Chicken Tagine with Prunes, Apricots & Almonds
Serves 4
Tagine dishes get their name from the pottery dish with a cone-shaped lid in which they are slowly cooked to perfection. If you don’t have a tagine, you can also use a Dutch oven or heavy skillet with a lid. Either way, this classic spicy Moroccan dish is a wonderful alternative to your standard slow cooked chicken.
Tagine dishes run from sweet to savory to spicy and contain fruit and dried spices. This version, Chicken Tagine with Prunes, Apricots and Almonds, is a blend of the three. The addition of the fruit along with a hint of cinnamon and mint adds a little complexity to the standard recipe. The ginger and turmeric add another note that elevates the dish.
Breath in the wonderful exotic aromas of Marrakech as this amazing chicken dish fills your kitchen with the sweet and spicy aroma of the Moroccan markets.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ lemon, juice only
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks detached (organic or free range if possible)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium size onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
½ cup dried prunes
½ cup dried apricots
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
½ cup almonds, roughly chopped
How to make:
Preheat oven to 360◦F. Take the first six ingredients and mix together to form a paste. Rub the paste over the chicken drumsticks and thighs. Place into a bowl and cover with plastic. Refrigerate for at least two hours or preferably overnight so that the spices infuse.
Take a tagine or an ovenproof pot with a lid and place on the stove. Add the olive oil and allow to get hot. Then add the chicken legs. Cook on all sides until golden brown and crisp. Remove the legs from the tagine and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the chopped onions and celery, and cook for two to three minutes. Add the garlic and any of the remaining contents from the marinade, continue cooking for two minutes. Put the chicken legs back into the Tagine, along with the stock, prunes and apricots. Bring to a boil, and place on the lid. Cook in the oven and cook for 45 minutes to one hour or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
Remove the tagine from the oven and remove the lid. Stir in the chopped cilantro and mint. Scatter over the chopped almonds and serve.