Citrus Spiced Chicken Tagine with Pikliz

Prep Cut chicken into 4cm chunks. Season with 0.5 tsp salt and pepper. Dice onion. Mince garlic and ginger. Crumble saffron into 2 tbsp hot stock and rest 5 minutes. Scrape pulp from preserved lemon and finely chop the rind. Halve olives. Dice tomato. Thinly shred cabbage. Grate carrot. Mince scotch bonnet. Pick cilantro leaves.

Build 1 Toss shredded cabbage and grated carrot with vinegar, juice of half the lime, sugar, scotch bonnet, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press down firmly and rest 20 minutes until cabbage softens and turns glossy.

Sear Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a tagine or heavy lidded pan over medium-high 90 seconds. Add chicken in a single layer and sear 4 minutes turning once, until both sides are deep gold. Lift to a plate.

Build 2 Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook 3 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, remaining 0.5 tsp salt, tomato, and tomato paste 90 seconds until tomato breaks down.

Simmer Pour in saffron stock and remaining chicken stock. Add preserved lemon rind, olives, and bay leaf. Return chicken to the pan. Reduce to low, cover, and braise 18 minutes until chicken is tender and the sauce thickens around it. Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil off the heat for gloss.

Plate Whisk hot water with a pinch of salt in a small bowl, pour over couscous, cover with a plate, and rest 5 minutes until grains plump. Fluff with a fork and stir in butter. Mound couscous in a shallow bowl, spoon tagine and chicken alongside, spoon pikliz on the side, scatter cilantro across the top, and serve with remaining lime wedges.