Although it takes a while to cook, you simply put everything together and then abandon it while it cooks. Though tagine is normally made in clay pots, this recipe works just as well in a normal saucepan as long as it has a tight-fitting lid.
Ingredients
- Pinch saffron
- 2 tbsp boiling water
- 50g butter
- Olive oil
- 2 onions, roughly diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 chicken legs, divided at the joints
- Salt and pepper
- 3 preserved lemons
- 200g green olives
- Handful parsley, finely chopped
Method
- Crush the strands of saffron in a pestle and mortar and pour over boiling water. Set aside.
- Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Add the onions when the butter has melted and cook for a few mins.
- Add the garlic and the ground spices.
- Add the chicken pieces and fry for 5 mins on each side to seal.
- Pour over the saffron water and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour over enough water to barely cover the chicken.
- Place a lid on the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for two hours.
- Add the preserved lemon peel and the olives and cook for another 15 mins.
- Serve with couscous, potatoes or bread sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Preserved lemons
To preserve your own lemons, take 6 unwaxed lemons (the Maltese variety work well) and cut a cross at the top and bottom of the lemons. Pack with sea salt and place in a tight-fitting jar. Cover the lemons with lemon juice and top with a good layer of olive oil to seal. Seal the jar tightly and leave in a dark place for one month (they will last about a year).
