Tagine m’chaber from Essaouira with chicken and egg

Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs, halved, or a chicken cut into eight pieces
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley and coriander
• 1 heaped tsp ginger
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 cl cooking oil
• 1 tsp smen
• 25 cl water
• To serve: 6 eggs
• 4 saffron threads, crushed

Method

1. Mix the chicken in a large bowl with the spices, herbs, onions, garlic and oil, cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for 2 hours.
2. Put the chicken and marinade into a pot over a low heat, add the smen and fry for 5 minutes, turning the pieces.
3. Pour in the water and cook over a medium heat until the chicken is done and the sauce has reduced by two thirds.
4. Take out the chicken and place it in a tagine or an ovenproof dish.
5. Beat the eggs with the sauce and the saffron and pour them over the chicken.
6. Set the tagine on a brazier, cover it with a stainless steel plate full of embers and cook between the two fires until the eggs have set and the top of the chicken is golden.
7. Remove the plate and serve the tagine piping hot.