Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement

1. 1

   Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon.

2. 2

   Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove and set aside.

3. 3

   Season both sides of the chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

4. 4

   Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke.

5. 5

   Brown the chicken skin side down in a single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes, then flip and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more.

6. 6

   Transfer the chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard it.

7. 7

   Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat from the pan.

8. 8

   Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned at the edges but still holding their shape, 5 to 7 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water if the pan gets too dark.

9. 9

   Add the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

10. 10

    Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

11. 11

    Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits.

12. 12

    Return the chicken with any juices, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

13. 13

    Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.

14. 14

    Stir in the olives, the reserved lemon zest and garlic mixture, the coriander and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and adjust.

15. 15

    Serve with couscous.

Africook’s Notes

Personal notes from Amarachi Irobi

Personal notes from Amarachi Irobi

• Brown the chicken properly and then discard the skin. The skin gives up its fat and flavour during browning and would go flabby during the braise.
• Add the olives and the reserved lemon and garlic at the very end. Cooked in from the start they lose all their sharpness.
• Cook the spices and flour in the fat for thirty seconds before the liquid. It removes the raw flour taste and blooms the spices.
• If cooking in an actual clay tagine on a hob, use the lowest setting. Raising the heat cracks the clay, and most tagines need a diffuser.
• Preserved lemon in place of, or alongside, the fresh zest gives a far more authentically Moroccan result. Use the peel only.
• The carrots should be tender-crisp rather than soft, so add them for the final ten minutes only.