CHICKEN TAJINE WITH PRESERVED LEMON, ALMONDS AND GREEN OLIVES
A TASTE OF MOROCCO
In Fez, where every winding alley seems to carry the scent of something simmering, few dishes capture the city’s soul quite like a chicken tajine with preserved lemon and olives. Bright, aromatic and deeply comforting, this timeless classic is a taste of Morocco’s effortless balance between spice and subtlety
CHICKEN TAJINE WITH PRESERVED LEMON, ALMONDS AND GREEN OLIVES
SERVES 6
30 ml olive oil
4 onions, sliced
1,2 kg chicken legs and thighs
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
30 g coriander, tied in a bouquet
2 medium sized preserved
lemons, sliced
150 g brown olives
250 ml chicken stock
Preheat oven to 160° C. Place tajine over low heat on stove.
Once tajine is warm, increase heat to medium-high. If you are not
using a tajine, place a large pan over medium-high heat. Add oil.
Cook onions until translucent then add garlic and spices and cook
for another minute. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add stock
and coriander then season with salt and pepper. Cover with lid, then
place in oven for 1 hour. Remove tajine from oven, remove coriander
bouquet and chicken. Then, over medium heat, reduce sauce for about
15 minutes or until two thirds of liquid has evaporated. Add chopped
preserved lemon and olives to onions, stir to combine and leave over
medium-low heat for 10 minutes. To serve, place chicken back in
tajine. Serve with couscous or fresh bread.