Chicken & Preserved Lemon Tajine

Chicken & Preserved Lemon Tajine

A tajine is just the Moroccon name for a stew. In Morocco they use really cool pots called tajines which look a bit like a witches hat. I used to have a real tajine I brought back from a trip to Morocco. I’ve cooked this chicken dish in both the ‘tajine’ and a regular cast iron pot and I didn’t really notice a difference. Preserved lemons are super easy to make – you just need to allow a few weeks for them to mature before you use them.

enough for: 4
takes: 60-75 minutes
1 chicken
3 onions, peeled & quartered
2 quarters of preserved lemon, finely sliced
2-3 pinches saffron (optional)
1-2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger.

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F).

2. To quarter your chicken, first chop down the backbone. Then turn over and chop down the center of the breast to give 2 halves. Carefully cut between the breast and thigh to create your quarters.

3. Place chicken in an oven proof pot or tajine if you have one. Add onion, preserved lemon, saffron (if using), ginger and 1 cup water.

4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is well browned and cooked through.

Leftover Potential?

I’m not a huge fan of reheated chicken so I think this is best when freshly made. That being said, the tajine will keep for a week or so in the fridge if you need it to.

Variations for Serving Sizes

You can easily halve or increase this recipe. Just make sure as you increase that the chicken will fit in a single layer in your pot. A roasting tray may work better than a round pot. Depending on how many people you have you may need 2 trays. Just make sure you cover tightly with foil and if it looks like the tajine is drying out add and extra half cup of water.

Variations

fish tajine – preserved lemon and saffron also work beautifully with fish. Especially white fish. I’d probably skip the onions if making a fish tajine or cook the onions first for 1/2 hour before adding the fish. Fish fillets should only take about 15 minutes to cook. Longer for whole fish.

vegan / vegetarian – try an eggplant and preserved lemon tajine – replace chicken with 2 medium eggplant each chopped into 4 thick slices. Cooking time should be similar. Tofu, mushroom or chickpeas would also be good veggie alternative.

more traditional – add a few handfuls of large green olives for the last 10 minutes of cooking and serve topped with coriander (cilantro) leaves.

no preserved lemon? – either make your own or try a good deli or ‘gourmet’ ingredient shop. If you’re in Australia you can get them at the Essential Ingredient. IF all else fails replace with the zest and juice of 2 lemons and be generous with the salt when you season.

budget – saffron is expensive, although you’re only using a little it can add up. If you’d prefer to keep cost down you could replace the saffron with the juice of 1 lemon or with about 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric – enough to give a little yellow colour but not too much to make the flavour taste ‘curryish’.

not up for some chicken butchery? – just buy chicken pieces instead. I like to use marylands (thighs with the legs attached) but any chicken pieces on the bone will work well. You may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

short on time – pan fry chicken thigh fillets or breasts and serve with herby couscous and lemon wedges.

more veg – you could add any root veg to this recipe.

carb lovers / more substantial – serve with couscous or cooked quinoa.

Problem Solving Guide

bland – next time consider increasing your preserved lemon and/or saffron. For now be generous with the seasoning and possibly try a little lemon juice to bring it all to life.

chicken pink / undercooked – if you’re unsure, chop into a piece down to the bone and inspect for pinkness. Pop it back in the oven if it’s not cooked through. You definitely don’t want to serve your guests raw chicken.

chicken tough or dry – it could be the type of chicken you used. Some chickens are less tender than others so consider trying a different poultry supplier next time. The other cause is over cooking. If you think it’s really a problem, you could try serving with an extra sauce to liven things up. A little mayo or natural yoghurt combined with some chopped preserved lemon should disguise things. Or if that’s not an option, drizzle over a really generous glug of your best extra virgin olive oil as you serve.

too salty – the thing with preserved lemons is that they are super salty so be very careful with the seasoning. You may find you don’t need any extra salt at all. Remember too that when you eat the sauce with the chicken and the salad, it won’t be as intense as when you’re tasting straight from the pot.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

chicken – freeze it.

onion – will keep in the pantry for months. Best if in a dark corner in a brown paper bag.

preserved lemon – will keep months in the fridge.

saffron / ginger – keep it in the pantry.

Serving Suggestions

Serve one quarter per person in bowls with the onions and sauce poured over.
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