Chicken Tagine with Saffron and Mint
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 4, 2008
Time
1½ to 2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika 3 orange zest strips (each 2 inches long)4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmedSalt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)2 cups low-sodium chicken broth ½ cup Moroccan oil-cured olives, pitted2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Before You Begin
Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the orange before juicing it; be sure to trim away the bitter-tasting white pith from the zest before using. The breasts and thighs/drumsticks do not cook at the same rate; if using both, note that the breast pieces are added partway through the cooking time. Serve with couscous.
Instructions
- Combine the saffron, 4 teaspoons of the garlic, and the paprika together in a small bowl; set aside. Mince 1 strip of the orange zest and mix with the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic in a separate small bowl; set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining chicken; transfer the chicken to the plate.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot. (Add additional oil to equal 1 tablespoon, if needed.) Add the onion, the remaining 2 orange zest strips, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic-spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots and the broth, scraping up any browned bits.
- Nestle the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 20 minutes for the breasts (160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), or 1 hour for the thighs and drumsticks (170 to 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). (If using both types of chicken, simmer the thighs and drumsticks for 40 minutes before adding the breasts.)
- Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while finishing the sauce. Skim as much fat as possible off the surface of the sauce, add the olives, and return to a simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and the carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic/orange-zest mixture, mint, and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Time
1½ to 2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
3 orange zest strips (each 2 inches long)
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup Moroccan oil-cured olives, pitted
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
3 orange zest strips (each 2 inches long)
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup Moroccan oil-cured olives, pitted
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
3 orange zest strips (each 2 inches long)
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup Moroccan oil-cured olives, pitted
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Tagines can include all manner of meats, vegetables, and fruit, but for this recipe, we set our sights on a tagine that included moist, tender chicken complemented by fragrant saffron and mint. Noting that the dark meat—drumsticks and thighs—takes roughly 1 hour of simmering time to become tender, we found that the breasts (cut in half for easier serving) took only 20 minutes. Giving the dark meat a 40-minute head start in the pot took care of the different cooking times and ensured that all the chicken was perfectly cooked and ready at the same time. A couple of carrots, an onion, and several minced garlic cloves rounded out the basic flavors of the stew. Saffron, paprika, orange, and olives came together to create complex layers of warm, salty, and fruity flavors that complemented the savory chicken, and mint brought freshness when added to the sauce at the end of the cooking time.
Before You Begin
Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the orange before juicing it; be sure to trim away the bitter-tasting white pith from the zest before using. The breasts and thighs/drumsticks do not cook at the same rate; if using both, note that the breast pieces are added partway through the cooking time. Serve with couscous.
Instructions
- Combine the saffron, 4 teaspoons of the garlic, and the paprika together in a small bowl; set aside. Mince 1 strip of the orange zest and mix with the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic in a separate small bowl; set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining chicken; transfer the chicken to the plate.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot. (Add additional oil to equal 1 tablespoon, if needed.) Add the onion, the remaining 2 orange zest strips, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic-spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots and the broth, scraping up any browned bits.
- Nestle the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 20 minutes for the breasts (160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), or 1 hour for the thighs and drumsticks (170 to 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). (If using both types of chicken, simmer the thighs and drumsticks for 40 minutes before adding the breasts.)
- Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while finishing the sauce. Skim as much fat as possible off the surface of the sauce, add the olives, and return to a simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and the carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic/orange-zest mixture, mint, and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
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