Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Almonds and Preserved Lemon with homemade chicken stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade chicken stock ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Put the chicken, the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns and the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises during the first 15 minutes with a spoon.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Turn down and simmer gently 2.5–3 hours.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
3. 3
   Strain the stock.

   Colander

To assemble

1. 4
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and brown the chicken pieces on both sides. Remove to a plate.

   StoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Brown the meat in batches, without crowding: in a crowded pot it stews in its own juices instead of searing.

   💡What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.
2. 5
   Add the onion to the oil left in the wide pot and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   StoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 6
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
4. 7
   Add the ras el hanout, paprika, cumin, turmeric and saffron and fry 30 seconds, until fragrant.

   Stove

   💡Paprika burns quickly and turns bitter: half a minute in the oil is enough, then move straight on to the next step.
5. 8
   Add the stock and lemon and bring to a boil.

   Stove
6. 9
   Return the chicken pieces to the pot and season with salt.
7. 10
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes, until the chicken pieces soft.

   StoveLid
8. 11
   Add the olives and almonds and cook another 15 minutes.

   Stove
9. 12
   Serve with the cilantro and with couscous.