Chicken Tagine

My seven year old comes home with new food requests every day— a dish or a cuisine. Lately, the request has been Moroccan— such as Orange and Carrot Salad, Moroccan grilled shrimp, and Ras-al-Hanout spiced grilled fish. 

This Chicken Tagine was delicious, and a great way to serve the whole family with one pot. 

Now, normally I would love to run out, and buy a gorgeous Tagine, especially that beautiful shiny Le Creuset one that always catches my eye as I walk through Sur La Table… but decided to give it a go in my dutch oven, which was a great substitute. 

Serves 4

30 minutes active time

1 hour inactive

Ingredients

6–8 chicken drumsticks, bone-on, skin-off

Marinade

Fresh parsley and fresh cilantro, about 1 cup, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 large preserved lemon, (use the flesh for the marinade, set aside the skins)

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons ginger powder

1 teaspoons cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon Ras-al-Hanout 

Saffron, generous pinch, soaked in 1 tablespoon hot water

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, grated

Half red pepper, julienned

Cinnamon stick

Lemon juice, to taste

8oz chickpeas

8oz artichokes or pitted olives

1/2 cup pistachios 

Store-bough Harissa

Method

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and let it marinade for at least an hour. 
2. In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken and let it brown. 
3. Once browned, set the chicken to the side of the tagine and let the onions lightly brown in the chicken fat, along with the julienned red peppers.
4. Add the remaining ingredients— cinnamon stick, lemon juice, chickpeas, and artichokes or olives. Let it come to a boil, then cover and let it simmer for a half hour. While it simmers, check your tagine. 
5. Once chicken is done, taste the sauce and season accordingly. Remember, the preserved lemons are salty.
6. Serve over couscous or with crusty bread on the side, garnished with coarsely crushed pistachios and a dollop of Harissa.