claudia roden's tagine of chicken with preserved lemon and green olives (tagine djaj bi zaytoun wal hamid)

tagine of chicken with preserved lemons, green olives, coriander and parsley

There is something about the intensely savoury and citrusy smell you get when you lift the lid on a large saucepan of chicken stew infused with preserved lemons, Middle Eastern spices and fresh coriander that lifts my spirits in a way that nothing else can. It is both heady and exhilarating. 

While this is another wonderful seasonally warming dish (and a lovely taste of the sun in the depths of winter), it is one that makes a regular appearance at my table, all year around.

claudia roden's tagine of chicken with preserved lemon and green olives
(tagine djaj bi zaytoun wal hamid)
(adapted from Arabesque A taste of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon)
Serves 4
Skill level: Easy

ingredients:
1 x large chicken, jointed (or about 8-12 x chicken thighs)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 x English onions, very finely chopped or grated
2-3 x garlic cloves, very finely chopped
½ tsp saffron threads
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric
250ml stock (chicken or vegetable) or water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped (+ extra to serve)
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (+ extra to serve)
juice of ½ a lemon
1 x preserved lemon (peel only), cut into quarters
16 x green (or violet) olives

directions:

1. In a large casserole or heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil on a medium heat and tip in the onions. Reduce the heat and cook the onions with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, until they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, saffron and spices. Stir to combine well.
2. Add the chicken pieces and the stock or water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes (adding more stock or water if it looks as if the stew is drying out).
3. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, chopped herbs and rinsed olives. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened.
4. Check the seasoning (you may not need any more salt).
5. Sprinkle over a little of the remaining chopped herbs and serve with couscous (fat or otherwise!)  or rice and vermicelli (which one of my friends recently described as a revelation!)

tip:

• If the olives are too salty, soak them in 2 changes of water for about 30 minutes for each change.
• If you like your flavours with a little extra punch, add a half teaspoon of cumin and some chilli powder.

And since this wonderful traditional tagine is full of fragrant coriander and parsley, I am entering this into Karen at Lavender and Lovage's and Vanesther at Bangers and Mash. Herbs on Saturday blog challenge, which this month is hosted by Karen at Lavender and Lovage.

Can't wait to see what everyone else has come up and some fabulous inspiration as usual!