Sake Mom : It's a process, Chicken Tagine.

The perks of having a friend from Paris, France.

She teaches me French, she makes me French food, She translates recipes for me,
She brings me chocolate and tells me what the Best Wine is to buy.
( I am not sharing that secret. She told her French class at Emory and now they are buying it all up at the Farmer's Market.)
The list goes on but I will stop and just share my favorite recipe from Beatrice.
Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemon.

So I suggest you all run out and get you a friend from France.
It will make your world a bigger better place ;)

French cooking ala Beatrice:

You could buy preserved lemons for $20 somewhere and maybe use one and then the rest get lost in the back of your fridge but where is the fun in that ??

To Start: 2 months in advance

Here is how to make preserved lemons:

Big jar

8 organic lemons

More lemons for juice

Coarse salt

Soak the lemons in fresh water for 24 hours (change the water a few times).

Starting at the stem, cut each lemon in quarters (do not cut fully so that they do not detach)

Fill the lemons with coarse salt and close the lemons

Pack the lemons tightly in the jar (don't hesitate to push down so they release their juice)

Top with lemon juice so that all the lemons are covered.

Put in the fridge for two months.

Every two weeks, turn the jar up side down to move the juice around.

Add more lemon juice if necessary.

Tada !!

The Recipe:
Chicken Tagine with green olives & preserved lemon

Ingredients

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) free-range chicken, cut into 10 pieces

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 preserved lemon, recipe follows

1/2 cup cracked green olives

1 cup chicken stock

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and cloves until they start to smoke. Remove from the heat and grind in a spice grinder.

In a bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken, add the oil, spice mix, garlic, ginger, cilantro, bay leaves and saffron. Mix to a paste. Add chicken, rubbing the marinade over all the pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Rinse preserved lemon well. Scoop out flesh and discard. Put in boiling water for two minutes. Cool down and cut in strips.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve marinade. Scrape the marinade off the chicken and pat chicken dry. In a tagine or dutch oven add 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Put in chicken pieces and lightly brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Increase heat and deglaze with chicken broth, stirring, and allowing it to bubble.

Add reserved marinade, olives, and preserved lemons. Cover tightly and cook over medium low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaf and discard. Taste juices and adjust seasoning. Place chicken on a warm platter. Spoon juices with the preserved lemon, olives, and onions over chicken and serve accompanied by Couscous.

Could try this recipe with 1 1/2 cups thickly sliced carrots & 1 1/2 cups thickly sliced celery.

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A few tips and photos from my kitchen.

I did not use onion or cilantro. But did add whole organic baby carrots- Yum