LEMON CHICKEN TAJINE WITH OLIVES

I have been sitting in front of my computer for a while now and I must admit I don’t know how to start off this post.  There are times when anything you write just doesn’t sound right.  If you follow other food blogs, you may have noticed that today there are quite a few posts dedicated to a very special Secret recipe club reveal.  A little over 2 weeks ago, a fellow SRC member suddenly passed away leaving behind his young family to which I can only send the biggest and warmest hug the Internet allows.  We all agreed that recreating one of his fantastic recipes would be a nice way for us to honour his memory. So today is all about him: Daniel Saraga from The Haggis and the Herring.  I never met him in person, but I have exchanged a few words with him on Facebook and he was always very kind and helpful.  His wife Meredith wrote a beautiful eulogy and he really came across as a gentle soul.  I chose to make his Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives as I love tajines.  It was delicious!  I served it with couscous and my husband liked it so much that he has asked me to make it on a regular basis!  I’ll leave you to it, my contribution to the SRC’s Tribute to Daniel Saraga.

Recipe adapted from The Haggis and the Herring and created by Daniel Saraga

Ingredients:
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch saffron, infused in 1-2 tbsp water
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 whole chicken, cut up
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch parsley, minced (approximately ¾ cup)
1 bunch cilantro/coriander, minced (approximately ¾ cup)
3 ½  cups chicken broth
½ lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup green or black olives, pitted

Cover the chicken in a mixture of ginger, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper and keep aside.

Take a deep pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and brown the chicken pieces in batches for 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned.  Remove the chicken and keep it aside.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add the parsley and cilantro and mix.  Add the browned chicken and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  After the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and keep it aside, then reduce the remaining sauce for 10 minutes.  Add the lemon slices and olives and simmer the sauce for another 10 minutes.  Put the chicken back in the pan and simmer for five minutes.

Serve warm with couscous (or rice, for a gluten-free alternative).

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Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives

Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives in memory of Daniel Saroga.

Course: Main

Cuisine: Moroccan

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Recipe adapted from The Haggis and the Herring and created by Daniel Saraga

Ingredients

• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch saffron infused in 1-2 tbsp water
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 whole chicken cut up
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 bunch parsley minced (approximately ¾ cup)
• 1 bunch cilantro/coriander minced (approximately ¾ cup)
• 3 ½ cups chicken broth
• ½ lemon thinly sliced
• 1 cup green or black olives pitted

Instructions

1. Cover the chicken in a mixture of ginger, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper and keep aside.

2. Take a deep pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and brown the chicken pieces in batches for 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove the chicken and keep it aside.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley and cilantro and mix. Add the browned chicken and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. After the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and keep it aside, then reduce the remaining sauce for 10 minutes. Add the lemon slices and olives and simmer the sauce for another 10 minutes. Put the chicken back in the pan and simmer for five minutes.

4. Serve warm with couscous (or rice, for a gluten-free alternative).

Enjoy!

Manu

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