Chicken M’qualli with Preserved Lemon

Name: Chicken M’qualli with Preserved Lemon
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4-6 servings
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (cut into pieces); 4 large onions (chopped); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tsp ginger; 1 tsp turmeric; pinch of saffron threads; 1 preserved lemon (flesh minced, skin sliced); 1/2 cup red olives; 1/4 cup olive oil; salt, pepper

Famous Moroccan tagine of chicken slow-braised in a golden ginger, turmeric, saffron, and garlic gravy, garnished with salty preserved lemons and red olives.

1 hour 45 minutesYield · 4-6 servingsRegion · Fez

Ingredients

What you’ll need

1 whole chicken (cut into pieces)
4 large onions (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp turmeric
pinch of saffron threads
1 preserved lemon (flesh minced, skin sliced)
1/2 cup red olives
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper

Method

How it comes together

1
Marinate: Rub chicken with minced lemon flesh, garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron, oil, salt, and pepper. Marinate for 1 hour.
2
Simmer: Cook onions and marinated chicken on medium (350°F / 175°C) for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup water, cover, and simmer on low (190°F / 88°C) for 45 minutes.
3
Reduce Daghmira: Remove chicken to broil. Boil down remaining onion broth, stirring constantly, until it reduces to a thick caramelized onion paste.
4
Garnish: Return chicken to pot with olives and lemon skin. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve.

Accuracy note

A traditional m’qualli sauce should be onion-rich, concentrated, and yellow-gold rather than watery. Some cooks briefly broil or roast the chicken before serving for browned skin.