Chicken Tagine Mchermel / طاجين الدجاج مشرمل

 

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Prep Time:15min      Cook Time:45min      Total Time:1 hr         Serve: 5

Chicken Tagin is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces mixed with spices, garlic, onions, olives, and preserved lemons.

Slightly tweaked by Cook's Illustrated, this is my favorite chicken tagine, a traditional dish of Moroccan chicken pieces with spices, garlic, onions, olives, and preserved lemons. It's worth the company, but it's easy not to get too busy on a Saturday night. The word tagine refers to a shallow earthenware vessel with a cone-shaped lid in which the dish is traditionally cooked, but you do not need anyone to make it. I use a big cast iron brazier; A wide Dutch oven or a heavily covered skeleton will also work.

 

This recipe does not require preserved lemons, a special ingredient that may be difficult to find. Instead, add lemon zest and fresh lemon juice to the dish. Serve the chicken on a platter or individual plates on a couscous bed.

While you can use a complete cut-up chicken for chicken tags, my preference is to use it only in chicken thigh bones, with skin. They provide a good amount of meat and are tender even when cooked a little too much and add flavor and richness to the bones and skin sauce. Sometimes, I pull the meat out of the bone before serving this makes it easier and more palatable for children to eat but it is customary to serve chicken on the bone.

What are the Ingredients of Moroccan Chicken Tagine?

Moroccan Chicken Tagine Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed cumin
• ¼ Teaspoon red pepper
• ½ Ginger crushed half a teaspoon
• ½ Grind half a teaspoon of coriander
• ¼ Teaspoon crushed cinnamon
• 1 lemon
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped.
• In 8 bones, chicken thighs on the skin (approximately 4 pounds), with more skin and fat carved
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, cut in half, and 2-thick slices inside.
• 2 tablespoons whole purpose flour
• 1¾ cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Cut into 2 large or 3 medium carrots, peel, and 5-inch thick coins towards the cross.
• ½ cup Greek cracked green olives, pit and a half
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh red chili leaves

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TAGINE

Chicken Tagine Instructions

• To begin, combine the spices in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Boil the lemons. Mix 1 teaspoon of lemon zest with 1 clove of garlic. Sit on one side. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper on both sides of the chicken pieces.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until you start smoking. Brown the chicken pieces in a single layer from the bottom until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Using a fork, flip the chicken pieces over and brown on the other side, for about 4 more minutes.
• Put the chicken on a large plate. Cool it enough to handle peel off the skin and discard. Add and remove all the fat except 1 tablespoon from the pan, reduce the heat to medium and add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until they are brown on the edges but still maintain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes.

• Add in the remaining chopped garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spices and flour. Cook it stirring constantly until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix the broth, honey, remaining lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown pieces. Put the chicken (with any accumulated juice) back inside, reduce the heat to medium, cover and boil for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle the carrots around the chicken, cover, and boil until the chicken is cooked and the carrots are soft about 10 more minutes. Add olive, garlic mixture, red pepper, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. If desired, mix the spice with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice and stir to adjust. Serve with couscous.

Note:

Don't worry too much about trimming chicken thighs. During the cooking process, the skin is removed and most of the fat is cooked and dried. I usually just take kitchen scissors and quickly remove any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that are 'cracked' or peeled before they heal, allowing saltwater or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket's olive bar, or replace the green olives of your choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What Happens to Chicken Tagine?

What do you offer with Chicken Tagine? You can offer this one-pot Moroccan chicken whichever way you feel like it! I like to serve chicken tagine on a bed of couscous, pearl couscous, white or brown rice, or saffron rice!

What is chicken tagine made of?

Chicken Tagin is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces mixed with spices, garlic, onions, olives, and preserved lemons.

Do you have to worry about using Tagine every time?

To fix your tagine pot, you will need to soak it in water for at least a few hours. Once the tequila pot is dry, the spice will include brushing the tagine pot with olive oil and baking it in the oven for a while.

Can I put my tagine in the oven?

Traditionally, tagine will be cooked on charcoal or open fire, but you can also use them in gas flames, electric elements, or ovens. When heated, the ceramic expands slightly, sometimes forming small, thin cracks in the glaze.

Can you reheat the chicken tray?

Cover and refrigerate for 2 days before serving. To reheat, cover with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

What's so special about Tagin?

The conical shape of the tagine creates a uniquely moist, warm environment for cooking the dish. The base is wide and shallow, and the long lid fits snugly inside. As the food cooks, the steam rises in the cone, thickens, and then falls back down into the dish.

Why did my tagine explode?

A crack! It is not uncommon for the tendon to form small hairline cracks under and inside the tendon. This often happens when there is not enough liquid in the tagine and the food dries out during cooking, or when the tagine has an uneven temperature.

Is Tagine presented with Couscous?

Tagin is not presented with Couscous. Couscous is a different dish. The Tagine offered in the Western world is actually couscous.

Can Tagine be frozen?

Let the dish cool completely to freeze, then place it in a freezer-proof container. It keeps in the freezer for 2 months. Melt in the refrigerator overnight then reheat in a suitable dish in the microwave until the pipe is hot, shake at least once.