It’s simply one of my favourite. Really and not just because I am posting it today.

A while ago, when I was still a student, every time I would go back home to visit my parents, my mum would welcome me with this tagine. I couldn’t possibly leave my home country without having had this tagine at least once.

What I like the most about it is the onion sauce. I love it so much, I eat it the way some people secretly eat nutella. I mean with a spoon. Of course, no, I never dip my finger in the sauce, never.

So yes, its simply delicious, the onion sauce ends up with this sweet chicken and lemony flavour. I never get enough of it!

In Morocco we call this tagine ‘djaj mqualli’ and it’s a classic in Moroccan cuisine. If you’ve ever been to Morocco, I am pretty sure you would have tried djaj mqualli, sometimes the tagine is served topped with French fries, yes French fries!

Personally, I like it on its own with bread without the French fries addition. But you can also have it the way my husband does, with a side of brown rice or couscous. You decide! Enjoy the sauce!

Chicken, Preserved Lemon and Olives Tagine – Chicken Mkalli

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large onions (about 800g), chopped
1,2kg whole chicken cut into pieces or 1,2kg chicken legs and thighs
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
¼ ground black pepper
A generous pinch saffron
1 large coriander bouquet, tied
2 medium sized preserved lemons
150g red-brown olives, like Kalamatas

METHOD

• In a large casserole, heat the olive oil and add the onions over medium heat. Cover with a lid and leave the onions until they are soft and translucent, about 10 min. This will allow to sweat the onions.

• Once you’ve sweated the onions, place the chicken, the garlic, the spices, salt and pepper in the casserole and turn the chicken occasionally to lightly brown it , about 10-15 min.

• Pour a cup of water (240 ml) in the casserole and place the coriander bouquet on top of the chicken over medium heat. Bring to the boil and cover with a lid over medium-low heat. Leave until the chicken is cooked, about 50 min.

• Meanwhile, remove the flesh from the preserved lemon and finely chop the lemon (discard the flesh).

• Once the chicken is cooked, remove it along with the coriander bouquet from the casserole. Set aside the chicken to cool and discard the coriander bouquet.

• Reduce the sauce over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquids have evaporated, stir occasionally to make sure the onions don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. There should be some liquid left in the sauce after 20 minutes, we don’t want all the liquids to evaporate for this recipe. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if there is no more liquid in the casserole at this stage.

• Add the chopped preserved lemon and the olives to the onions, stir to combine and leave over medium-low heat for 10 min.

• To serve, place the chicken back in the casserole to warm it up over medium heat. Serve hot and enjoy with a side of rice, couscous or bread.

Notes

• Some people cook the flesh of the preserved lemon along with the onions in the beginning of the recipe, it’s a good way of recycling the flesh. For some reason my mom doesn't like it, she thinks it makes the tagine more acidic, so I never tried this method. Feel free to give it a go. I am planning on trying it next time!

• If you’ve used a whole chicken and are left with chicken liver, add it to the sauce after you discard the cooked chicken from the casserole. Once the liver is cooked, mash the liver in the casserole and stir the sauce to mix the onions and the liver, it will add a nice "livery" taste to the sauce.

• Don’t forget to transfer the cooked chicken in the fridge once it has cooled down.

• The cooking time is adapted to regular pan/casseroles.