Savoury recipe - Tagine-style lemon chicken
Having just returned from a trip to Morocco with some spices but without the famous tagine dish (due to lack of space), I thought of a recipe to recapture the local flavors without having all the necessary equipment.
Don't keep the skin on the lemons, as it's too bitter, unless you're using lemons preserved in salt.
You're free to add more spices or lemons, or even green olives. The key to success, however, lies in the balance of the sauce and the reduction to the point of blond caramel, so be careful!
- Chef Julian
| Portions | Preparation time |
| 4 | 1h45 |
Ingredients
| 8 | Chicken thighs |
| 3 | Onions, chopped |
| 2 tbsp | Turmeric |
| 1 pinch | Saffron |
| 3 tbsp | Cumin powder |
| 5 | Garlic cloves, minced |
| 40g | Ginger, fresh, chopped |
| 4 tablespoons | White sugar |
| 2 | Lemons |
| 1 | Courgette |
| 2 | Sweet potatoes |
| 1/2 bunch | Coriander |
Instructions
Step 1/4
In a large pot, brown the chicken thighs on both sides in a little olive oil.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 5 tablespoons of olive oil, the turmeric, cumin, saffron, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, sugar and flesh of the two lemons (pulp only, not the white), plus 10cl of lukewarm water.
Step 2/4
Once the legs are nicely browned, remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, add the chopped onions and cook over medium heat until translucent.
Return the legs to the onions and pour in the spice mixture. Stir and cook over medium heat with a lid for 1 hour.
Check from time to time that there's still a little liquid and, if necessary, add a little water. The sauce should end up syrupy, verging on caramelization.
Step 3/4
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C in grill mode.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into quarters. Cut the zucchini into large 10 cm chunks and spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the vegetables over and cook for a further 15 minutes. They should be golden and melting.
Step 4/4
Check thighs and sauce reduction.
Finish by adding the crushed coriander.
Enjoy!
