Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemon

[phildemetrion]

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemon

Serves 4 as Main Dish.

This North African dish is a tasty choice as a simple, relatively quick to prepare everyday meal or centerpiece for a dinner party. The word tagine, like casserole, refers to both the cooking utensil and the end product.

• 8 pieces of chicken (thighs, legs, breast halves)
  
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 c pitted green Spanish olives
  
• 2 small preserved lemons, chopped into 8 pieces
  
• each (or 2 tablespoons of lemon zest)
  
• 2 T ras el hanout couscous spice
  
• 1 c dry white wine
  
• 1 c (or as needed) unsalted chicken or
  
• vegetable broth
  
• 1 tsp tomato paste
  

Salt

• 
  

Pepper

• 
  

Harisa (or other hot sauce)

• 
  

In a tagine (a Moroccan earthenware casserole with a shallow base and a conical cover) or a deep cast-iron frying pan with a cover, brown the chicken pieces in the olive oil, then drain on paper towels & keep aside in a warm place. Sauté the onions in the pan until transluscent.

Return chicken pieces (with any accumulated liquid) to the pan. Add olives and preserved lemon pieces (or lemon zest). Sprinkle with ras el hanout and stir to coat the chicken. Add wine and cook uncovered until alcohol evaporates. Add a half cup of broth. Stir in tomato paste to thicken sauce a bit. Cover and cook for thirty minutes on low heat. Add more broth as needed. Sample the sauce and, if desired, add more ras el hanout, plus salt (carefully, as both the preserved lemons and olives are salty) and fresh gound pepper.

You may accompany the tagine with North African flat bread, couscous and a bowl of couscous vegetables (carrots, zucchini, turnips and chick peas boiled in a vegetable broth flavored with ras el hanout). Make it spicier by adding harisa or other hot sauce to taste.

Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Chicken, Lunch, Dinner

( RG2118 )