Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives

Name: Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 8 bone-in chicken thighs; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, grated; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; A generous pinch of saffron threads; 1 preserved lemon, pith removed, peel sliced; 100g green olives, pitted; A handful of coriander and parsley, chopped; Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Moroccan · Autumn · 80 min · Serves 4 · By Marcus Vidal

This is the tagine most associated with Moroccan home cooking, fragrant with ginger and saffron and sharpened by preserved lemon. A heavy pot stands in perfectly well for the traditional clay vessel. The sauce reduces to something silky that begs for bread or couscous.

Ingredients

8 bone-in chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
A generous pinch of saffron threads
1 preserved lemon, pith removed, peel sliced
100g green olives, pitted
A handful of coriander and parsley, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Season the chicken and brown it in the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Work in batches and set aside.
Lower the heat and soften the grated onion in the same pot for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, and saffron and stir for a minute.
Return the chicken to the pot, pour in 250ml water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, turning the pieces once.
Add the preserved lemon and olives. Simmer uncovered for a further 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender.
Taste and adjust the salt, remembering the lemon and olives are already salty. Scatter with the herbs before serving.