Moroccan chicken, olive and preserved lemon tagine with almond couscous

Juicy, melt in the mouth chicken, briny, plump olives and zingy preserved lemons

Published originally on my blog on 17 April 2016

What to do with preserved lemons, homemade or otherwise? Make a Moroccan chicken tagine, of course.
Perhaps the most predictable dish one can make with preserved lemons but honestly, it’s so tasty and satisfying, who wouldn’t want to enjoy it? When I made my own quick preserved lemons a few weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to try them in this dish.

Juicy, melt in the mouth chicken, briny, plump olives and zingy preserved lemons providing acidity and a heady aroma, sweetness from the honey and warm spiciness from the fresh ginger, the coriander and the cinnamon.

I accompanied it with couscous topped with almonds that I sautéed in butter and the pairing was absolutely gorgeous. The nutty sweetness of the butter and the crisp texture of the almonds complemented the chicken in a perfect way.

Enjoy!

Moroccan chicken, olive and preserved lemon tagine with almond couscous

I used a traditional Moroccan tagine/tajine earthenware pot to make this dish; if you don’t have one, you can use a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed baking pan.

I used my homemade quick preserved lemons but I have made this dish many times in the past using the traditional preserved lemons. It works great with both. The only difference is that the quick preserved lemons are a bit more sour and acidic than the traditional whole preserved lemons. Both, however, provide that aromatic, fresh lemon flavor that you want.

I prefer using bone-in chicken thighs because cooking any kind of meat on the bone adds more flavor to a dish, but you can certainly use boneless.