Classic Moroccan Chicken Tagine Food

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.
• Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.
• Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.
• Note: Don't fret too much over trimming the chicken thighs. The skin gets removed midway through the cooking process and most of the fat will cook off and get drained. I usually just take kitchen shears and quickly snip off any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that have been 'cracked' or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket's olive bar, or substitute any green olive that you like.
• Make-Ahead: After you have completed the step of cooking the carrots, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm on the stove until the chicken is heated through, then proceed to the step where the olives and remaining ingredients are added.

CLASSIC MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Finely dice the onions and sauté in a large pot with the spice mix, using the olive oil.
• When the onions and spice mix starts to give off a fragrant smell, add in the diced chicken. Fry this off for 2 minutes.
• Add the cans tomato, stock, 1 cup of water, chickpeas and the juice of half a lemon.
• Season with salt and pepper and let this simmer for 15 minutes. If it gets to thick too quickly add in more water.

MOROCCAN TAGINE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in your Moroccan tagine pot. Add diced onions to the pot and sauté for about five minutes till it turns translucent.
• Next, add grated ginger and minced garlic to the pot and sauté for another two minutes. Once the mixture starts giving aromatic flavor, add diced chicken breast and stir the mixture for about one minute to let the extra water from chicken evaporate.
• Next, it is time to add your spice mix to the pot. Sprinkle coriander, cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric powder and stir to combine. sauté the mixture until the chicken cubes are no longer pink.
• Once all the ingredients are perfectly combined into the chicken, it is time to add almonds, raisins, honey, harissa, chickpeas and 1 cup water to the pot. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Reduce the heat and stir for a minute before covering the pot to simmer it for 10 minutes.
• When it forms a partially thick gravy or stew, it is time to add the butternut squash to the mixture. Stir the mixture properly to combine the ingredients, and return to simmer.
• Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for another 25 minutes, or until the butternut squash turns fork-tender.
• Remove it from heat and garnish with dried apricots and slivered almonds. You can also use freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish.
• The dish is best served with couscous. To prepare couscous, take a saucepan, add two cups of water and bring to a boil.
• Once the water is boiled, add bouillon cubes and butter and stir until the ingredients are dissolved. Make sure that the water is still boiling.
• Next, to the mixture, add the couscous and stir properly. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let it sit there for 10-15 minutes. Your couscous is ready. Fluff it with a fork and serve with your chicken tagine.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Mix cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, mint, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Measure out 1/2 cup spice mix and set the remaining aside for another use.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil; add apricots and raisins. Cook until fruit is soft, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water.
• Pour enough olive oil into a large skillet or Dutch oven to coat the bottom; turn heat to medium. Coat chicken with the 1/2 cup spice mix and place in the hot oil; cook until golden brown and releases easily from the skillet, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Mix onion and garlic into skillet with chicken; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add apricots, raisins, reserved 1/2 cup water from fruit, chicken broth, and honey; reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until chicken is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Serve chicken garnished with cilantro and almonds.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Place cumin seeds, coriander seeds and the whole allspice in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Combine cumin mixture, nutmeg, ginger, red pepper, and cinnamon; set aside.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon cumin mixture, sugar, and black pepper; cover and cook 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Add broth, and cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add raisins, chicken, and chickpeas; cover and bake chicken mixture at 375° for 30 minutes. Serve with couscous.

SAFOI'S MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the saffron, ginger, salt, pepper, olive oil, and canola oil in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Clean and thoroughly wash the chicken, then cut it into 8 pieces.
• Add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, massaging the marinade into the chicken.
• Cut the carrots in half and remove their yellow cores.
• Open the tagine and lay the onion on the bottom. Arrange the carrots over the onion.
• Lay the chicken with all of the marinade over the vegetables. Add 1 cup (240 ml) water and cover.
• Cook on very low heat for 1 hour. Check at the 30-minute mark to ensure the bottom is not dry. Add another 1/2 cup (120 ml) water if necessary.
• In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the olives and the preserved lemon.
• Garnish with parsley to serve.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH LEMONS, OLIVES & POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide, shallow casserole dish or ovenproof pan. Season the chicken and cook, skin-side down, for 8-10 mins, until crispy. Flip over and cook for another 5 mins. Transfer to a plate. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.
• Add the rest of the oil and the onion to the pan. Stir for a few mins, then add the garlic and Moroccan spice mix. Stir, scraping any bits of onions and chicken from the bottom, until the spices smell fragrant. Add the preserved lemon, tomatoes, stock cube, honey, vinegar and 750ml water. Bring to the boil, then place the chicken on top. Cover with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven for 1 hr.
• Uncover, place the olives and lemon slices on top and drizzle the lemons with a little oil. Return to the oven for 20 mins, or until the sauce has reduced a little (you can do this on the hob if you're short on time). Check the seasoning, adding a squeeze of lemon, more honey or salt if you think it needs it. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds, feta and mint, and serve with couscous.

MOROCCAN TAGINE

Steps:

• To make the chermoula, whizz paste ingredients in a blender. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the oil and vegetables into a heatproof casserole and cook on the hob until lightly browned, about 7 mins. You may have to do this in two batches.
• Add the chermoula paste to the casserole, along with the dried fruit. Pour in 400ml water, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 45 mins. Reduce heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and cook for another 45 mins. Sprinkle with the mint. Serve on its own or with couscous or crusty bread.

MOORISH MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Heat Oven to 350 (not required if you want to make this on the stove top).
• In a dutch oven or heavy large deep skillet heat 1tbsp olive oil over a medium heat.
• Slice the chicken thighs into 3-4 pieces each.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Lay the chicken piece into the oil and brown both sides - don't cok all the way through.
• Remove chicken and reserve on a plate.
• Add the rest of the olive oil and add the onions and cook until softened, keep stirring as you don't want them to burn.
• Add the cumin, paprika, cinnamon, chilli flakes and lemon zest and cornflour and cook for 1 minute, then add the the lemon juice, honey and chicken broth, apricots and prunes and chickpeas. Stir together.
• Add the chicken and any juices back to pot and stir through and cover.
• Either cook in oven for 1 hour or simmer gently on stove top.
• After 1 hour add the chopped coriander and serve over some cooked couscous or with rice.