Farmers’ Market Recipe
By Chef Diana Temple
April 21st, 2011
Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives
This is a very popular Moroccan dish served during storytelling. This is good for all occasions.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon saffron threads
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 chicken, cut in 8 pieces
Salt and pepper
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
Peel of one preserved lemon (recipe follows) or lemon zest
12-16 green or black olives, such as greek or kalamata
In heavy wide bottom pan big enough to hold all chicken in one layer, heat oil and saute onion 2 minutes on medium heat until they soften, and add the garlic, ginger, saffron and chicken pieces and a little salt and pepper. Cook just a couple minutes.
Add 1 ¼ cups water and simmer covered for approx. 15 minutes. Turn every few minutes. Remove the breasts and cook the remaining chicken for another 20 minutes or so and return the breasts to the pot. Add water during this time if it becomes too dry.
Stir in the lemon juice, the chopped coriander and parsley along with the lemon peel (cut in strips), and the olives. Simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes until the reduced sauce is thick. If there is too much liquid, take out chicken and reduce the sauce for a few minutes and return the chicken and heat through. Present on a platter with some chopped parsley on top for garnish.
Malibu Farmers’ Market Recipe
By chef Diana Temple
Preserved Lemon in Salt and Lemon Juice
In this method, which is considered the most prestigious and gives the best results, no water is used.
8 lemons
6 tablespoons sea salt
Juice of 8 additional lemons
Wash and scrub the lemons, cut in quarters lengthwise leaving intact at stem end. And stuff each with a tablespoon of salt and squeeze closed. Put them in a sterilized preserving jar, pressing them down so that they are squashed together and close the jar.
Leave for a few days, by which time the lemons will have disgorged some of their juices and the skins will have softened a little. Open the jar and press the lemons down as much as you can, then add the lemon juice to cover them entirely.
Close the jar and leave in a cool place for at least a month. The longer they are left, the better the flavor. (if a piece of lemon is not covered, it develops a white mold that is harmless and just needs to be washed off.)
Before using, scoop out and discard the pulp and rinse the lemon peel under the tap to get rid of the salt.
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