Olives et Al Preserved Lemons 400g

Tajine Recipe

The are several versions of this kind of dish, the meat cooked with onions and spices, and finished with black olives and pickled lemons. Unless you are used to North African flavours, you would be wise to start with very little cumin and cinnamon, the lightest hint of coriander. To make a creamier sauce, increase the onion by up to three times. Notice that the meat is not browned.

2-2kg chicken or 1-2kg boned shoulder of lamb, trimmed of fat
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
level tsp ginger
level tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
level tsp paprika
salt, pepper
2cm piece cinnamon stick
175g/6oz sliced onion
8tbsp olive oil
generous pinch saffron
2 tbsp each chopped parsley and fresh coriander leaves
2 preserved lemons or limes  
175g/6oz black olives
juice of a large lemon

Step 1

Put chicken or lamb into a dish. Mix next 4 ingredients with salt and pepper and rub into the meat. Cover and leave for 12 hours or overnight.

Step 2

In a pan that fits the chicken or lamb closely, put the cinnamon stick, onion, olive oil and saffron. Lay the meat on top with any juices that may have emerged. Chicken should be breast up. Add water barely to cover chicken legs, or the lamb. Cover and simmer until the meat leaves the bones, or is very tender. Remove meat and keep warm. Add parsley and half the coriander to the sauce and boil hard to reduce to a moist purée. For our tastes, you may like to pour off surplus fat. Taste for seasoning, and add some or all of remaining coriander. Meanwhile, cut lemons or limes into wedges, and simmer the olives in a little water to reduce saltiness. Reheat meat in the sauce with the wedges and drained olives for 10 minutes. Put meat into a dish, pour over lemon juice and then the sauce. Serve very hot with boiled rice.

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