My tagine (that funny-shaped pot in the picture) is one of my favorite wedding gifts. Clay Coyote, a fantastic pottery business, makes theirs out of “Flameware” so you can put your tagine directly on the stove-top and use it like a skillet, or a Dutch oven. I’ve used mine for everything from casseroles, to meat pies, to macaroni and cheese, and of course, tagine. Tagine is the name of the pot and the spicy Moroccan stew cooked in it.
I’ve shared my favorite lamb tagine recipe here before – it requires just about every spice in my cabinet – but I hadn’t tried the Lemon Chicken variety until last night. It’s much simpler and faster to prepare. As with all tagines, making this vegetarian is as easy as substituting beans and cauliflower for the meat.
Cheap and Easy Chicken Tagine with Lemons
Ingredients:
- 1 Tb Olive oil
- 1 Whole Chicken, cut into pieces
- 2 Lemons
- 1 onion (or leek – I was out of onions)
- 4 carrots
- 1/4th head of cabbage (cauliflower, zucchini and bell peppers work well too – but stay away from broccoli!)
- 1″ fresh ginger
- 1 Tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tsp turmeric
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Coriander
- 1/4th Tsp Saffron threads
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Jalapeno (or 1/8th tsp chili powder)
- Chopped parsley (or chopped Cilantro – my husband is a Cilantro-hater)
- 1/2 Cup Water or broth
- Honey and salt to taste
- Dried apricots
- Chopped olives (optional)
- Cornstarch to thicken the sauce (optional)
Directions
- After you pour the oil in your tagine, lay your chicken pieces in and sprinkle all over with the juice of 1 lemon. Let it marinate while you chop your vegetables. You can throw just about any vegetable in a tagine, but my favorites are carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, and cabbage – just don’t forget the onion and ginger! Also slice the second lemon to add with the veggies.
- Layer in your vegetables over the chicken, starting with onion, ginger and carrots.
- Sprinkle with the spice mix: turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, saffron, 1 cinnamon stick.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of water or broth.
- Cover with tagine lid and let simmer for at least an hour, up to 3 hours.
- When everything is cooked, add honey to taste (otherwise the lemon will make it mouth-puckeringly sour), salt to taste, and a handful of dried apricots.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.
- Serve with couscous and crusty bread.
What’s your favorite pot in your kitchen? Tell me in the comments, and don’t forget to join the WanderFood Wednesday Link Party!