Italian Chicken Tagine

Italian Chicken Tagine

 

Ingredients

For the Marinade:
 2 cloves roasted garlic.
 3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
 2 tbsp freshly chopped oregano
 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the Chicken:
 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
500g thick-cut pancetta, roughly chopped.
 2 tbsp chopped preserved lemons (optional)
For the Garnish:
Lemon zest, more fresh parsley and oregano, a dusting of smoked paprika, freshly ground black pepper.

Directions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender and purée.

Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Place the chicken in a re-sealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag along with the chicken. Seal the bag, swishing around the contents to coat all the chicken thighs evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add the chopped pancetta and allow it to brown for about 8 minutes. Chop the preserved lemons (if using) and once the pancetta is browned, toss them in for a moment to toast with the pancetta. Remove the lemon and pancetta mixture from the skillet and reserve it in a dish. Do not rinse the skillet, you will use the pancetta fat to sear the chicken.

Remove the chicken from its marinade, shaking off any excess. Reserve the remaining marinade. Increase the heat to medium and place the chicken thighs, skin side down in the skillet. Allow them to brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Use metal tongs to flip them. Once they have browned, remove them from the skillet and place them in a dish.

Reduce the heat to low and add the Colavita Pinot Grigio. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet (these are the tasty parts!). Add the rest of the marinade, the chicken stock and the Cirio crushed tomatoes. Stir to incorporate.

Add the chicken back into the skillet, increase the heat to medium-low and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid and allow it to simmer for about 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Once the 40 minutes is up, add the green olives and the pancetta and lemon mixture back to the skillet. Allow it to cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with more freshly chopped herbs, a sprinkle of smoked paprika and some freshly ground black pepper.

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