Tangerine Chicken Tagine

I closed on a beautiful home in Channelside this week. The buyers — a young couple, first-timers — looked at the keys the way I looked at my real estate license in 2012: like they were holding the future in their hands.

Dimitri stopped by the bakery Saturday morning to eat spanakopita and tell Mama she is doing things wrong. She told him he had his chance. They argued. They ate. They loved. In that order, which is the only order this family knows.

Some weeks are ordinary. This was an ordinary week. I sold houses. I cooked dinner. I called Mama. I drove to Tarpon Springs on Sunday. The extraordinary thing about ordinary weeks is that they are the ones you miss most when they are gone.

I braised a lamb shoulder in red wine and herbs for four hours until it surrendered at the touch of a fork. Served over mashed potatoes. We ate at the kitchen table, just the two of us, and for a moment the house was not quiet or loud — it was exactly right. Full. Fed. The sound of forks on plates is the sound I love most in this world.

The olive oil in my kitchen is from a Greek import shop in Tampa that sources from Kalamata. It is expensive. It is worth it. I use it on everything — salads, fish, bread, vegetables, the edge of a pot of soup — because olive oil is not a condiment in this family, it is a philosophy. Use it generously. Use it without apology. Use it the way you use love: poured freely, never measured, always more than you think you need.

That lamb shoulder I braised on Sunday reminded me of something I’ve known for years but keep needing to relearn: the best meals are the ones that ask nothing of you except patience. If you don’t have a lamb shoulder on hand, this Tangerine Chicken Tagine will get you to exactly the same place — low heat, deep flavor, the kind of slow braise that makes a house smell like someone loves it. I reach for this one on weeks that feel ordinary in the best possible way, when I want dinner to be the whole point of the evening.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup fresh tangerine juice (from about 4 tangerines)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp honey
Zest of 2 tangerines
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Cooked couscous or crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

Season the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
Sear. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and sear without moving, about 5 minutes, until deeply golden. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Bloom the spices. Stir in the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until the spices are fragrant and toasted.
Deglaze and braise. Pour in the tangerine juice and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the honey and tangerine zest. Nestle the seared chicken back into the pot, skin-side up, so it sits partially submerged in the liquid.
Slow cook. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, add the green olives, and continue cooking uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is completely tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
Finish and serve. Taste the sauce and adjust salt as needed. Scatter fresh cilantro or parsley over the top. Serve over couscous or with plenty of crusty bread to catch every drop of the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tangerine Chicken Tagine — When the House Feels Exactly Right