Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Picholine Olives

I love all the Moroccan spices with their vibrant flavors and this dish is delicious with the addition of preserved lemons.  I make my own, but you can often find them in gourmet stores or online.  They take about a month to preserve so you can’t make this dish on a whim unless you have a jar of them.  The rind becomes soft and takes on a sweetness and has all the flavor of lemons but without the sourness.  You start the tagine or stew by making a marinade for the chicken with olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, saffron, cloves, ginger, and red pepper flakes and if you have the time, it’s best to marinate overnight.  I use my Le Creuset shallow Dutch oven to brown the chicken and then remove to a platter and add the onions and lightly brown them before adding garlic, chicken stock, carrots, green olives, and the preserved lemon peel.  I usually braise it in the oven for 35 minutes but you can also cook it on the stove top.  To garnish the dish, you sprinkle cilantro, parsley and some diced reserved lemon peel and serve over a bed of couscous.  Click here for recipe….  Click here for preserved lemon recipe….