Chicken Tagine with Lemons
Submitted by kjac
Saffron-infused chicken braised with bright lemon zest and briny olives, Moroccan style. Aromatic ginger and garlic perfume the silky sauce. Serve over fluffy couscous for a North African feast.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
60 minClose your eyes and imagine a Moroccan kitchen: saffron blooming in warm water, the heady scent of ginger and garlic, chicken simmering until it nearly falls off the bone.
This is tagine, the iconic North African braise named after the conical clay pot it’s traditionally cooked in.
The magic is in the slow simmer. The chicken absorbs the saffron-gold braising liquid while bright lemon zest and briny black olives cut through the richness at the end.
You don’t need a tagine pot to make this. A heavy Dutch oven or deep saucepan works beautifully.
Spoon everything over a mound of fluffy couscous and let the sauce soak in.
Pro Tips
- Bloom the saffron first. Those 10 minutes in warm water release the color and flavor. Skip this step and you’re wasting expensive saffron.
- Remove the chicken skin before cooking for a lighter, cleaner sauce that doesn’t get greasy.
- Use preserved lemons if you have them. They’re traditional and add an intense, fermented citrus punch. Just rinse, remove the pulp, and slice the rind thinly.
- Don’t skip the olives. Their briny, salty bite is essential to balance the aromatic sweetness of the braising liquid.
- Baste the chicken occasionally while it simmers. Spooning that golden liquid over the top keeps everything moist and builds flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the water in a small bowl, add the saffron and soak for 10 minutes.
Remove the skin from the six chicken pieces.
Place the chicken, oil, margarine, broth, onion, garlic, ginger and salt in a large saucepan, cover and bring to a boil over medium- high heat.
Reduce the heat to low and cook, occasionally spooning the liquid over the chicken, until it is cooked through and the juices run clear when the chicken is tested with a skewer, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the onion and discard.
Add the olives and lemon zest to the saucepan and simmer, uncovered, for an additionl 5 minutes.
Place the chicken in a deep serving dish, pour the cooking juices on top and garnish with the fresh lemon slices; OR arrange the chicken over a bed of plain couscous.
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