Name: Chicken tagine
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: serving
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 1 onion sliced; 20 ml olive oil; 500 g chicken breast fillets cubed; 4 garlic cloves; 2 cm fresh ginger; 3 tsp harissa paste; 2 cinnamon stick; 1 tsp saffron soaked in water; 2 tsp za'atar spice; 2 tsp cumin ground; 4 cardamom bashed; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp coriander ground; 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground; 250 ml stock chicken; 2 can tomatoes peeled, chopped; 4 carrot chopped; 1 tsp sugar; 125 ml apricots dried, halved; 2 preserved lemon finely chopped; salt to taste; honey to serve

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Ingredients (22)

1	onion — sliced
20 ml	olive oil
500 g	chicken breast fillets — cubed
4	garlic — cloves
2 cm	fresh ginger
3 tsp	harissa paste
2	cinnamon — stick
1 tsp	saffron — soaked in water
2 tsp	za'atar spice
2 tsp	cumin — ground
4	cardamom — bashed
1 tsp	paprika
1 tsp	coriander — ground
1/2 tsp	cinnamon — ground
250 ml	stock — chicken
2 can	tomatoes — peeled, chopped
4	carrot — chopped
1 tsp	sugar
125 ml	apricots — dried, halved
2	preserved lemon — finely chopped
	salt — to taste
	honey — to serve

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Method:

Heat a large (wide and deep) oven and stove proof saucepan on medium, add oil and fry onions and cinnamon sticks till onions just start to brown.

In an pestle and mortar pound the ginger, garlic, chilli/harissa till smooth. Add a bit of salt to aid break down.

Add to the chicken, coat well and add to pot. Brown chicken on all sides. Turn heat up a little if you have to and add a little more oil. Once browned, sprinkle with a little salt

Lower heat to medium and add the rest of the spices, including the soaked saffron. Stir well to mix.

Add the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes or so. Add tomatoes, carrots, sugar and more salt. Taste and adjust.

Allow to cook for 10-12 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C in meanwhile.

Remove pot from heat on stove. Carefully cover with heavy duty foil and seal well. Make a small gash in the centre with a sharp knife. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven. Add apricots and lemons and bake for further 25 -30 minutes. The apricots will mellow and add a tangy profile to the dish, the lemons will relax and become aromatic.

Add a generous swirl of honey, mix well and serve over couscous with pomegranate studded yoghurt or mint and cucumber salad.

Reprinted with permission of The Food and the Fabulous. To read The Food and the
Fabulous‘ blog, click here.