Chicken Tagine

1 medium chicken, cut into 8 pieces or

8 chicken thighs

1 generous pinch of saffron soaked for

10 minutes in 1 cup of warm

Ingredients for Chicken

water Marinade Pulp of

1 large preserved lemon, reserve lemon skin for tagine

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 cup Italian parsley,

finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, crushed 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ginger powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons saffron water 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Marinating the chicken In a large bowl, combine parsley, preserved lemon, garlic, paprika, ginger, cumin, pepper, saffron water and olive oil. Mix well. Place the chicken in the bowl with the charmoula marinade and massage into the flesh. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Ingredients for the Tagine

2 onions, finely grated

1½ cup extra virgin olive oil

12 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

8 medium golden potatoes,

peeled and quartered 1 cup canned green olives,

rinsed and drained

1 cup dry white wine Skin of

1 preserved lemon,

cut into strips 1/4 cup cilantro,

roughly chopped plus more for garnish 1/4 cup Italian parsley,

roughly chopped plus more for garnish

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or heavy pot, then add the onions. Sprinkle salt and turmeric into the pot. Place the chicken, skin down on top of the onions. Pour in any leftover marinade and add lemon juice.

Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquids start to slowly bubble. Flip the chicken pieces over, then add the potatoes and olives and stir well.

Add the remaining saffron water and white wine and cover the pot.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, until the chicken and potatoes are fork tender. Uncover the pot and add the preserved lemon skin and fresh parsley and cilantro. Continue cooking uncovered on low for 15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the sauce has thickened. Taste sauce and add salt if necessary (the preserved lemons are already salty!) Garnish with fresh cilantro and parsley. Serve on a beautiful platter or straight out of the pot.

Quick Preserved Lemon Preserved lemon is magical and is very simple to make. Pickling fresh lemons with kosher salt in a jar for 1 month yields incredible flavor.  But if you don’t have time, try this quick hack.

4 lemons, washed and dried 1/2 cup kosher salt Slice lemons in 1/8 inch slices and remove any pits. Place in a bowl and cover thoroughly in kosher salt. Place salted lemons in a freezer bag or tightly sealed container and freeze overnight.