Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Nigella Seeds

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced into rings
• 1 whole chicken (with or without skin), cut in half or into pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, toasted lightly and ground
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, toasted lightly and left whole
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• 1 cinnamon stick, optional
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon smen, optional
• Handful of fresh cilantro sprigs, tied into a bouquet, for garnish
• 1/2 preserved lemon, cut into 2 quarters, for garnish
• Red or violet olives, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Pour the olive oil into the base of a tagine or the bottom of a wide pot or Dutch oven. Distribute the sliced onion over the bottom.
3. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the chopped onion, garlic, ground nigella, whole nigella, and spices. Arrange the chicken bone side down in the center of the tagine or pot, and distribute the chopped onions all around.
4. Swirl 1/3 cup of water in the bowl to clean it of the spices, then add the water to the tagine or pot. If using smen, add it to the liquids.
5. Garnish the tagine with the cilantro bouquet, lemon, and olives. Follow one of the cooking methods below. 

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