Chicken Tagine for 2

Most chicken tagine recipes call for a whole chicken. I prefer leg quarters because they're inexpensive, perfectly suited for slow, moist cooking, and give the sauce great flavor. Preserved lemons are usually found at Middle-Eastern grocery stores or Whole Foods.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2  chicken leg quarters, skin removed and discarded
• 1 -2  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  crushed saffron threads or 1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  large onion, diced
• 1  cup chicken broth
• 2  preserved lemons or 2  meyer lemons, plus
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (2 one standard lemon plus 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar)
• 1  large carrot, cut into large dice
• 1  cup green olives

Directions

1. Combine the spices in a small bowl.
2. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy, lidded skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, and brown the chicken.
3. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, 3-5 minutes.
4. Stir in the spices and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the chicken broth and carrots, scrape up any brown bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan, cover tightly, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
6. While the chicken cooks, prepare the lemons: for preserved lemons or fresh Meyer lemons, slice crosswise and remove seeds; for standard lemons, juice and strain out seeds, then remove zest from the juiced halves with a vegetable peeler and finely slice zest crosswise.
7. If olives have pits, while the chicken cooks, smash 1-2 olives at a time with the flat side of a chef's knife and remove pits.
8. Uncover the chicken and add the lemons and olives (and extra salt and sugar, if using fresh lemons). Turn up heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, turning chicken after 5 minutes.
9. If sauce hasn't thickened yet, remove chicken to a plate, increase heat and continue to simmer sauce until thick.
10. Serve over couscous or rice.