Lemon-Hibiscus Chicken Tagine

A few weeks ago we posted the recipe for our fish tagine, today we want to share with you our lemon, hibiscus and chicken version of this delicious Moroccan dish. The broth is deliciously sour and smooth and the chicken tender and juicy, it`s the perfect way to top a fluffy veggie couscous. It`s a very simple recipe and you will not be disappointed.

The tagine will be better enjoyed with couscous and you can make the couscous in any of your favourite ways and with any veggies you`d like to add to it. But, if you don`t know how to cook couscous, here`s a quick recipe for it.

Small dice a ½ red onion, ½ cucumber, ½ sweet pepper, shred a ½ carrot, crumble a ½ cup of feta cheese, and roughly chop basil and parsley.

In a medium pot, sauté the onion, carrot and pepper with olive oil for 6 minutes of medium heat, add cucumber and 1 cup of dry couscous, add 1 and a half cups of chicken broth, cover with a lid and cook on medium for about 7 minutes, or until the couscous is fully cooked, season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and reserve, top it with the feta, lemon wedges and herbs before serving.

Now for the actual tagine, marinate 4 chicken thighs in a sealable container/bag with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon each of turmeric and ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Place it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 1 hour.

To make the tagine broth, put 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth in a small pot with a pinch of saffron and 3 dried hibiscus flowers. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until the broth has taken on the flavours of the flower and saffron. Once done, remove the flowers and reserve.

While the broth is simmering, prepare your vegetables. Mince 5 garlic cloves and grate ½ tablespoon of ginger, chop a ½ cup of olives, ¼ red pepper and 1 Roma tomato, and thinly slice 2 Spanish onions.

Drizzle oil on a large pan and turn the heat on high. Wait 2-3 minutes for the pan to be very hot then place the chicken thighs (no marinade) on the pan with skin-side down. Sear them for 3 minutes to crisp up the skin and flip them, cook for another 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium.

Add sliced onions, the remaining of the chicken marinade and 1 cinnamon stick, cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, olives, tomato, red pepper, 1 tablespoon of capers, the juice and zest of 1 and a ½ lemon and the spiced chicken broth.

Stir and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the broth has thickened and the chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature at 165F).

Try it and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon and Hibiscus Chicken Tagine

Servings: 2

Time: 40 minutes + Marinating

Ingredients

4 Chicken Thighs

5 Garlic Cloves, minced

½ Tbsp Ginger, grated

1 tsp Sweet Paprika

½ tsp Ground Cumin

½ tsp Turmeric

1 Cinnamon Stick

½ Cup Olives, chopped

1 Tbsp Capers

1 Roma Tomato

¼ Red Pepper, diced

2 Onions, sliced

2 Cups Chicken Broth

Pinch of Saffron

2-3 Hibiscus Flowers

1 ½ - 2 Lemons, juiced and zested

1-2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, for garnish

EVOO

Salt and Pepper to taste

Step-by-Step

1.       Marinate chicken thighs with paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil. Reserve in the fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

2.       In a medium pan, simmer 2 cups of chicken broth with the hibiscus flowers and the pinch of saffron. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the saffron and hibiscus flavours have soaked into the broth. Remove the flowers and reserve.

3.       In the meantime, drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil into a large pan and turn the heat on high. Sear the chicken thighs, skin side down first, then flip them and do the same. It should be about 3 minutes a side.

4.       Lower the heat to medium, add sliced onions, the remaining chicken marinade and cinnamon stick, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, olives, capers, tomato, red pepper, the spiced chicken broth, and lemon. Stir and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is fully cooked (165F).

5.       Try it and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Top it with chopped fresh parsley, remove the cinnamon stick, serve with couscous and enjoy!