Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Submitted By: Taz

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs Bone-in/Skin-on Chicken Thighs
1 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes - peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
5 cloves Fresh Garlic - minced
2 Medium Carrots - peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
2 Roma Tomatoes - cored and diced
1 Large Onion - halved and sliced
1 Cup Water
¼ Cup Green Peas - frozen are fine
¼ Cup Olive Oil - divided
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley - chopped
2 tsp Ras El Hanout Spice Blend
1 tsp Paprika
⅛ tsp Saffron
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Preparation:
  1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste and set aside until needed
  2. Place potatoes in water to avoid browning until needed
  3. In the dish of the tagine*, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom - Place the onions, carrots, tomatoes, and garlic in a layer - Place the chicken on top - Sprinkle the ras el hanout, paprika, saffron, and parsley over the top - drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and add the water by pouring down the side to avoid washing off the top of the chicken pieces
  4. Cover and place in a COLD oven* - Set oven temperature to 350ºF and let the chicken cook for 45 minutes - Remove from oven, drain your potatoes and lay them in a circle pattern on top of the chicken - Cover and replace in the oven until chicken is completely cooked and potatoes are fork tender (apx 30-45 minutes more - internal temperature of chicken should be 165ºF and juices should run clear)
  5. Remove from oven - Pour the peas over the top - Recover and allow to sit for 10 minutes
  6. Give it a bit of a stir to combine and serve hot with Khobz (Moroccan bread) and/or couscous
* You can use a Dutch oven instead of a tagine for this however, cook times will vary slightly - If using a
   Dutch oven (or cast iron tagine - yes, they make those!), you do not have to place in a cold oven, you
   can preheat - The reason for the cold oven and slow increase of heat is to avoid thermal shock that
   could crack a more traditional earthenware or ceramic tagine