Tagine of Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemon
One of the signature dishes of Moroccan cuisine. Its ingredients include the exotic but its preparation is simplicity itself.
Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 1 hours 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon ras el hanout
- pinch of saffron, crushed
- pinch of loomi
- sea salt
- black pepper
- 1 chicken or chicken pieces to serve 4 to 6
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 preserved lemon, peel only, cut into strips
- 1 cup green and or black olives
Preparation:
Rub chicken inside and out with garlic, ras el hanout, saffron, loomi, salt and pepper. Put in a large Dutch oven.
Add onions and herbs. Half cover with chicken broth and drop in the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then add the oil and butter. Cover and let boil for 45 minutes or until the Chicken is cooked.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Boil the broth uncovered for a further 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until concentrated. Add the lemon juice, preserved lemon peel and olives and simmer for a few more minutes.
About 5 minutes before the sauce is ready, if using whole chicken, cut up the chicken neatly into 8 pieces, then return to the pan, turning the pieces carefully in the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to serving dish and serve hot.
