Chicken Tagine Mchermel

Ingredients for the chicken marinade:

• 1.5 kg chicken
• Saffron water (Saffron is uber expensive so I used safflower instead. Expensive ingredients should not stop us from creating delicious dishes. There are many alternatives that we can use.)
• 1 tsp of saffron/safflower water
• pulp of 1 large lemon (or 2 small ones)
• a handful of fresh cilantro & parsley
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp of pepper
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

Ingredients for the tagine:

• 2 onions (grated)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• a handful of green olives
• the skin of 1 lemon (cut into quarters)

Directions:

• Soak the saffron threads in warm water for 10 minutes.
• Quarter the preserved lemon. (Separate the pulp from the skin. Finely chop the pulp and reserve the skin for later.)
• Finely chop the parsley & cilantro.
• Grate the garlic cloves
• Combine the following in a large bowl: chopped parsley, cilantro, chopped lemon pulp, garlic, ground paprika, ginger, cumin, pepper, saffron/safflower water, olive oil. Mix well.
• Place the chicken in the marinade and massage into the flesh.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Setting the tagine:

• Finely chop the leftover onion pieces.
• Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of the casserole and add the onions.
• Sprinkle a little bit of salt and turmeric over the onions.
• Add the chicken over the onion bed, and cover with any leftover spice mixture.

Cooking the tagine:

• Cover and cook for around 15-20 minutes until the onions and chicken release their juices and the liquids start simmering.
• Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the tagine, and cook until the chicken is tender. This can take 1 hour or more, depending on the chicken parts and quality of your tagine.
• Add the lemon juice and green olives to the sauce.
• Top the chicken with the preserved lemon skins.
• Do not cover the tagine, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or so, until the liquids have evaporated and the sauce has thickened.

Recipe source: Alia Al Kasimi

Honey Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c (65 grams) Dijon mustard
• 3-4 tbsp (65-85 grams) honey, to taste
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, optional
• 1/4-1/2 tesp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

• Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Recipe source: Adam and Joanne Gallagher