Healthy: Chicken Tagine Recipe with Green Olives and Lemon Preserves

Admittedly I am in no way an expert in Moroccan food. I've had a little of it and really enjoyed it which sent me down the path of searching for a great chicken tagine recipe. I came across many recipes proclaiming to be authentic but most lacked the complexity that I've found in dishes served in restaurants. It was frustrating because Moroccan food largely relies on ingredients easily accessible to American grocery stores thanks to its proximity to Europe but the recipes capturing Moroccan flavors are tough to find. I finally settled on this recipe that I borrowed from a cookbook although unfortunately I don't have the cookbook or know what it is called. I should have bought it when I had the chance. At any rate, this is as close as I have found to a really solid tagine recipe.

Although I am not an expert in Moroccan cuisine it does share in many of the same techniques employed in other non-Westernized cuisines that I have more familiarity with, such as Indian and Thai. However, Moroccan food has its own distinct flavor profiles that blends southern European, middle eastern and African influences together. Discounting the heavy use of coconut in Thai food, no other cuisine so effectively uses sweet fruit in combination with meat. Chicken tagine is hardly chicken tagine without lemon although it is easy to find recipes with apricot, prunes, dates and other dried fruits. This recipe omits dried fruit but you could easily add dried apricot for a satisfying sweetness.

The great thing about this recipe is that all of the ingredients are easily accessible at most grocery stores without the need to track down an African grocer except for one. To make a legitimate chicken tagine you need preserved lemons. You can make preserved lemons easily at home (and here is my recipe) or you can buy them at a specialty grocer. It does make a difference. The flavor of preserved lemons is different from fresh lemon or lemon juice.

Another note on the ingredients is about the green olives. When you buy green olives you do not want to buy the pimento-stuffed variety. Instead, look for whole or pitted (but unstuffed) green olives. I find both in the Latin American section of my local grocery stores. Removing the pit from green olives is a messy pain if you lack an olive pitter but sometimes it's the only way to find green olives free from the pimento.

Otherwise this recipe is fairly simple to make although it takes time to come together. It is absolutely worth it. Although you can eat tagine with rice it is a stew and not meant to be served over rice. Instead it should be served with flat bread.

Chicken Tagine Recipe with Green Olives and Lemon Preserves

Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 50 minutes

Equipment:

• Stove
• Cutting board and knife
• Large dutch oven, stock pot, or tagine
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large bowl
• Blender or food processor

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 preserved lemon
• 2 medium white onions
• 1 small chile pepper 
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup and 2 tbsp cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 1/2 tsp saffron
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 lb. chicken (your choice of cuts--breast for healthier option, thighs for less healthy)
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 2 medium white potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup green olives

Directions:

1. Prep ingredients: chop garlic, ginger, onions, chile, cilantro, parsley, tomatoes and potatoes, keeping all separate. Divide out 2 tbsp of cilantro from the remaining cup. Soak the saffron in 1/2 cup hot water. Coarsely chop 1/2 preserved lemon, removing the flesh (keeping the rind). Chop chicken into bite sized pieces. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, 1/2 preserved lemon, 1 onion, chile, paprika, cumin, salt, 2 tbsp cilantro, parsley, saffron (with water), olive oil and bay leaves to food processor or blender. Process until well blended.
3. Combine the marinade and chicken and let sit for 1-1.5 hours. During the last half hour soak the green olives in water to remove the brine flavor. Discard the water.
4. Heat dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add remaining onion, tomato and potato. Scoop out 2-3 large scoops of the marinade and add to the dutch oven/pot. Add 1 cup water and toss to combine. Let cook for five minutes. 
5. While the tagine is starting to cook, dice the remaining preserved lemon, removing the flesh in the process. 
6. Add the chicken with the rest of the marinade to the tagine. Top with remaining cilantro, olives and preserved lemon.
7. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 50 minutes.