We’ve off and on worked on eating a more plant-based diet like a Mediterranean Diet with mixed success. While we like it – it’s easy to slip back into the regular American diet with a ton of red meat and sugar. I’m getting older, and fatter, and need to really consider getting back on the wagon.

For anyone contemplating the Mediterranean Diet – it’s a very healthy diet that still utilizes many of the foods we love. It’s not just a bowl of greens with boiled chicken breast! The key elements of a Mediterranean diet are:

• The bulk of food would be vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
• More fish, poultry, beans, and eggs.
• Moderation of dairy
• Limited intake of red meat.

For more information on the Mediterranean Diet – check out this article from the Mayo Clinic: Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan.

Keeping in mind that most of the diet is plant-based, growing our own food is key to the diet and is one of the big drivers of our plans for Ravengrove. However, we do like some meat – and one of our favorites would be Chicken Tagine. We have a special like for Moroccan goods in particular and we’ve found that anything cooked in a tagine is fantastic.

But what is a Tagine? The term is both a stew and the ceramic-clay pot that stew is cooked in. They have been used for hundreds of years in North Africa and Morocco in particular. These are beautiful cookpots with a cone-shaped top that is designed to cause steam to condense and recirculate back to the dish. This makes the food moist and very flavorful as large amounts of broth or water are not needed.

Tagines aren’t hard to come by – Amazon carries them as do a ton of the other online retailers. Some Mediterranean markets and if you have World Market (Cost Plus) nearby they often carry them. There are a couple of key things to keep in mind. These are delicate earthen pots that are sometimes completely glazed, partially glazed, or unglazed. It’s important to season a tagine when you first cook with it – usually soaking it in water overnight and slowly bringing it up to temp in the oven.

Cooking with the tagine is usually done over charcoal and sometimes gas burners. If you have an electric or glass top – get a diffuser – even then be extra careful on temperature management – I’ve cracked one that got a bit too warm. Only use enough heat to simmer – you will not be searing food in a tagine!

What can you cook? Anything! We love beef, chicken, fish, vegetables – anything you would consider good in a savory stew. If you are looking for Moroccan style and flavored add turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, saffron, and ginger – but the one really awesome secret ingredient is Ras El Hanout (order it premade from a reputable source, there are recipes online, but some of the more exotic items are difficult to store).

What if I don’t have a tagine? No worries, another good option is to use an enamel Dutch oven. It works well – but you don’t quite get the same effect in flavor nor the exotic presentation as a hand-painted/glazed tagine. I use the dutch oven when I’m in a hurry and don’t want to take the long route to a good Tagine.

Tagine, Moroccan, and Mediterranean Recipe Books (Amazon Links – we are NOT an affiliate)

• The Modern Tagine Cookbook – We use this quite often.
• The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook – some tagine recipes in here – but it’s more general. to the Mediterranean diet
• Modern Moroccan: Ancient Traditions, Contemporary Cooking – probably my favorite Moroccan cookbook. While it’s not tagine-focused there are quite a few recipes and others that can be adapted to use in a tagine.

Here is my version of Chicken Tagine – probably the most iconic Moroccan Tagine dishes out there. I should give the original author credit for this – but I’ve modified it and honestly – I have no idea where it got it to start with.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons

• 1 to 2 Preserved lemons seeds removed (we make our own – but you can order them as well) Do not skimp on this. The flavor profile of the dish is not the same using fresh lemons.
• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, back discarded (you can remove the skin if you want for a healthier option)
• 2 large yellow onions chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (optional – these can be expensive, Not sure it really gives much flavor)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ras el hanout, (optional – but you are missing out if you skip it!)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 handfuls pitted green olives any work – but I really like Castelventrano Olives
• 1/4 cup water (approx)

Step One: Marinate the Chicken
Remove the flesh from the preserved lemons and chop it very fine. Keep the rinds – you will use them later. Add the chopped lemon flesh with garlic, cilantro, ginger, pepper, turmeric, salt, ras el hanout, and saffron. Add the chicken and mix to coat the chicken. Let it marinate overnight or at least an hour or two.

Step Two: Prep the tagine
Using your seasoned tagine, bring it slowly to temp in the oven to 200 degrees and then add to the stovetop. If you are using an electric or glass top – use a diffuser. Consider a diffuser if you use a gas top. It’s possible to use in the oven, but check the manufactures instructions.

Add some of the olive oil to the tagine, just enough to coat the bottom then a layer of the onion. Place the chicken in the center of the tagine and consider adding a few vegetables as well (Parsnips are great this way). Add the rest of the onion, the olives, and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top.

Step Three: Water and Lemon Rind
I add the reserved lemon rind at the center top of the chicken and then add just a touch of water – maybe 1/4 cup – I check a few times to make sure the water level is ok – this is what really protects the tagine from cracking in my opinion.

Step Four: Cooking
Keep this at medium-low heat – it’s tedious and hard to wait – but keep the heat low – don’t get in a hurry. Give a good 20-30 min and if you don’t hear or see simmering – then add a bit more. You are looking for that low simmer.

Hold the simmer for around 80 – 90 minutes and check the water level – the water and fat from the chicken should have rendered out making an awesome gravy. Turn the chicken over if you like and let it continue it’s simmer for another 45-60 minutes until the chicken is falling off the bone tender.

Step Five: Finish and Serve
I usually take the lid off, turn off the heat and let it sit for about 10 min. This lets the stew thicken a little and the flavor settle. Top with a little more fresh cilantro and serve directly out of the tagine.

Options: One other thing I’ll do with a Tagine, especially if there is quite a bit of liquid is add some couscous for the last 20 minutes of cook time. We prefer to use Israeli Couscous, but traditional couscous is good as well.