A Taste of Morocco - Episode 2.8 Chicken Tagine with Jeweled Rice

For those that know me, it is probably no surprise for me to admit that "I LOVE hats". I am rarely seen without one, and find them in some of the most wonderful markets around the world, or designed by my milliner, Marea Bright. So "what does this have to do with a Moroccan dish of Chicken Tagine with preserved lemon?" I hear you ask. I intend to buy a Fez from Fez to celebrate my upcoming 50th birthday. I have already started planning the trip; the markets of Marrakesh, the wonderful mosaics, the romance of Casablanca, and of course the hat shops of Fez.

Tagines
Tagines originally come from the Berber culture. They are used throughout North Africa, where meat, chicken or fish is cooked with dried fruits, spices and nuts.Although I have used the traditional earthenware pot of a tagine, you could make this in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. The cone shape of the tagine lid, allows the steam to condense and return to the pot, keeping all the ingredients moist and packed with flavour. They can be used on the stove top or in the oven. When using on the stove top, use the lowest heat possible and a diffuser - this keeps the heat evenly spread.

Some tagines are highly decorated. These are used as serving dishes and not for cooking.

To see how to make this tasty dish visit my YouTube at the end of this post.

Chicken Tagine:
8 chicken thighs still on the bone
2 chicken livers (optional)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1 onion grated
1 pinch saffron threads
150 g green olives
1/4 preserved lemon, flesh discarded and rind sliced thinly
Juice of 1 lemon
Chopped coriander and parsley to garnish

Jeweled Rice:
2 pinches of saffron threads
1/4 cup boiling water
2 cups basmati rice
2 tbl olive oil
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup dried apricots finely sliced
Zest of 2 oranges
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pistachios roughly chopped


Heat a small amount of olive oil in the base of the tagine. Gently fry the onion and chicken livers (if using) until livers are still pink in the middle and onion is just starting to colour. Remove from tagine and keep aside.

In batches, fry the chicken pieces until browned all over, putting aside on a plate until all chicken is browned and removed from tagine. Add salt, ginger, paprika, cumin and saffron to the tagine and fry until fragrant. Return the chicken to the tagine, rolling in the spice mix as you go. Add preserved lemon.Pour over the lemon juice and cover. Cook on a gently simmer for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked.

In the meantime, mash the livers with a fork to form a paste.

When chicken juices run clear when pricked with a fork, remove chicken from the tagine. Return chicken livers and onion to the tagine and stir though the liquid, allowing sauce to thicken slightly. Add olives to the tagine and stir through. Place chicken on top of olives, replace the lid and cook for a further 5-10 minutes to heat through.

Serve with garnish of chopped parsley and coriander

To prepare the rice:
Rinse rice well in cold water, until water runs clear. Add to a pot of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain well.
Add boiling water to saffron and allow to steep.
Heat a large, heavy based saucepan. Add olive oil. Add drained, hot rice and toss through. Add saffron, including the liquid and stir through well. Stir in all remaining ingredients.
Cover with a lid, and leave on the lowest heat for 5-8 minutes.
Fluff with a fork to serve.

updated December 2023