Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Amarante

Wed, May 18 2022, 1:43 pm

This is obviously not "authentic" tagine but it was good and not particularly difficult as it is really just sautéing chicken and then braising them to finish.

I served over whole wheat couscous

The notes on the skin and excess fat were helpful since chicken thighs are very fatty and (at least in my opinion) there is no reason to have skin on braised chicken since it just is flabby and disgusting. LOL

The recipe notes indicate that it be cooked through the stage of cooking the carrots and then refrigerated for up to two days with the "fresh" more delicate ingredients added when you heat the dish.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

By Jennifer Segal
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Servings: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

INGREDIENTS

* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
* ½ teaspoon ground ginger
* ½ teaspoon ground coriander
* ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 lemon
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat (see note)
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into ¼-in-thick slices
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - sub potato starch
* 1¾ cups chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 2 large or 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins
* ½ cup Greek cracked green olives, pitted and halved (see note)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

* Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.

* Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.

* Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  
* Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.

* Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.

* Note: Don't fret too much over trimming the chicken thighs. The skin gets removed midway through the cooking process and most of the fat will cook off and get drained. I usually just take kitchen shears and quickly snip off any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that have been ‘cracked’ or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket’s olive bar, or substitute any green olive that you like.

* Make-Ahead: After you have completed the step of cooking the carrots, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm on the stove until the chicken is heated through, then proceed to the step where the olives and remaining ingredients are added