Chicken & Saffron Tagine with Fennel and Lemon

The preserved lemons add a zesty fresh flavour to this tagine balanced with the flavours of the Saffron Tagine Paste, the sauce makes a lighter broth that partners with the buttery Wild Garlic couscous

Serves 6

6 chicken leg portions
1 tbsp. olive oil
10g butter
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 bulbs fennel, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
4 preserved lemons, 3 (100g) finely chopped and 1 cut into 8 wedges
75g green olives, pitted
1/2 jar My Secret Kitchen Saffron Tagine Paste
500ml chicken stock
fresh coriander to garnish


Buttery Wild Garlic Couscous
300g couscous
375ml boiling water
2 tsp My Secret Kitchen Secret Wild Garlic Spices
40g butter, melted
pistachios to garnish
Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan and brown the chicken portions on both sides to render some of the fat from the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Melt the butter in the pan and brown the onions before adding the fennel and sauté gently for 5 minutes. Add the lemons and olives and then the chicken portions back to the pan. Whisk together the Saffron Tagine Paste into the chicken stock and pour over the chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat and cook for 3 - 4 hours.

For the couscous, mix the couscous with the Secret Wild Garlic Spices and pour over the boiling water, cover and leave to hydrate for 10 - 15 minutes. When ready to serve, fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the melted butter until each grain is coated and separated.