Chicken Tagine With Olives & Preserved Lemons

This rich and fragrant chicken stew is laden with complex flavors and spices reminiscent of the sort you might encounter in a mountainside cafe in Morocco. Save yourself the cost of a plane ticket, however, and make this at home.

Cook Time: 1 hr; Marinating Time: 4 hrs

4 servings

628 calories

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (2336)

Ingredients

Servings:

  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 chicken, cut in 8 to 10 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium onions, sliced thin
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 8 calamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 8 cracked green olives, pitted and halved
  • 1 large or 3 small preserved lemons (sold in specialty food shops)
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Nutritional Information

Nutritional analysis per serving

628 calories; 44 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 46 grams protein; 874 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Allergens: None

Notes on Equipment

This recipe is cooked in a tagine to acieve a moist, hot environment. Substitute with a heavy skillet if no tagine is at your disposal.

Instructions

Ahead of Time

1. Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together. If not using kosher chicken, add ½ teaspoon salt. Add pepper to taste. Rub chicken with mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate 3 to 4 hours.

Cooking

1. Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to platter. Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to tagine, if you are using one, or leave in skillet. Add cinnamon stick.

2. Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives. Quarter the lemons, remove pulp and cut skin in strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.

3. Cover tagine or skillet. Place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is done. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.