Nov 2, 2011
Djej Besla - Chicken and Onion Tagine
Onions stew until soft and sweet in this satisfying one-pot chicken dish flavored with saffron, turmeric, lemon, and olives. This recipe first appeared in our November 2011 issue along with Dana Bowen's story Roots of Flavor.
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Photo: Todd Coleman
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground turmeric
5 tbsp. olive oil
4 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
4 skinless bone-in chicken drumsticks
1 tsp. crushed saffron threads
4 medium yellow onions, cut into 12 wedges each Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
1 ¼ cups pitted green olives
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
Cooked white rice, for serving
2. Heat remaining oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven or large tagine over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken pieces, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes; transfer to a plate and set aside. Add saffron and onions to pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Return chicken to pot along with lemon slices and 1 cup water, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat, and scatter olives and cilantro over chicken; serve with rice.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make a spice paste: Using the flat side of your knife, chop and mash salt and garlic together on a cutting board into a smooth paste; transfer paste to a large bowl and stir in cumin, paprika, and turmeric. Stir in 3 tbsp. oil, and then add chicken thighs and drumsticks; toss until evenly coated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.2. Heat remaining oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven or large tagine over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken pieces, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes; transfer to a plate and set aside. Add saffron and onions to pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Return chicken to pot along with lemon slices and 1 cup water, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat, and scatter olives and cilantro over chicken; serve with rice.
My only nitpick with this dish - which has amazingly tender chicken, good saltiness, rich spices - is the inclusion of those danged lemons! I plan on re-making this, and trying Leila's suggestion of using preserved lemons. Failing that, I'm employing my microplaner to use the zest only, plus juice, rather than whole lemon slices. The dish was almost unpleasantly bitter due to the taste of the lemon pith, and I couldn't come up with a good way of minimizing it. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears - this dish has a ton of potential.
Great recipe! I'm making it today for the second time this week.