Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Onions and Olives

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken pieces (Cleaned and prepared)
• 2 Onion (Finely sliced)
• 1 tsp Ginger (Ground)
• 1 tsp Coriander seed powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper
• Salt (To taste)
• 2 tbsp Coriander and Parsley (Freshly chopped)
• 0.5 tsp Smen (Moroccan salted/aged butter)
• 3 clove Garlic (Crushed/minced)
• 0.5 Preserved lemon pulp (Finely chopped pulp of half a lemon)
• 1 pinch Saffron (Soaked in 1/4 cup of water)
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 0.5 cup Green olives (For garnish)
• 0.5 Preserved lemon peel (Sliced for garnish)
• 2 cup French fries (Fried or oven-baked for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, prepare the marinade by combining the ginger, coriander seed powder, turmeric, black pepper, salt, chopped coriander and parsley, smen, crushed garlic, and chopped preserved lemon pulp.

2. 2

   Add the saffron-infused water to the spice mixture and stir well to combine.

3. 3

   Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, coating each piece thoroughly. For the best flavor, let the chicken marinate for as long as possible (at least 30 minutes or up to several hours).

4. 4

   Place the finely sliced onions in the bottom of a tagine or a heavy-bottomed pot.

5. 5

   Arrange the marinated chicken pieces on top of the onions and drizzle with olive oil.

6. 6

   Cover the tagine and cook over low to medium heat for approximately 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

7. 7

   Add the green olives and the preserved lemon peel strips on top of the chicken.

8. 8

   Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

9. 9

   Top the tagine with hot French fries just before serving.

Notes

If you don't have a traditional clay tagine, a heavy Dutch oven or a deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid will work perfectly. The 'smen' adds a distinct fermented flavor traditional to Moroccan cooking, but can be substituted with clarified butter if unavailable.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Moroccan
• tagine
• chicken
• slow-cooked
• stew
• dinner