The Tagines of Tangier (1) Chicken with Olives & Preserved Lemons

Ten years ago very few people knew what a ‘Tagine’ was.  Today Moroccan food has become quite popular and trendy.  Easily found in supermarkets and on restaurant menus.  Has the world finally discovered what some of us knew all along?

By: Chef Margie Arosh

I grew up eating different type of Tagines.  With a family of seven, they are an easy, economical and nutritious way to prepare meals.  Tagines in Moroccan cuisine are slow-cooked healthy, stews, braised at low temperatures resulting in very tender proteins accompanied by aromatic vegetables and sauce.  They are traditionally cooked in a ‘Tagine’ pot, made of heavy clay that consist of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is designed to promote steam to rise to the top and provide moisture during the cooking process. The Tagine is often painted and glazed and can also used as a beautiful serving utensil.

The benefit of cooking in a Tagine is that inexpensive cuts of meat from the neck, shoulder or shank can be easily cooked until it is falling off the bone.   Moroccan Tagines often a protein with a medley of ingredients and seasonings.  Olives, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, nuts and preserved lemons are popular ingredients used in Tagines.  They are seasoned with traditional Moroccan spices that include nutmeg,  turmeric, cumin, paprika, pepper, honey and often Morocco’s famous spice blend “Ras el hanout”.

“Ras el Hanout” literally meaning ‘Head of The Shop’; refers to the best spice blend the shop keeper has to offer.  There is no definitive set combination of spices that makes up Ras el hanout.  Each shop owner or home cook would have their own secret combination containing over a dozen spices.

The great thing about Tagines is that they are often one pot meals.  There are many different types of Tagines from simple vegetarian stews to flavorful meats, meatball, and chicken or fish tagines.  You do not necessarily need a Tagine pot to cook these stews.  Any heavy bottomed pot with a tightly closing lid can be used for this healthy, braising technique.

Today, I will share with you a very popular Tagine, ‘Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons.  If you do not have preserved lemons than you can chop half a lemon with the rind and a little extra lemon juice to taste.  It is not as good but it does taste good!

Chicken with Olives & Preserved Lemons

Ingredients:

·       I large chicken cut into 8

·       3 cups pitted green olives (I like the Israeli brand)

·       ½ teaspoon turmeric

·       1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

·       1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·       2 large soft tomatoes grated (no skin)

·       1 finely chopped red pepper

·       5 cloves of garlic

·       ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

·       2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon

·       1 cup of chicken stock or water & 1 tablespoon chicken soup powder

·       ¼ cup of finely chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

Wash and pat chicken dry and season with kosher salt & pepper.  Boil olives in water twice discarding water each time.  In a large, shallow, heavy bottomed skillet on medium high heat, brown chicken lightly on all sides and remove from pan.  Add grated tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, stock and lemons while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon

Return chicken to pan, baste and simmer on low heat for 1 hour.  Add olives and cook for another hour.  With a large spoon degrease any oil, garnish with parsley and serve on top of couscous.

Serves 6

Preserved Lemons                                                                               

Ingredients:

·        6 lemons

·        2/3 cup kosher salt

·        1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from 5 to 6 additional lemons)

·        2 tablespoons olive oil

·       Special equipment : a 6-cup jar with a tight-fitting lid

Method:

Blanch lemons in boiling water 5 minutes, then drain. When cool enough to handle, cut each lemon into 8 wedges, discarding seeds. Toss lemons with kosher salt in a bowl, then the pack lemons, along with enough lemon juice to cover lemons, top with the oil, seal jar and refrigerate.  Lemons should be cured in two weeks.  For a quick preserve allow lemons stand at room temperature, shaking gently once a day, for 5 days.  Add oil to jar and refrigerate.