Chicken & Onion Tagine (w/ Lemons of course)

Here is another easy weeknight chicken recipe using my favorite thighs and legs.

This recipe is of Moroccan origin and comes from the November issue of Saveur (my favorite cooking magazine lately).

Complaint: How come my recipe doesn't look like the photo in the magazine?



Because, it's food styled, silly. The recipe says to cook the tagine in an 8 quart Dutch oven, so why is it shown on a baking sheet?
And why do those lemons look so perfect, when mine practically disintegrated in the liquid?

Food styling, Watson.

Also, my dish was made at 7 pm, when most people cook and eat dinner in the dark, therefore, no natural light for photos either.

Food styling. I'll have to learn that trick.

Anyway, this dish is very simple. You can put it together in the morning before work (when it's light outside). Let the spice paste sit on the chicken in the fridge until ready to cook on the stove (I marinated it the night before).

Serve over couscous, and voila, dinner is served. Great for a crowd too.

The flavors were amazing. Don't skip the fresh cilantro.

Chicken & Onion Stew (adapted from Saveur):

4 chicken bone-in chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp olive oil
4 small onions, quartered (leave stems on)
1 tsp good saffron threads, crumbled
1 large lemon, sliced
big handful of pitted green olives
1 cup water

Make a paste by smashing the garlic cloves with the back of a chef's knife and adding the tsp of kosher salt to the cutting board. Keep moving the knife back and forth, creating a paste.



Place the garlic paste in a bowl and add the cumin, paprika, turmeric and olive oil.

In a large glass baking dish, spoon the paste over the chicken legs and thighs and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, best overnight.



In a large 8 qt. Dutch oven, heat some olive oil and brown the chicken in batches until browned on both sides, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the chicken to a pan and set aside.

Now add the onion quarters and the saffron threads, cook in this yummy burned spice mixture until golden, about 10 minutes.



Add the lemon slices and the chicken back into the pot, adding a cup of water.



Cover and simmer for 40 minutes, until chicken is done.

Remove the chicken and onions to a platter and scatter w/ the olives and fresh cilantro.
Serve over couscous and enjoy!!!



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