Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon, Capers, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Remove seeds from the lemons and discard. Scrape out the flesh and chop. Slice the rinds and refrigerate while marinated the chicken.

2. 2

   Put the chicken in a large bowl or container. Add the lemon flesh, garlic, onions, cilantro, parsley, ginger, pepper, turmeric, salt, saffron, and ras el hanout. Mix well, working the spices into the chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to overnight.

3. 3

   When ready to cook (note the cooking time takes about 3 hours). Set the tagine on a simmer-plate on your stove. Do not heat the tagine until the next two steps are complete.

4. 4

   Put enough olive oil in your tagine to coat the bottom. Arrange the chicken in the tagine and arrange onion mixture all around.

5. 5

   Sprinkle in the reserved lemon, capers, and sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the chicken and add the water.

6. 6

   Cover the tagine. Turn heat to medium-low and let the tagine heat, undisturbed. In about 20 minutes, you should hear the tagine simmering. If not, increase the heat slightly. Let the tagine simmer gently, covered and undisturbed, for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the chicken and simmer, covered for another hour. The chicken should fall off the bones.

7. 7

   Let the tagine cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Remove the bones if desired. It is traditional to serve from the tagine pot at the table. Garnish generously with cilantro and mint.

8. 8

   Oven Version Without Tagine.

9. 9

   Preheat oven to 350ºF.

10. 10

    Prepare the chicken as above, using an oven-proof Dutch oven with a cover. Bake the chicken, covered, for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 325ºF, turn the chicken, and bake for another 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours until the chicken falls off the bone. Serve as above.