Moroccan Chicken Tajine

by Barefoot Contessa

*Days before you actually make the Moroccan Chicken Tajine, you'll need to make some preserved lemons if you don't already have some ready to go.  Here's how to make them:

Slice in quarters 2 large lemons or 3 medium size lemons

Place lemons in an oven proof bowl.  Add a tablespoon of kosher salt.  

Pour enough water to cover the lemons.  Place uncovered in a 250F degree oven for 3 hours.  Remove from oven when done and let cool.

Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.  If you plan to have it in your refrigerator for several months which is fine, go ahead and keep them in a canning jar with a tight lid.

So, now onto the Moroccan Chicken Tajine recipe.

In a large bowl, mix the garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup grated onion, and the oil (I added the oil after I took this picture)

Add the chicken to the spice mixture.  Rinse the preserved lemons, remove the pulp and add it to the chicken.  Reserve the lemon peels!

With your hands, combine the chicken, spices and the lemon pulp.  (Always make sure to wash your hands after you touch the chicken).  Its smells so good already!!  Marinate for an hour or overnight.

Place chicken and marinade in a dutch oven.

Add the stems of the parsley and cilantro, the rest of the grated onion, the turmeric and saffron strands (I didn't have powdered saffron) and 1 1/2 cups water.

Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down to a simmer and cook partially covered for 30 minutes.

Remove lid and simmer for another 15 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Transfer chicken to a serving platter and cover with foil.  Keep sauce in pot and keep on simmering until the rest of the ingredients get added.

Thinly slice the preserved lemon peels and add them to the simmering sauce.

Add the parsley, cilantro and the olives to the simmering sauce.  Reduce the sauce until it becomes a little thick, about 10 minutes.

Uncover the chicken and remove the skin.  I was surprised how easily they peeled off

Pour the thickened, reduced sauce over the chicken.  Serve with Quinoa, Cous-cous or rice.

Enjoy every bite

It practically melts in your mouth!  So yummy and really not that hard to make.

I don't know how many times I've seen Ina Garten from the Barefoot Contessa make this dish and thought to myself how delicious it looked, I just had to try it!  I finally got the opportunity today.

I was a little nervous about adding the lemon rinds as I've never cooked with preserved lemon rinds before but surprisingly, they practically dissolved.

As much as I love black olives, green olives are okay but I never had the Grecian type olives and oooooh, are they ever salty.

This dish was fun to make, we enjoyed the aromas throughout the house and to finally sit down and dig in, we couldn't wait any longer.  I served it with white rice and wish I had bought an Artisan loaf of bread to cut up and dip into the sauce but I'll remember that for next time, which I'm sure there will be plenty.  My family loved it!!