Recipe: The mom in your life will be knocked out by this chicken tagine with leeks, potatoes, and olives

Boston Globe

06-05-2025

Serves 4
Tagine is a word that has two meanings: It refers to both an earthenware pot with a conical lid and to the slow-simmered North African stew that is cooked in it. While a tagine is a method more than a specific recipe, most contain meat, vegetables, and sometimes fruit, and are highly spiced and aromatic. The conical-shaped lid traps moisture, which drops back into the stew, so you need only a minimal amount of liquid. If you don't have the traditional tagine vessel, just use your favorite stew pot with a solid lid. This chicken tagine is updated with spring ingredients. Adjust the spices to suit your taste; ginger, cinnamon, and saffron are common in the dish. Browned chicken thighs work well for a slow braise because they'll stay moist. In a nod to spring, use leeks instead of onions, spring peas (frozen, if necessary) and new potatoes. Very small spring new potatoes are walnut-sized; halve or quarter larger potatoes. Green olives are lovely here, as are lightly charred lemon slices. To make them, slice the remaining half lemon into thin rounds, brush them with olive oil, and pop them under the broiler for a few minutes. The mom in your life will be knocked out by your efforts. 1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup chicken stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and black pepper, to taste
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 leeks (white and light green parts only) thinly sliced and rinsed well
1 pound small yellow potatoes, halved or quartered, if large
¾ cup fresh or frozen peas (run frozen peas under cold water to defrost)
½
cup pitted green olives, halved 1. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt.
2. In a small cup, combine the chicken stock and the lemon juice.
3. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and black pepper.
4. In a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add 4 of the thighs, skin-side down, and cook without disturbing for 5 minutes, or until golden. Turn and cook 4 minutes more. Transfer the thighs to a bowl. Cook the remaining 4 pieces in the same way. Add them to the bowl.
5. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the reserved spices and potatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
6. Pour in the stock and lemon mixture. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on the potatoes. Pour in any juices from the bowl. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover the pan, scatter the peas and the olives over the chicken, and recover. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until the peas and olives are heated through. Taste the cooking juices for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper, if you like.
Jill Gibson
Serves 4
Tagine is a word that has two meanings: It refers to both an earthenware pot with a conical lid and to the slow-simmered North African stew that is cooked in it. While a tagine is a method more than a specific recipe, most contain meat, vegetables, and sometimes fruit, and are highly spiced and aromatic. The conical-shaped lid traps moisture, which drops back into the stew, so you need only a minimal amount of liquid. If you don't have the traditional tagine vessel, just use your favorite stew pot with a solid lid. This chicken tagine is updated with spring ingredients. Adjust the spices to suit your taste; ginger, cinnamon, and saffron are common in the dish. Browned chicken thighs work well for a slow braise because they'll stay moist. In a nod to spring, use leeks instead of onions, spring peas (frozen, if necessary) and new potatoes. Very small spring new potatoes are walnut-sized; halve or quarter larger potatoes. Green olives are lovely here, as are lightly charred lemon slices. To make them, slice the remaining half lemon into thin rounds, brush them with olive oil, and pop them under the broiler for a few minutes. The mom in your life will be knocked out by your efforts.
1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon sweet paprika ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup chicken stock Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt and black pepper, to taste 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 pounds) 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 leeks (white and light green parts only) thinly sliced and rinsed well 1 pound small yellow potatoes, halved or quartered, if large ¾ cup fresh or frozen peas (run frozen peas under cold water to defrost) ½ cup pitted green olives, halved
1. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt.
2. In a small cup, combine the chicken stock and the lemon juice.
3. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and black pepper.
4. In a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add 4 of the thighs, skin-side down, and cook without disturbing for 5 minutes, or until golden. Turn and cook 4 minutes more. Transfer the thighs to a bowl. Cook the remaining 4 pieces in the same way. Add them to the bowl.
5. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the reserved spices and potatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
6. Pour in the stock and lemon mixture. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on the potatoes. Pour in any juices from the bowl. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover the pan, scatter the peas and the olives over the chicken, and recover. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until the peas and olives are heated through. Taste the cooking juices for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper, if you like. Jill Gibson