Easy Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemon

First, I recommend washing and preparing the thighs - cut them into medium pieces. I cut a boneless leg into 3-4 pieces.

I had happy chicken legs, with skin but no bones.

Take a large and deep pan, 28-30cm. Sprinkle with half of the olive oil.

Arrange the thighs in the cold pan, not yet heated.

Season the meat with - 0.5 teaspoon turmeric, 0.5 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried ginger, 1 tablespoon salt, a little ground black pepper and crushed garlic.

Sprinkle everything with the rest of the olive oil, about 50ml.

Pour 2 glasses of water on top and turn the heat on.

When it comes to the boil, add in the diced onions and a bunch of parsley tied with kitchen string (or finely chopped, if you don't have string).

Now cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to medium and let simmer for about 1 hour. It's normal, even necessary, to boil a bit more intense.

In this recipe, the simmering time is essential. This is how the thick and delicious sauce is cooked but, at the same time, the meat doesn't have to change completely. That's why I recommended using organic or country chicken, which takes longer to cook.

While the meat is boiling, we take care of the lemon.

Cut half a lemon into medium cubes and place in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pour 1 glass of water on top.

Place the saucepan over heat. When it comes to the boil, reduce the heat, but let it boil more intensely.

Let boil for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates and the lemon gets softer.

Ready! I have quick pickled lemons very similar to the Moroccan ones.

If you have green olives with pits, crush each one with a knife to remove the pit.

This is how our food looks like after 1 hour of cooking, notice that the sauce is still runny.

Now mix and let sit with the lid half open, for another 30 minutes, for the excess water to evaporate.

Look now, at the end. Notice that the sauce is denser, not watery, nicely yellow colored, the meat is beautiful and tender.

Now carefully remove the parsley bunch, if you put it whole.

Add the pickled lemons and olives, mix carefully.

Put the lid on the pan again, turn off the heat and let infuse for another 30 minutes.

I recommend serving this food with couscous or rice.

I don't eat carbohydrates now and I made cauliflower rice (cauliflower crushed in a blender and sauteed with butter, a little salt and turmeric).

It was a wonderful combination, a perfect low-carb treat!

Enjoy!