When you are preparing a family meal, sometimes it is difficult to get away from the usual dishes of these dates. If you want an original proposal, Virginia, author of the gastronomic blog Sweet&Sour , makes us one for that day that will be cheap but very tasty. It is a very special lemon chicken tagine, with candied lemons.

You already know that cooking in tajine is synonymous with a juicy, tender result and a burst of flavors. Virginia gives it its special touch thanks to lemon, but also fennel and olives. Do not miss their proposals!

We are almost at the gates of Christmas, and I at least, without having started them, I am already saturated with typical Christmas recipes, full of nuts, foie and large pieces such as turkey, salmon, seafood... So here is another proposal much newer, but no less tasty for that, as it has a Moroccan touch that candied lemons and spices give it, together with the aniseed point of fennel. A chicken tajine , but not just any tagine, a classic of Moroccan cuisine, which will be equally useful to present at a less conventional Christmas lunch or dinner, as well as for one of those gatherings of friends where you want to show off with something special, but nothing expensive.

The Chicken Tajine with candied lemons and olives, as I say, is a classic of Moroccan cuisine. And what better way to prepare this classic than by using Emile Henry's ceramic Tajine, which in addition to cooking the products in their own juices, and over low heat, allows them to be brought to the table in the Tajine itself , conserving the heat for a long time and with a presentation of 10.

In fact, there are many Tajines that are used for cooking, but when it comes to presenting them at the table, they are a bit “lame”. This will not happen to us with Emile Henry's Tajine , because it perfectly combines tradition and modernity. Preserving the traditional shape of the Tajine, but introducing modern and up-to-date materials and colours, which also guarantee its use in different heat sources without suffering damage.

Let's go with the recipe that is simple.

Ingredients

• 1 free range chicken cut into eighths
• 300gr of purple olives
• 1kg of fennel
• 2 small candied lemons
• 2 onions (I add red onions from Zalla)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 250ml of water
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh or powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon of green anise seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt (if needed)

Preparation

1. First of all, we cut the chicken into eighths, if the butcher has not already done so. Clean the fennel, remove the leaves and cut it first in two and then in quarters. Cut the onion into thin slices, peel, crush the garlic and finally cut the candied lemons into quarters.
2. We put our tajine over low heat, so that it takes heat little by little, as if it were a cocotte. Add the olive oil and when it is very hot, add the chicken pieces to brown them. When they are half golden, add the onion slices, the crushed garlic and a candied lemon cut into quarters.
3. When everything is well browned, add the 250ml of water (1 cup) around the ingredients, the saffron, the ginger and the anise.
4. Bring to a boil, taste and rectify salt. If it is very salty, add a little more water, and if it is bland, add a little more salt. This has its reason for being, since candied lemons are salty in themselves, and they add that salt to the stew.
5. We cover our tajine and let it cook over low heat for about 35 minutes.
6. After that time we add the fennel, the rest of the candied lemon and the olives. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes.
7. We serve hot, accompanied by more olives and candied lemons.

A simple and very Mediterranean dish, with the Moroccan touch provided by the candied lemons, which will surprise your guests because you can't even imagine how special and rich this mixture of flavors brings. If you like Moroccan cuisine, this is a dish that you should not miss out on trying.

Tips:

- When heating the tagine, do it as if it were a cocotte, over low heat until it reaches temperature. The tagine is a kitchen utensil that, by changing the material and the shape that gives it its peculiarities, comes to have similar characteristics to a cocotte; Keep in mind that in North Africa iron was not exactly abundant, but clay was cheap and within reach of all pockets. With that conical lid, which allows you to keep the heat and easily return the juices to the stew, they manage to cook food without practically water, in their own juices and over low heat. This cooking gives a special flavor and texture to the dishes.

- If you have a ceramic hob I advise you to use the diffuser, I have used this tajine without it and it has not cracked, it is of quality and it shows. It is not a simple ceramic, but it is a precaution that I usually take, because I am very fond of it and I would not like to be surprised.

- You can prepare Moroccan candied lemons yourself, I will give you the recipe shortly, but if not in Arab stores or run by Moroccans, they are easy to get.

- If you don't get them, replace it with the juice of a lemon and the lemon rind boiled three times, removing the water each time, to remove the bitterness that it could bring. It is not the same, but it will give that subtle touch of lemon aroma, which this dish appreciates so much. Of course, by not incorporating the candied lemons that are salty, do not forget to add salt to the stew.

- It is important to use purple olives - they are juicier, keep well during cooking and give a characteristic flavor. Other olives that you can use are the Kalamata Greek olives, they give a fabulous result.

To enjoy.