Moroccan Chicken tajine with Alassala Organic Argan Oil - Traditional method - Healthy recipe

A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for the Moroccan chicken tajine with olives, preserved lemons and potatoes.
As most of us do not own a tajine dish, I modernised the recipe and made it in a casserole dish.
However, for the traditionalists; here is the recipe as my nanny used to make ;-)
If you have a tajine dish, this is even more delicious than the previous recipe !

The Argan oil is not compulsory but will make a delicious and healthy addition.
You can buy the Argan oil at Alassala on line; they also sell some delicious olives and preserved lemon.
And for those of you who only believe in Argan Oil for beauty; they also sell the cosmetic version.
Alassala online shop

Win your own Alassala's Organic Argan cooking oil and Alassala's olives of your choice soon.

A new competition to win the above will start on 20th August.
Come back to this site to enter through the rafflecopter on the competition post (Will be published 19th August)
See the range of olives here : Alassala's olive range

Here is the recipe :

Feeds : 2 to 3 adults or a family of 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1h 10min
Level: Easy
Cost: Economical

What do I need ?

- 1 to 2 onions
- 2 tbsp ground-nut or other flavourless oil

- 6 chicken thigh pieces (or drumsticks)
- 1 to 2 tbsp argan oil
- 1 tsp ground ginger or 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric powder

- A small bunch of parsley
- A small bunch of coriander leaves

- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 baking potatoes
- 1 preserved lemon
- 1 handful of green or violet olives

What do I do ?

1. Soak the tajine dish in cold water
2. You will need a heat diffuser under the dish if you are cooking the tajine on the gas hob. Alternatively, you can cook the tajine in the oven (160c)








3. Place the tajine on the hob and pour the ground-nut oil. Heat the oil on low heat
4. Meanwhile, peel and half the onion. Slice thinly. Add the onions to the oil and leave to sweat with the lid on

5. Whilst the onions are sweating; prepare the "gremolata" for the chicken:












6. Pour a couple of tablespoon of warm water over the saffron to dilute

7. Add the ginger and turmeric powder
8. Finely chop the parsley and coriander (I used previously frozen coriander in the pictures and therefore added later on)









9. Add the argan oil to the spices and mix

10. Add the herbs to form a paste










11. Brush the chicken with this "gremolata"
12. Add the chicken on top of the onions

(As I used frozen cubes of coriander, I scattered them over the chicken)
13. Dilute the stock in a little water and pour over the chicken









14. Peel the potatoes, chop them in thick wedges and scatter around the chicken

15. Chop the preserved lemon in quarters and remove the flesh










16. Slice the lemon peels and place them over the chicken; discard the flesh
17. Sprinkle the olives over the dish and place the lid of the tajine back on
18. Leave to cook for 45 minutes to an hour on low heat, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft
19. Bring the dish to the table and tuck in ;-)