Moroccan Poulet aux Meslalla

SpiceBreeze

Poulet aux Meslalla is a stew of chicken and olives with a slightly lemony gravy, also called olive chicken tagine. Tagines are originally cooked in the earthenware tagine pot. This recipe is the simplest version with a pure flavor dominated by saffron, lemons, and olives (or meslalla). The smell of saffron feels like home in a Moroccan family kitchen.

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hands-on time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Moroccan

Servings

Ingredients

Protein

1.5 lb chicken without bones, skin on (*)

Fresh Produce

1 large onion finely chopped
0.5 lb potatoes cut into wedges
0.5 cup parsley chopped
0.25 cup lemon juice

Packaged Goods/Staples

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
0.5 cup green olives
olive oil
salt & pepper

Poulet aux Meslalla Culinary Spice Kit

Paprika, cumin, garlic, ginger, saffron

Instructions

Cut chicken into pieces of about 2.5 x 2.5 inches.
In a large POT, add 2 tbsp olive oil, chicken, onions, Poulet aux Meslalla spices, and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well.
Add broth. Cover. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add a bit of water if necessary.
Add potatoes and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Add the olives and lemon juice. Mix well.
Continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the parsley.
Serve with your preferred salad and fresh bread to soak up the gravy.
Enjoy!

Notes

(*) If you prefer in-bone pieces, increase the amount to 2 lbs in total.

Suggested Sides

baguette, white bread loaf, or flatbread
lettuce salad or cucumber-tomato-salad

Variations

Substitute the chicken with veal or lamb and adjust the cooking time.
Substitute half or all of the parsley with cilantro.
Use olives that are marinated in garlic.
Make Ras el Hanout or vegetarian Couscous aux Sept Légumes instead.

Marceline Reid-Jaques

2022-12-14

Karen Jones

2022-12-05

Wonderful, flavorful meals using readily available ingredients!

ann davis

2022-11-29

My daughter gave me a subscription as a Christmas present while our families were quarantining together. It was so much fun! It introduced us to several cuisines that were totally new to us. The recipes were easy to follow and the spices were transformative - fresh and pungent and delicious.