Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Ingredients
- One 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken cut into 8 pieces
- 2 large spring onions halved lengthwise
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 preserved lemon quartered, seeds removed *see note
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon harissa* see note
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound carrots peeled, halved lengthwise
- 2 large fennel bulbs halved and very thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
- 1 cup whole green olives
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Mix together the green onions, 1/2 cup each of the cilantro and parsley, lemons, garlic, ginger, paprika, ghee, harissa, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, crushed red pepper, cinnamon and saffron. Coat the chicken with mixture and marinate 1 hour or up to overnight in fridge in an air tight container.
- Once you're ready to start cooking, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large dish with a lid, like a dutch oven. Scrape the marinade off the chicken and set aside. Cook the chicken, skin side down, over moderate heat about 6-8 minutes in the large dish with oil.
- Add the carrots, fennel, peas, green olives, reserved marinade and 1 cup of the broth. Cover the dish and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to moderately low and cook until the chicken is tender, about 35 minutes.
- While the tagine is cooking start the couscous. In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil with yellow onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of broth, bring to a simmer and add the couscous. Cover the pot and let stand for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and season with salt.
- Remove from the tagine from the heat and let stand, covered, for about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the remaining cilantro and parsley and season with salt and black pepper. Serve hot with couscous and mint tea or fresh carrot juice, at least that is how they served it to us in Tangier!
Notes
Preserved lemons- you might not be able to find these at every grocery store. Look at Middle Eastern markets or ethnic sections. Or you can make your own. I didn't have time to make my own so I did a quick version by combining the lemons and kosher salt in the fridge overnight. It's best if you can find or make the preserved lemons but my quick method will do in a pinch!
Harissa- also not the easiest thing to find! You can make your own, like I did, by muddling together five chiles de arbol with two cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Soak the chiles in hot water for 20 minutes to let them soften before muddling. You could also use a food processor. There are many different versions of harissa so you can get creative with types of peppers you use and mix in different spices as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 660kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 36gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 1419mgPotassium: 1179mgFiber: 10gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 15531IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 5mg
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