Imported from TikTok
Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives
A Moroccan chicken tagine simmered with soft onions, preserved lemon, and olives, served with twice-cooked fries. The chicken is then browned in the oven, while the sauce is reduced until thick and confit-like.
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Ingredients
- 1 chicken (one chicken; the giblets (liver and gizzard) are optional according to the video)
- fresh ginger (for rubbing the chicken during cleaning; quantity not specified)
- fresh lemon (for rubbing and rinsing the chicken; quantity not specified)
- lemon water (for rinsing the chicken in a basin; quantity not specified)
- 1 kg onions (cut into strips, neither too thin nor too thick)
- 4 gousses garlic
- 0.5 citron preserved lemon (one quarter for the marinade, cut into small pieces; an additional quarter cut into strips for cooking, with the seeds removed)
- 1 c. à soupe lemon juice (heaped)
- 1 c. à dessert turmeric (heaped)
- 1 c. à dessert ground ginger (using the same dessert spoon)
- 0.5 c. à dessert pepper (using the same dessert spoon)
- salt (use only a little; exact quantity not specified)
- saffron (steeped in a little water; quantity not specified)
- olive oil (for sautéing the onions and the remaining marinade; quantity not specified)
- 750 ml water (boiling; quantity indicated for one chicken)
- 1 cuillère smen (aged butter; measurement not specified)
- parsley (normally one bunch; quantity not specified, added during cooking and optionally to the basting mixture)
- fresh cilantro (normally one bunch; quantity not specified)
- 0.5 cube saffron stock cube (optional, dissolved in a little water)
- potatoes (for the fries; quantity not specified)
- frying oil (for both fryings; quantity not specified)
- olives (to taste; blanched in boiling water to reduce their saltiness)
- butter (a little, optional, for basting the chicken)
- smen (a little, optional, mixed with the butter for basting the chicken)
Steps
- 1
Clean the chicken by rubbing it with ginger and lemon. Rinse it in a basin of lemon water, then with clean water, and leave it to drain thoroughly.
- 2
Cut the onions in half against the direction of the visible lines. Place each onion half cut-side down and slice it into medium-thickness strips; then cut the strips in half.
- 3
Prepare the marinade with the garlic, one quarter of the preserved lemon cut into small pieces, the lemon juice, turmeric, ground ginger, pepper, a little salt, and the saffron steeped in water. Mix until homogeneous.
- 4
Take about half of the marinade and rub it all over the chicken with your hands. Set the rest aside for cooking.
- 5
Heat olive oil in a large pot or tagine, then add the remaining marinade.
- 6
Add the onions and sauté them over medium heat until cooked and well reduced.
- 7
Add the chicken along with all the juices left in the bowl. Brown it with the onions, turning it to color both sides, then mix gently.
- 8
Pour in 750 ml of boiling water. Add the quarter of preserved lemon cut into strips, after removing the seeds, then add the smen, parsley, cilantro, and, if desired, the half saffron cube dissolved in a little water.
- 9
Cover, leaving a small opening, and cook for about 45 minutes. Check occasionally and turn the chicken.
- 10
While the chicken simmers, fry the potatoes for the first time at 160 °C, until they begin to cook but are not yet browned. Let them cool between the two fryings.
- 11
Preheat the fryer to 190 °C for the second frying, but wait before frying the potatoes a second time.
- 12
When the chicken is cooked, remove it one piece at a time and arrange it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, handling it gently so it does not fall apart. Set it aside without putting it in the oven yet.
- 13
Strain the contents of the pot through a colander over a bowl to collect the juices without the onions. Return the onions to the pot and cook them until confit-like, stirring often and making sure they do not burn.
- 14
Bring water to a boil and add the olives to remove some of their saltiness. Drain them.
- 15
When the onions are confit-like, pour the reserved juices back in to give the sauce body. Add the olives and mix until the mixture is well reduced and confit-like.
- 16
For the optional basting mixture, combine a little butter and smen with a little sauce and a little parsley. Microwave for 10 to 20 seconds, just until liquid, without allowing it to splatter.
- 17
Baste the chicken with the butter and smen mixture if desired. Then place the baking sheet in the oven to brown the chicken; the video indicates 220 °C for the final 15 minutes, but does not specify the total oven time.
- 18
When the sauce is confit-like and has the desired consistency, reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep it warm.
- 19
Finish the second frying of the potatoes at 190 °C for about 1 to 2 minutes, until golden.
- 20
Serve the chicken with the onion and olive sauce and the fries; the fries may be placed on top, although the video specifies that they are also served on the side.
Notes
The quantities of several ingredients, including the oil, olives, herbs, and potatoes, are not specified. The video mentions about 45 minutes of simmering, a first frying of the potatoes at 160 °C, and a second frying at 190 °C for 1 to 2 minutes. It also indicates 15 minutes at 220 °C for the chicken, without specifying the total oven time. Cleaning the chicken with ginger and lemon is a step given by the author; handle raw chicken and clean utensils carefully.
Nutrition per serving
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