Chicken Tagine with Lemon & Olives

📝 Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs (1.1 kg bone-in)
• 2 brown onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp ras el hanout
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 stock cube + 300 ml hot water
• 2 lemons
• 100 g pitted green olives (drained)
• 280 g couscous + 280 ml water
• 20 g fresh coriander
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Flameproof casserole dish with lid
• Mixing bowl
• Chopping board
• Chef's knife
• Citrus juicer
• Fork

📖 Steps

1. Remove the skin from the chicken legs by pulling firmly, using a sheet of kitchen paper to get a good grip: the sauce will be much less fatty. Season the legs with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Peel and thinly slice the onions, and chop the garlic. Mix the ras el hanout, turmeric and ginger in a small bowl. Dissolve the stock cube in the 300 ml hot water and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the legs for 3 to 4 min on each side until nicely coloured, then set them aside on a plate. Do this in two batches if your casserole is small.
4. Lower the heat to medium, add the onions to the casserole and soften them for 5 min, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and spices, then stir for 1 min until fragrant, without letting them burn.
5. Return the chicken and its juices to the pot, then pour in the stock: it should come halfway up the legs; if not, top up with a little water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 35 min over a low heat, turning the legs halfway through.
6. Meanwhile, cut one lemon into 8 wedges and juice the other. Add the wedges, the juice and the drained olives to the casserole, then cook for another 10 min, covered: the meat should come away easily from the bone.
7. Prepare the couscous: tip it into the mixing bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, pour over the 280 ml boiling water, cover with a plate and leave to swell for 5 min. Then fluff it up with a fork.
8. If the sauce is too thin, let it reduce for 5 min uncovered. Taste and adjust the salt, bearing in mind the olives are already salty. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve the tagine piping hot on the couscous.