Moroccan Chicken Tagine

A visit to Morocco is usually accompanied by meals of succulent tagines, tasty stew-like meals baked in a uniquely shaped clay vessel with a base and cone-shaped lid, also called a tagine. There is a wide variety of tagines, often made with poultry, meat or vegetarian, laded with spices, dried fruit, preserved lemon and olives. The cone-shaped lid returns the condensation to the pot and keeps the food moist as it bakes. Moroccan chicken tagine is a favorite dish in my home.

I love this version made with chicken thighs. You can smell it as it bakes from outside the house… utterly tantalizing!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Serves 6

• 3 Tbsp Ras el Hanout *
• 6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 med sweet potatoes (or 1 large), peeled & cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 handfuls prunes (whole, pitted)
• ½ c mixed olives (green & black)
• 1 preserved lemon, peel sliced (pulp removed & discarded) **
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• Parsley for garnish
• Sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Rub thighs with Ras el Hanout.

Add lemon and garlic, mix and marinate (1-4 hours).

Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into the base of a tagine. Place sliced onions over oil.

In cast iron frying pan, brown thighs 2-3 min per side.  Place on top of onions in tagine (including marinade sauce).  If you don’t have a tagine, you can use the same cast iron pan (remove chicken, add onions to bottom of pan, place chicken on top of onions).

On top of chicken, add sweet potatoes, prunes, olives and sliced peel of preserved lemon. Pour chicken broth over all.

Cover with top of tagine (or lid, if using cast iron pan) and bake at 375° F for 45 minutes, until chicken is done and sweet potatoes are tender.

Serve over couscous and garnish with parsley and sliced almonds.

*Ras el Hanout (an aromatic Moroccan spice blend) is available at specialty food shops. If you have trouble locating it, you can make your own, which is what I did. There are several versions of homemade Ras el Hanout found online. I made the version below. If using any whole spices, grind in spice grinder.

** Preserved lemons can be found at specialty shops or you can easily make your own (requires 3-4 weeks to cure).

RAS EL HANOUT (Moroccan Spice Blend)

• 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground mace
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon ground anise seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon lavender buds

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