Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Ingredients
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ginger ground
- 1/2 tsp coriander ground
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 lemon
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 8 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on, (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat (see note)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs yellow onion halved and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 2 tbs all-purpose flour 1 3/4
- 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbs honey
- 2 large carrots or 3 medium, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick coins
- 1/2 cup green olives Greek cracked, pitted and halved (see note)
- 2 tbs cilantry leaves fresh chopped
Instructions
- Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.
- Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.
- Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.
- Note: Don't fret too much over trimming the chicken thighs. The skin gets removed midway through the cooking process and most of the fat will cook off and get drained. I usually just take kitchen shears and quickly snip off any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that have been ‘cracked’ or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket’s olive bar, or substitute any green olive that you like.
- Make-Ahead: After you have completed the step of cooking the carrots, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm on the stove until the chicken is heated through, then proceed to the step where the olives and remaining ingredients are added.
Notes
Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It’s festive and company-worthy yet also easy enough to throw together on a not-too-busy weeknight. The word tagine refers to the shallow clay vessel with a cone-shaped lid that the dish is traditionally cooked in, but you don’t need one to make it.
I use a large cast-iron braiser; a wide Dutch oven or a heavy covered skillet will work, too. The recipe does not call for preserved lemons, a specialty ingredient that can be difficult to find. Instead, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice add tart brightness to the dish. Serve the chicken on a platter or individual plates atop a bed of couscous.
While you can use a whole cut-up chicken for a chicken tagine, my preference is to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs only. They provide a good amount of meat and remain tender even if slightly overcooked, and the bones and skin add depth of flavor and richness to the sauce (though the skin is removed midway through cooking). Sometimes, I pull the meat off the bone before serving — makes it easier and more appealing for the kids to eat — but serving the chicken on the bone is traditional.
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