Tagine djej bil hamad

Moroccan chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives: the centrepiece of North African hospitality

Origin: Morocco

From the journey of Lemon.

Tagine djej bil hamad m'chermel, chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives, is considered the signature dish of Moroccan cooking, the preparation that most completely expresses the North African approach to layered, slow-cooked flavour. It is a dish of almost paradoxical simplicity: chicken braised in a spiced onion sauce with green or violet olives and preserved lemon rind added near the end of cooking. Yet the result is one of the world's great braised dishes: the preserved lemon providing an intensity of fragrance and depth that fresh lemon cannot approach, the olives providing brine and richness, the spiced onion base providing warmth and sweetness. The dish takes its name from the tagine; the conical earthenware pot in which it is traditionally cooked. The conical lid channels steam back down onto the meat, creating a self-basting environment that keeps the chicken extraordinarily moist while concentrating the sauce. Tagine cooking is fundamentally about patience and gentle heat: the chicken is first marinated in a chermoula (a blend of garlic, herbs, and spices), then cooked very slowly over a charcoal fire or the lowest possible gas flame for an hour or more. The sauce reduces around the chicken; the preserved lemon and olives are added in the last 20 minutes, their flavours melding into the concentrated broth. The use of preserved lemon (hamad m'chermel; 'cured lemon' in Moroccan Arabic) is central to the dish's identity. Preserved lemons transform during their weeks of salt-fermentation into something entirely unlike fresh lemon: the volatile acids dissipate, the bitter compounds are drawn out by the salt, and what remains is a concentrated, complex, deeply fragrant rind that perfumes a dish in a way that no fresh citrus can. Only the rind is used; the flesh is discarded. A quarter of a preserved lemon's rind, finely sliced, is enough to scent a tagine serving four. This dish is the centrepiece of Moroccan hospitality: the tagine brought to the table still in its clay pot, the lid lifted at the table to release the steam and the fragrance, the guests invited to eat communally from the pot with bread. No serving spoons, no individual plates; bread torn from a round loaf is used to scoop the chicken and sauce.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 kg chicken pieces (bone-in thighs and drumsticks, or a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces)

Preserved Lemon & Olives

  • 1 preserved lemon, flesh removed, rind rinsed and thinly sliced
  • 150 g green or violet olives, pitted or whole

Chermoula Marinade

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric powder
  • 0.5 tsp sweet paprika
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • salt to taste

Sauce

  • 2 large onions, grated or very finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 200 ml water or light chicken stock

To Serve

  • Moroccan flatbread (khobz) or good crusty bread, to serve

Method

  1. Make the chermoula: combine the garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, olive oil, parsley, coriander, and salt in a bowl. Mix to a paste. Rub this marinade all over the chicken pieces, coating thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour; overnight is ideal.
  2. Heat the olive oil in the base of a tagine or a wide, heavy-based casserole over medium-low heat. Add the grated or sliced onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes until very soft and pale golden.
  3. Add the marinated chicken pieces, any remaining chermoula from the bowl, and the water or stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to very low. Cover tightly and cook for 45–55 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through.
  4. Add the preserved lemon rind and the olives to the tagine. Stir gently to distribute. Continue cooking, uncovered or with the lid ajar, for a further 15–20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the chicken is very tender.
  5. Taste the sauce. The preserved lemon should be clearly present; if the flavour seems flat, add a little more sliced preserved lemon rind. Adjust salt sparingly (preserved lemons are very salty). Scatter with additional fresh parsley and coriander.
  6. Serve in the tagine pot at the table if possible, with Moroccan flatbread for scooping. The traditional way to eat is communally from the pot, using pieces of bread rather than utensils.

Notes

This tagine can be made a day ahead and reheated gently: the flavours deepen significantly overnight. The preserved lemon flavour becomes more assertive the longer the dish sits. If using a terracotta tagine for the first time, season it by soaking in water for several hours, rubbing with olive oil, and heating it very gradually from cold; thermal shock will crack an unseasoned tagine. For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with a combination of chickpeas and root vegetables (carrots, turnips, sweet potato) and reduce the cooking time to 35–40 minutes.

The Gastrographer

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Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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