Chicken Tagine

Remember those preserved lemons I made? This is one of the recipes I use them in. This time I finally arrived at a point where I am comfortable with the results of this recipe. I have a confession to make: I hate eating bone-in chicken. I love how it tastes, but I hate having to pick it apart and getting my fingers all messy. It only makes it worse if there are little bits of onion and couscous mixed into the situation. This is my tidy version. Probably not very authentic as tagines go (a Moroccan specialty) but delicious nonetheless.

Adapted from Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon, by Claudia Rodin
Serves 3-4

2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-inch chunk fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 T honey
1 t salt
generous pinch saffron threads, crushed
1/2 a preserved lemon, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup Israeli couscous

Heat 1 T olive oil in a large heavy skillet with a lid. Saute the onion until softened and golden-brown. Stir in the ginger and garlic, and cook and stir for a minute or two. Remove the onion mixture and set it aside. Add 1 T olive oil to the pan and place the chicken pieces in a single layer, skinned side up. Fry them until browned, then flip and fry until the other side is browned. (They always stick dreadfully for me, so that’s why I do the smooth side second and leave them there for the next step.) Add the onion mixture back into the pan, around the edges of the chicken. Add the chopped preserved lemon, scattered over the chicken. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with salt and saffron, and then pour over the wine and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thru. Take the chicken pieces out with tongs and set them aside, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with foil. Add 3/4 cup of water to the liquid remaining in the pan, and raise the heat to bring it to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Simmer for 10 minutes, checking after 5 to make sure there is enough liquid, adding a little more water if the couscous is sticking to the pan. The couscous is done when it is tender but still a bit chewy. Serve the couscous alongside the chicken, with salad – I recommend Moroccan Orange Salad.