Recipe: Quail tagine with olives and preserved lemons

During her recent visit to Dubai, Anissa Helou shared her recipe for quails tagine, olives, preserved lemons. She has, however, substituted the quails with chicken.

Serves 4-8 people

Ingredients

1 pod garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper, finely ground

Good pinch saffron

Sea salt to taste

4 baby chickens

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

50g flat-leaf parsley, stalks discarded, finely chopped

50g fresh coriander, stalks discarded, finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

25g unsalted butter

Juice of 1 lemon

1 large preserved lemon, peel only, cut lengthwise into strips

150g purple olives, or a mixture of black and green

Procedure 

Put the garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, pepper, saffron and a little sea salt in a large flameproof casserole. Mix well. Add the baby chickens and rub well with the spice mixture. Leave to marinate.

In another pan, take 750ml water, add onion, herbs and cinnamon. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add the oil, butter and marinated chicken. Cover and cook for 45 minutes (30 minutes if cooking quails), or until the chicken are cooked through, and the sauce is reduced.

Remove the chicken on to a plate and keep warm. Discard the cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for 15 more minutes until the onion has disintegrated and the sauce is unctuous.

Add the lemon juice, preserved lemon peel and the olives. Cut the chickens in half and return to the pot. Simmer for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot with bread. 

http://www.anissas.com