in half but held together by the stem
  • 1 whole preserved lemon, skin only, cut into large dice
  • 12 large green olives, pitted
  • 50ml lemon juice

 

Marinade

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed with 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 ground coriander
  • 15 saffron threads

 

Couscous

  • 180g (6oz) instant couscous (see note)
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) chicken stock
  • 2 red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pinenuts
  • 2 tablespoons coriander, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil

 

To serve: Fresh herb leaves e.g. parsley, coriander

Instructions

  1. Combine marinade ingredients with ¼ cup (60 ml) oil in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken, seal and massage to cover chicken and marinate in the fridge overnight.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Place a large frypan over medium heat, add remaining oil and butter and when foaming, add onions and cook for 5-7 minutes or until softened but not brown. Put into a medium large baking tray.
  3. Increase the heat, brown the chicken in the frypan for 5-7 minutes on all sides until golden. Place on baking tray, skin-side up and pour over chicken stock, poke in the chillies.
  4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Stir in preserved lemon, olives, and lemon juice for another 15 minutes or until sauce thickens and chicken is tender.
  5. Meanwhile pour boiling stock over the couscous, cover with clean cloth and leave to swell for 5 minutes. Fork over couscous, mix through chillies, raisins, parsley, pinenuts, coriander, salt and pepper and extra olive oil.
  6. Sprinkle tagine with parsley and coriander and serve with couscous.

Notes

Lyndey’s Note: You can also use large Moghrabieh couscous, also Middle Eastern and very popular in Lebanon and Israel. Simply proceed as per the packet instructions and boil or cook in stock for approx. 20 minutes. Then toss in a pan with some extra virgin olive oil and proceed to finish as for the instant couscous.

Related Recipe: Moroccan Chicken Breast with Almond Couscous

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