North Africa · Main

Djaj Msharmal (Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives)

Name: Djaj Msharmal (Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 1200 g bone-in skinless chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks); 2 piece large sweet onions, finely grated; 5 clove garlic, finely minced; 1 piece preserved lemon (pulp minced, rind cut into thin strips); 120 g pitted purple meslalla or cracked green olives; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp smen (aged Moroccan fermented butter); 0.5 tsp saffron threads, lightly crushed and steeped in 60ml warm water; 1 tbsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 0.5 cup finely chopped mixed flat-leaf parsley and fresh coriander

Tender chicken braised with pungent preserved lemon, crushed garlic, fragrant saffron, and violet meslalla olives in a silky sauce.

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The story

A cornerstone of Moroccan hospitality and grand celebrations, Djaj Msharmal relies on the quintessential flavor marriage of salty-sour l'hamd marakad (preserved lemon) and cracked red meslalla olives. Slow-cooked inside an unglazed clay tagine, the sauce reduces into the coveted, rich 'daghmira'—an onion gravy so thick and glossy it clings perfectly to warm khobz.

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