Instant Pot Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives

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Chicken Tagine with Lemons & Olives

Name: Chicken Tagine with Lemons & Olives
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 6 Chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on (Skin-on thighs provide more flavour); 30 ml Olive oil; 3 Onions finely chopped; 3 cloves Garlic cloves thinly sliced; 5 ml Ground ginger; 5 ml Ground cumin; 2½ ml Ground turmeric; 1 Cinnamon stick (small); 2½ ml Saffron threads; 200 ml Chicken stock hot; 2 Preserved lemons rind chopped (Large; remove the flesh if it is very bitter); 100 g Green olives pitted; 5 ml Black pepper freshly ground; Fresh coriander chopped (large handful); Flat-leaf parsley chopped (large handful); Salt (to taste); 300 g Couscous; 300 ml Water boiling; 1 pinch Salt; 15 ml Olive oil or butter - optional

The Moroccan Classic Tagine

Tender chicken thighs pressure-cooked with warming spices, saffron, preserved lemons and green olives, then finished with fresh coriander and parsley and served with fluffy couscous.

Serves 4

Prep 20 min

Cook 25 min

Total 45 min

Difficulty Easy

Start cooking Print recipe

Niki's Notes

Morocco is my favourite getaway destination as it's only 3 hours flying time from the UK and where the sights and smells explode your senses. From the heady medinas of Marrakech to the wind-swept shores of Essaouira, I don't think I've ever had a bad meal in Morocco (other than the legendary Chez Ali outdoor dinner show, which is so bad, it's hilarious). 
This tagine (or tajine - the dish it's traditionally cooked and served in) is full of warming spices, fragrant saffron and the unmistakable flavour of preserved lemons. Pressure cooking produces beautifully tender chicken in a fraction of the traditional cooking time and like many casseroles, it’s even better the following day once the flavours have had time to develop / mélange.
It is well worth finding preserved lemons as they will last up to a year in a fridge once opened, so you can make this a few times. You can buy preserved lemons in most large supermarkets now, including Sainsbury's, M&S, Aldi, Waitrose, or from your favourite online marketplace that takes its name from a long river.

Ingredients

Chicken Tagine

6 Chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on (Skin-on thighs provide more flavour)
30 ml Olive oil
3 Onions finely chopped
3 cloves Garlic cloves thinly sliced
5 ml Ground ginger
5 ml Ground cumin
2½ ml Ground turmeric
1 Cinnamon stick (small)
2½ ml Saffron threads
200 ml Chicken stock hot
2 Preserved lemons rind chopped (Large; remove the flesh if it is very bitter)
100 g Green olives pitted
5 ml Black pepper freshly ground
Fresh coriander chopped (large handful)
Flat-leaf parsley chopped (large handful)
Salt (to taste)

Couscous

300 g Couscous
300 ml Water boiling
1 pinch Salt
15 ml Olive oil or butter - optional

Method

Prepare the Tagine

Infuse the saffron
Stir the saffron threads into the hot chicken stock and set aside to infuse while preparing the other ingredients.
Brown the chicken
Select the Sauté function on the pressure cooker and heat the olive oil. Brown the chicken thighs in batches until lightly golden on both sides, then transfer them to a plate.

190°C (374°F)
Soften the onions
Add the chopped onions to the pot and cook, stirring from time to time, until soft and beginning to caramelise.

170°C (338°F)
Toast the spices
Stir in the sliced garlic, ground ginger, cumin and turmeric. Cook briefly until fragrant.
Assemble the tagine
Return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the cinnamon stick, saffron-infused stock, chopped preserved lemon and black pepper, then stir gently.
Pressure cook
Secure the lid and set the steam release valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes.

Prepare the Couscous

Steam the couscous
Place the couscous in a heatproof bowl with the salt and the olive oil or butter, if using. Pour over the boiling water, cover tightly and leave to steam.
Fluff the couscous
Remove the cover and separate the couscous grains with a fork before serving.

Finish and Serve

Release the pressure
When pressure cooking finishes, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully release any pressure that remains.
Reduce the sauce
Open the lid and remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the green olives, select Sauté and simmer without the lid until the sauce has reduced slightly.

170°C (338°F)
Add the herbs
Stir in most of the chopped coriander and parsley, keeping a little back for garnish. Taste before adding salt because the preserved lemons and olives may already provide enough seasoning.
Serve
Spoon the chicken tagine over or alongside the couscous, scatter over the reserved herbs and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Estimated values per serving.

Calories: 875 kcal
Protein: 49g
Carbs: 72g
Fat: 43g
Fibre: 7g