This is one of the best known and loved tagines. Accompany with houmous, flatbread and a few mezze dishes to make it into a dinner party spread. It's low in calories too.
Ingredients
- Pinch of saffron
- 600ml chicken stock, hot
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.7kg organic chicken, jointed or 1.5kg chicken pieces (leg, thigh and breast)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
- 5 small preserved lemons, quartered (we used Belazu, available from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and specialist Middle Eastern shops or see our 'How to make tagine' in the Know How section)
- 200g green olives
- Small handful fresh flatleaf parsley or coriander, chopped
Method
- 1. Soak the saffron in a jug containing the hot stock for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep-sided frying pan or casserole over a high heat and brown the chicken pieces for 2-3 minutes. You may need to do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan and steam the chicken. Remove the chicken to a plate and add the onion to the pan. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- 2. Add the garlic and spices to the pan and cook, stirring, for a further minute. If you’re using a tagine, transfer the onion to the base and add the saffron-infused stock and the browned chicken pieces (if using a casserole, leave the onion in the pan, then add the chicken and stock). Bring to the boil and simmer over a gentle heat, covered, for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
- 3. Add the lemons and olives and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Season to taste, scatter with the fresh herbs and serve with couscous.
Nutritional info
Per serving (based on 6): 344kcals, 19.4g fat (4.4g saturated), 39.6g protein, 4.4g carbs, 2.8g sugar, 1.7g salt
Chef's tip
You can easily cook the tagine in a large casserole in the oven if you prefer. Preheat to 150°C/fan130°C/gas 2 and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Add the lemon and olives and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes before scattering with parsley and coriander.