← Nouns Cooking · Moroccan

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed if you like
• 1 large onion, grated
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Ground ginger
• ½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 pinch Saffron, crumbled
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro), tied with string
• 400 ml Water
• 3 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges, fronds kept
• ½ Preserved lemon, pulp chopped, rind in strips
• 80 g purple olives (optional)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Rub the chicken with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron, salt and pepper. Put it in a tagine or casserole with the onion and oil and cook over medium heat for 10 min, turning, until the onion softens.
2. Pour in the water, lay the coriander bundle on top, cover and simmer for 25 min.
3. Arrange the fennel wedges around and over the chicken, cover again and cook for 20–25 min until the fennel is very tender and the chicken reaches 75°C (165°F).
4. Add the preserved lemon and olives and cook for 5 min. Lift out the chicken and fennel, discard the coriander, and boil the sauce for 5 min to thicken it.
5. Stir the lemon juice into the sauce, pour it over the chicken and fennel, and scatter with chopped fennel fronds.

Tips

• Choose plump, white fennel bulbs; thin, green ones can be stringy.
• Some Moroccan cooks add a few orange segments at the end for a sweet-sharp twist.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Cooking With Alia My Moroccan Food