Chicken Tajine with Preserved Lemon and Olives


-serves 4
This is probably the most popular Moroccan chicken Tajine dish. The long slow cooking in a clay tajine produces chicken so tender that it will fall off the bone as you lift it into your plate. The key is to use quality dried spices and fresh herbs, and don't worry if you don't have a traditional tajine - a heavy casserole will also work perfectly for this incredible dish. Enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients for Chicken Tajine 

1kg chicken thighs, bone-in, de-skinned 
2 large or 500g onions, 1 chopped, 1 sliced 
150 g pitted green or red olives 
1 bunch coriander, chopped 
240 ml (1 cup) water 
1 preserved lemon, rind only, rinsed and roughly chopped

​For marinade: 
3 garlic cloves, chopped 
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 preserved lemon, rind only, rinsed and finely sliced 
1/2 small red chilli 
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 
1 tablespoon sweet paprika 
1 tablespoon ground cumin 
2 tablespoons chopped coriander 
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 
2 bay leaves, torn in half 
½ teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in a little water 
125 ml (½ cup) olive oil 
1 teaspoon salt

Recipe 
1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until finely chopped and thoroughly combined. 
2. Wash and dry the chicken. Place in a bowl and rub with half of the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight.
3. Combine the chopped onion with a little more marinade and spread over the base of a crockpot. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the onion. 
4. Top with sliced onion, and push the olives into the gaps. Combine the remaining marinade with the coriander and water and pour over the top. Decorate with preserved lemon wedges.
5. Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes until hot and boiling. Reduce heat to low and slow-cook for another 1-1.5 hours until sauce thickens and chicken easily falls off the bone. 
6. Serve hot with couscous, rice, or bread.
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