CHICKEN TAGINE WITH OLIVES AND PRESERVED LEMONS

Chicken Tagine With Olives and Preserved Lemons image

This rich and fragrant chicken stew is laden with complex flavors and spices reminiscent of the sort you might encounter in a mountainside cafe in Morocco. Save yourself the cost of a plane ticket, however, and make this at home. First, rub the chicken with a redolent combination of garlic, saffron, ground ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric and black pepper, then pop it into the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours to marinate. Once that's done, brown the chicken parts, and remove from the pan, making room for a pile of sliced onions that you'll sauté until golden brown. Nestle a cinnamon stick into the tangle of onions, pile the chicken parts on top and scatter with slices of preserved lemons and olives, a combination of green and kalamata. Add a bit of chicken stock and lemon juice, then cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, and your house smells amazing.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories dinner, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

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Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken, cut in 8 to 10 pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, sliced thin
1 cinnamon stick
8 calamata olives, pitted and halved
8 cracked green olives, pitted and halved
1 large or 3 small preserved lemons (sold in specialty food shops)
1 cup chicken stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Steps:

Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together. If not using kosher chicken, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pepper to taste. Rub chicken with mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate 3 to 4 hours.
Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to platter. Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to tagine, if you are using one, or leave in skillet. Add cinnamon stick.
Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives. Quarter the lemons, remove pulp and cut skin in strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.
Cover tagine or skillet. Place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is done. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 628, UnsaturatedFat 29 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 44 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 46 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 874 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams