Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon & Olives 🇲🇦

There's no better way to celebrate a special occasion at home with family and friends than presenting a Moroccan chicken stew at the table, cooked and served in a tagine.  Lift the conical lid to a chorus of 'oohs and ahhs' as the fragrant, delectable food is revealed.   What I like about cooking in a tagine is that there's no browning of the meat.  The ingredients are layered and gently cooked in a 'chermoula' marinade of warm spices, fresh herbs and preserved lemon. Steam condenses inside the conical lid during the cooking process, falling back into the simmering food to keep it moist.  If you love North African/Middle Eastern cuisine and want to explore a fascinating array of ingredients and way of cooking,   invest in a tagine which comes in different types and sizes.  Follow manufacturer's instructions for use and care of the one you choose.  For this recipe, I use a 32 cm/ 12½" ceramic tagine which is good on the stovetop and in the oven for family size meals.  Enjoy the experience! 

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 1.2kg / 2lb 10oz chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on or 1 whole chicken, cut up
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 large potatoes, cut into wedges
• 120g / 4¼oz pitted green olives
• ½ cup coriander, leaves and stems, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup water
• 1 preserved lemon

For the chermoula marinade:

• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 preserved lemon
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander, stems and leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons water
• 2 bay leaves, torn in half
• ½ cup olive oil

METHOD

1. Slice off and discard the pulp and membranes of the preserved lemons.  Rinse under water.  Use the rind of one lemon for the chermoula and slice the rind of the other into thin strips for garnishing.
2. Make the chermoula by placing all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor until finely chopped and thoroughly combined.  Leave for 30 minutes for flavour to develop.
3. Place chicken pieces in a container and rub all over with ½ of the chermoula.  Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
4. In a bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes and onions with 2 heaped tablespoons of the chermoula, then spread into the base of the tagine.
5. Arrange chicken pieces in the tagine on top of the tomato mixture.
6. Coat potato wedges with 2 heaped tablespoons of the chermoula, then arrange them around the chicken.
7. Top with onion and tomatoes slices, then the olives.
8. Mix remaining chermoula with chopped coriander and water.  Pour over the mixture.
9. Garnish on top with preserved lemon slices.
10. Cover tagine with lid.  Put it in a cold oven and turn the heat on to 180°C/350°F.  Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.  There is no need to stir during the cooking process and lift the lid only at the end to check that it is done.  Serve the tagine directly at the table, together with couscous if you like.