Tag: tajine

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

Time: 1 hour, plus 3 to 4 hours marinating
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 chicken, cut in 8 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium onions, sliced thin
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 8 calamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 8 cracked green olives, pitted and halved
  • 1 large or 3 small preserved lemons
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together. If not using kosher chicken, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pepper to taste. Rub chicken with mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate 3 to 4 hours.

Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to platter. Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to tagine, if you are using one, or leave in skillet. Add cinnamon stick.

Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives. Quarter the lemons, remove pulp and cut skin in strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.

Cover tagine or skillet. Place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is done. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.

Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken

A delicious and aromatic chicken stew using middle eastern flavors of saffron, olives and preserved lemons.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken thighs (retain as large pieces)
  • 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp ground ginger (or fresh grated ginger)
  • 2 inch piece long cinnamon stick
  • 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika or Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 large preserved lemon, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup pitted green olives (rinsed in water to remove the salt)
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4-6 strands of saffron
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp ghee

Directions

Add all the ingredients to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Do not cut the chicken thighs into smaller pieces. Stir to mix and place in the Instant Pot and close the lid.

Turn valve to sealing position.

Press ‘Pressure Cook’ button and set timer to 8 mins.

After the timer goes off, let pressure release naturally. Then open the lid and stir carefully. Gently break the large chicken pieces into smaller pieces using a spatula.

If you like the stew to be thicker, press the ‘Saute’ button and cook for 5-10 mins on medium heat until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.