Spicy chicken tagine
Description
Chicken cooked in a tajine turns out juicy and flavorful. It's prepared in its own juices without a drop of extra fat. Don't hesitate to add more carrots and raisins—they'll become delicious, infused with the chicken juices.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Finely chop the onion and hot pepper. Use the amount of pepper according to your taste and desired spiciness. I use Hungarian pepper, which is aromatic and moderately hot, adding a bit of fresh chili pepper. Add coarsely crushed spices, finely grated lemon zest from quartered lemons, and chopped lemon pulp. Add a little salt and thoroughly knead the mixture.
- 2
Step 2
Add chicken cut into large pieces. You can use only thighs or drumsticks. Mix the chicken well with the marinade, pressing with your hands. Let it sit at room temperature for half an hour.
- 3
Step 3
Rinse and dry the raisins and barberries, scald apricot kernels with boiling water, slice the young carrots into not-too-thin rounds. Add everything to the chicken and mix well once again.
- 4
Step 4
Transfer everything to a tagine or, if unavailable, to a deep ceramic pot, necessarily with a lid, which must remain tightly closed throughout the cooking process.
- 5
Step 5
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees, then reduce the heat to 150 and continue baking for about another hour. Check the chicken's doneness by piercing it after 40 minutes; the juices should run clear.
- 6
Step 6
Serve the chicken hot, with fluffy rice dressed with clarified butter, as a side dish. Garnish the dish with fresh mint and cilantro.