About this Dish
The definitive dish of Moroccan cuisine — chicken slow-cooked in a conical clay pot with preserved lemons, olives, onion, saffron and spices until meltingly tender. The preserved lemon is irreplaceable — its unique fermented citrus flavour is the soul of Moroccan cooking. Served with couscous or bread.
IngredientsServes 4
🍗Chicken thighs and drumsticks, 1.5kg bone-in, skin-on
🍋Preserved lemons, 2 whole, quartered and flesh removed, rind sliced
🫒Green olives, 150g pitted
🧅Large onions, 2, grated or very finely sliced
🧄Garlic cloves, 4, minced
🌿Fresh coriander and flat-leaf parsley, large handful of each, chopped
🌾Saffron threads, a generous pinch, soaked in 3 tbsp warm water
🫙Ground spices: 1 tsp each cumin, ginger, turmeric and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
🫒Olive oil, 3 tbsp
💧Chicken stock or water, 200ml
Method
1
In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the garlic, all the ground spices, half the chopped herbs, the saffron water and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, toss to coat everything well, and marinate for at least 1 hour — overnight in the fridge is even better.2
Heat a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish over medium heat. Add the grated onions and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden and have released most of their moisture.3
Add the marinated chicken pieces on top of the onions, skin-side down, and brown lightly for about 5 minutes each side. You want a little colour but the real magic happens in the slow cooking, so don't rush this step.4
Pour in the stock or water, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with the lid and cook on a very low heat for 45–50 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through, until the meat is completely tender and almost falling from the bone.5
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the preserved lemon rind and the green olives, nestling them into the sauce. Taste the sauce — it should be savoury, fragrant and slightly briny — and adjust seasoning if needed.6
Scatter over the remaining fresh coriander and parsley, and bring the tagine straight to the table. Serve with fluffy couscous or crusty Moroccan bread to scoop up every drop of the incredible sauce.User Reviews
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