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Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon (Djej Emshmel)

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 24, 2009

Yield

Serves 4

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon (Djej Emshmel)

Ingredients

5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 (2-inch-long) strips lemon zest from 1 to 2 lemons (see illustration below)4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs)Salt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 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 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup Greek cracked green olives, rinsed, pitted, and halved2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves 3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons

Before You Begin

Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon before juicing it (illustration below); be sure to trim away the bitter-tasting white pith from the zest before using. The breasts and thighs/drumsticks do not cook in the same amount of time; if using both, note that the breast pieces are added partway through the cooking time. If cooking in a tagine, you may need to add additional liquid (water or broth) to the stew as it cooks to prevent the sauce from drying out. Serve with couscous.

Instructions

  1. Combine 4 teaspoons of the garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 strip of the lemon zest and mix with the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic in a separate small bowl; set aside.
  2. 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 with the fat to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining chicken; transfer the chicken to the plate.
  3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat left in the pot. Add the onion and the remaining 2 lemon zest strips 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, broth, and honey, scraping up any browned bits.
  4. 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 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) or 1 hour for the thighs and drumsticks. (If using both types of chicken, simmer the thighs and drumsticks for 40 minutes before adding the breasts.)
  5. 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 is thickened slightly and the carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the garlic–lemon zest mixture, cilantro, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon (Djej Emshmel)

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon (Djej Emshmel)

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 (2-inch-long) strips lemon zest from 1 to 2 lemons (see illustration below)
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
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
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup Greek cracked green olives, rinsed, pitted, and halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons

Ingredients

5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 (2-inch-long) strips lemon zest from 1 to 2 lemons (see illustration below)
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
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
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup Greek cracked green olives, rinsed, pitted, and halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons

Ingredients

5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 ¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 (2-inch-long) strips lemon zest from 1 to 2 lemons (see illustration below)
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
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
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup Greek cracked green olives, rinsed, pitted, and halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons

Why This Recipe Works

For our Moroccan chicken tagine recipe, we focused on the elements that give the dish its Moroccan character: spices, olives, and lemon. We experimented with a broad range of spices until we landed on a blend that was short on ingredients but long on flavor. Cumin, ginger, and cinnamon added depth and warmth; cayenne offered up some heat; coriander echoed the lemon’s citrusy notes; and paprika brought a smokiness and deep color. Not wanting a mild olive, we sampled all sorts of olives until we came across Greek green olives, which had the assertiveness we were looking for. Traditionally, Moroccan preserved lemons are used to flavor this tagine, but we were determined to make fresh lemons work. We found that cooking lemon zest strips with the onion and spices imitated the low, deep notes of preserved lemons, and stirring in grated lemon zest and lemon juice at the end brought a welcome brightness.

Before You Begin

Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon before juicing it (illustration below); be sure to trim away the bitter-tasting white pith from the zest before using. The breasts and thighs/drumsticks do not cook in the same amount of time; if using both, note that the breast pieces are added partway through the cooking time. If cooking in a tagine, you may need to add additional liquid (water or broth) to the stew as it cooks to prevent the sauce from drying out. Serve with couscous.

Instructions

  1. Combine 4 teaspoons of the garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 strip of the lemon zest and mix with the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic in a separate small bowl; set aside.
  2. 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 with the fat to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining chicken; transfer the chicken to the plate.
  3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat left in the pot. Add the onion and the remaining 2 lemon zest strips 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, broth, and honey, scraping up any browned bits.
  4. 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 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) or 1 hour for the thighs and drumsticks. (If using both types of chicken, simmer the thighs and drumsticks for 40 minutes before adding the breasts.)
  5. 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 is thickened slightly and the carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the garlic–lemon zest mixture, cilantro, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

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