Name: Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Olives & Preserved Lemon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 1 onion, sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp saffron threads; 1 cup chicken stock; 1 cup dried apricots; 1/2 cup green olives; 1 preserved lemon, sliced; 2 tbsp olive oil; Fresh cilantro, to finish

The story

A good tagine is a study in contrast. Dried apricots bring honeyed sweetness, green olives push back with brine, and preserved lemon lands somewhere between sour and savory that nothing else quite replaces. Braised together with bone-in chicken and warm spice, they melt into a sauce that is layered and a little surprising with every bite.

The method is classic Moroccan slow cooking, traditionally done in the cone-lidded clay vessel the dish is named for. You do not need one. A heavy Dutch oven traps steam just as well and gets you the same tender, spoon-soft chicken. What matters more is toasting the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron in the pot for a minute so the spices bloom in the oil before the liquid goes in.

The one rule worth holding to is timing the preserved lemon. Stir it in only during the last few minutes. Cook it too long and its bright, floral saltiness fades into the background, when the whole point is that it should sing over the top.

Method · 8 steps

How to make it

Season the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.
Why Seasoning the skin before it hits the pan sets up a well-flavored crust and seasons the braise from the start.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on both sides, then set it aside.
Why Browning the skin builds deep flavor and renders some fat to cook the aromatics in. It does not need to cook through here.
In the same pot, saute the sliced onion and minced garlic until softened and lightly golden.
Why Cooking them in the rendered chicken fat carries all that flavor forward into the base.
Stir in the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron and toast for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Why Blooming the spices in hot oil wakes up their aroma and rounds out any raw, dusty edge.
Return the chicken to the pot and add the chicken stock, dried apricots, and green olives.
Why This is where the sweet and salty backbone comes together. The apricots plump and soften as they braise.
Cover and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Why A low, covered simmer keeps the thighs moist and lets the sauce reduce into something rich.
Stir in the sliced preserved lemon during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Why Added late, it keeps its bright, floral saltiness. Cooked too long, that brightness mutes.
Finish with fresh cilantro and serve over couscous.
Why The raw cilantro adds a fresh, green lift, and couscous soaks up the fragrant sauce.